U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) have joined colleagues to introduce a bill that includes people Middle Eastern and Nort

This bill aims to ensure that the federal government is specifically considering how the MENA health is impacted in various ways and would provide guidance to HHS to proactively incorporate...

On June 10th a coalition of legislators in the House and Senate co-signed a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take critical steps toward improving the health...

Wayne County Prosecutor says ‘threats will not be tolerated during our election process.’

On the eve of Election Day, a coalition of organizations declared that each ballot must be counted and that it won’t tolerate voter intimidation. “Nearly 2 million Michiganders have exercised...

Flint, MI—When Lucine Jarrah got to the race and ethnicity questions on her application for the University of Michigan-Flint, she faced a problem all too

Oscar Peralta, Legal Intern for Bolder Advocacy As the 2018 midterm elections approach, many nonprofits are wondering how they can mobilize their communities to vote. Nonpartisan voter registration drives and...

There is “no question” Middle Eastern and North African communities across the U.S. are underserved by federal disaster aid, Sen. Gary Peters said.

Currently classified in the census as white, some activists worry that the community is being politically marginalized — and look to the experience of Mexicans, who were also ‘white’ until...

Three days before the inauguration of President Trump, Nada Al-Hanooti’s mother, who was born in a Syrian refugee camp and speaks very little English, was able to take and pass...

Detroit women’s shelter receives major makeover from Arab American Service Day volunteers 14th Annual Service Day included dozens of Arab American-led

Advocacy Efforts Advance Middle Eastern and North African Inclusion  

Arab Americans are pushing to win federal recognition, with funding and public health at stake.  

The federal proposal for a separate MENA category would lead to more accurate federal data collection for Arab Americans.  

There are currently more than 5 million Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Americans in the U.S., and Michigan is home to the largest, oldest and most diverse Arab American...

Arabs and Latinos could gain the ability to self-identify as such under proposed federal guidelines aimed at reflecting the nation’s true diversity.  

In spite of how they look or how they personally identify, in the government’s eyes, Arab Americans are white, and activists want to change that https://www.wxyz.com/news/proposal-to-add-middle-eastern-or-north-african-census-category-gains-ground

An advocacy group is working to get the Middle Eastern and North African designation added to the federal Office of Management and Budget.

A new category for Americans of Middle Eastern or North African descent will be on the next U.S. census.

The moves are the first changes in a quarter century.  

Two state bills would work in tandem with new federal guidelines for collecting race and ethnicity data for people with origins in the Middle East or North Africa (MENA). Advocates...

130 community organizations sent a letter to Homeland Security urging them to grant Temporary Protection Status for Lebanese nationals

Advocates are urging for the designation of Temporary Protected Status for Lebanese in the United States, which would allow for non-residents to gain an official status while their home country...

Arab American community activists are urging the Department of Homeland Security to declare Temporary Protected Status for Lebanese nationals in the U.S.

In the realm of U.S. immigration policy, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) are crucial forms of humanitarian relief that serve distinct purposes. For Arab American organizations...

On July 11th, 2023, Senate Bill 35 passed, eliminating the asset limit test for SNAP benefits in Michigan. This was the culmination of months of advocacy work by ACCESS and...

Bill called the “The Social Welfare Act” introduced in the senate   SNAP Timeline

We are heartbroken over the violence directed against innocent civilians in the Middle East. The images and utter lack of humanity we have seen perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza this week are...

Today is a special day and we are so excited to share the success of a major step towards our being accurately counted and represented. The culmination of decades of...

On July 8th, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro N. Mayorkas redesignated Yemen for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Secretary Mayorkas’ decision will allow Yemeni nationals...

On June 10th a coalition of legislators in the House and Senate co-signed a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take critical steps toward...

The DED will allow eligible Lebanese nationals to legally remain in the Unites States for 18 months    July 26, 2024    Washington, DC — Today, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced...