Policy and Advocacy

Our policy work is focused on serving member organizations as well as the Arab American community. NNAAC’s Policy and Advocacy program works with both NNAAC members and their communities to amplify the needs and interests of the Arab American and broader Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community. To develop our policy recommendations and advocacy actions for each issue area, we consider the intersection of federal and state policy, the capacities and service offerings of NNAAC members, and the needs of the communities they serve.

NNAAC’s Policy and Advocacy priorities:

Immigration Reform

Advocating for a fair and humane immigration system

Arab American and other communities of immigrants and refugees face various obstacles to accessing quality public services and a clearly established pathway to citizenship. Arab migrants will continue to face hardship and pain without comprehensive immigration law reform.

Health Equity

Advocating for equitable healthcare

Arab American communities, despite proof of significant health disparities, are overlooked in federally conducted healthcare programs and surveys. Our communities will continue to suffer from a lack of high-quality, culturally appropriate, and linguistically accessible healthcare until change is made.

Budget Equity

Advocating for an equitable share of government funding

Arab American communities do not receive government funding despite evidence of significant need for trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, and linguistically accessible services. It is time to end the systemic disinvestment in our communities.

Data Equity

Advocating for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Data Inclusion

MENA communities are not recognized in federal data, which effectively excludes Arab Americans from the design, implementation, benefit, and impact of government policies and programs. This exclusion from data negatively impacts all of our issue areas. Our communities have been invisible for far too long. #CountMENAIn

Voting Rights

Advocating for comprehensive voter protections

Arab American communities, and other MENA communities, are disenfranchised and systemically excluded from crucial voter protections. Our communities cannot have fair representation and equal voice in the democratic process until we address widespread voter dilution and intimidation, language barriers, and legal hurdles.

Take On Hate

Advocating for counter-narratives alongside the Center for Arab Narratives and Arab American National Museum

Arab American communities have long been racialized as non-white, foreign, primitive, suspect and dangerous. It is time to organize against hate, prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination in all forms. Join our campaign to #TakeonHate.