In the U.S., MENA People Are Legally White. But Their Lived Experiences Say Otherwise

Author

Youcef O. Bounab, Cuny Graduate School of JournalismFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-16-2022

Grading Professor

Alia Malek

Subject Concentration

International

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

The U.S. Government classifies people whose origins are from the Middle East and North Africa as racially “white.” This is reflected in the decennial census, as well as in other questionnaires and forms, even as many among those groups prefer to have their own categorization. In this feature article, we explore the history of the issue, how individuals from those backgrounds would prefer to identify, and whether their lived experiences in a post-9/11 United States reflect their current categorization.

Recommended Citation

Bounab, Youcef O., "In the U.S., MENA People Are Legally White. But Their Lived Experiences Say Otherwise" (2022). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/631