Arab and Persian residents in the United States told the Los Angeles Times that while they plan to participate in the 2020 Census, they fear they will be lumped in with the racial category of “white” Americans.
The U.S. is home to about three million southwest Asian, North African, and Middle Eastern residents, according to an analysis by the Times. The vast majority, about 80 percent, have called themselves “white” on previous census surveys.
The ethnic groups, though, fear declaring themselves “white” will give them a disadvantage in the education system and job market, as universities and corporations have favored diversity quotas:
In addition to those resources, advocates argue, the “white” label could hurt universities and companies that use the information to promote diversityand could result in the gathering of little or no statistical data on important issues, such as health trends in the community. [Emphasis added]
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Sarah Shabbar grew up in Santa Barbara feeling underrepresented. In school, she was counted among the white students and wondered why she had to “conform to something I don’t agree with.” [Emphasis added]
“It was such a weird thing to grow up and be told, ‘You should be proud to be Jordanian. You should be proud of where you come from,’” said Shabbar, now a graduate student at California State University, Northridge. “None of these forms are allowing me to feel proud of it, because I’m just white according to them.” [Emphasis added]
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide the constitutionality of asking U.S. residents if they are American citizens on the 2020 Census, as President...