From: The Honorable Debbie Dingell
Sent By:
kevin.rambosk@mail.house.gov
Date: 10/24/2016

Current Cosigners: Rep. Elijah Cummings

Endorsed by: Arab American Institute

DEADLINE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26TH AT NOON

Dear Colleague:

Please join me in urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to include a Middle East and North Africa (MENA) group and reporting category as an ethnicity for all Federal
statistics and to finalize this rulemaking as fast as possible. The current standard has not been updated since 1997, and we are long overdue for an update to properly reflect the diversity of our nation. 

On September 30, 2016, OMB

published a notice in the Federal Register proposing limited changes to OMB’s Statistical Policy Directive on Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. This includes establishing a MENA designation to improve
the quality of Federal information, which OMB states is an area that “may benefit from further refinement.”

It is essential that data collected by the federal government is as accurate as possible to reflect the composition of our population.  The data standard for race and ethnicity
impacts how the government enforces requirements under the Voting Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, in addition to influencing labor force data, education data, and health statistics. 

People from the MENA region are currently not able to self-identity with their national origin and do not feel properly represented.  Therefore, the Federal government does
not have the most accurate picture of its citizens.  The creation of a new MENA reporting category recognizes that MENA is an ethnicity and not a race, and will contribute to providing more accurate data for this undercounted community.

Improving the information we collect on race and ethnicity will benefit the Federal government, Congress, and the people. To join this letter urging OMB to include a MENA
ethnicity category in its final rulemaking or if you have further questions, please contact Kevin Rambosk (kevin.rambosk@mail.house.gov) in Rep. Debbie Dingell’s office at 202-225-4071.

Sincerely,

DEBBIE DINGELL                         

Member of Congress                

October XX, 2016

The Honorable Shaun Donovan

Director

Office of Management and Budget

1800 G Street, 9th Floor

Washington, D.C. 20503

Dear Director Donovan:

            We write in support of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Federal proposal to add a new category of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in all Federal
data collection efforts (Federal Register, Volume 81, No. 190). This proposal culminates over three decades of work by community organizations and advocates to be counted in the U.S. Census as an ethnicity.

            When OMB last reviewed this issue there was no consensus about how to properly define the MENA designation. Therefore, the Interagency Committee for the Review
of the Racial and Ethnic Standards ordered further study and research into the best ways to properly collect data on the MENA population. After 19 years, people who are from this region still do not have the ability to identify themselves during Federal data
collection, such as the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey. 

            We believe it is critical for OMB to finalize a MENA reporting category when conducting all future Federal data collections for the following reasons:

• Excluding a MENA category from Federal data collection creates a demographic gap that has a serious impact on stakeholders and policymakers when attempting to make good policy
  decisions or crafting legislation.

• Since people from the MENA region are not currently included in the U.S. Census they are not eligible for protection under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which ensures
  the availability of foreign language ballots. By including a MENA category, more people will be protected during elections.

• Having access to specific MENA statistical data would improve our ability to conduct research on this specific population. For example, it would lead to greater access and
  understanding of ethnic-specific diseases.

• Like Hispanics, people from the MENA region can identify with any race. The creation of a new MENA reporting category recognizes that MENA is an ethnicity and not a race,
  and will contribute to providing better data for this undercounted community.

• Federal data is used to monitor and enforce civil rights and equal employment laws. Including a MENA category would improve our ability to protect more people from discrimination
  in our society. 

            We all want to improve the accuracy of Federal data collection, including the U.S. Census, and it is our belief we can achieve this shared goal by including a
MENA category. Thank you for considering our thoughts during the open comment period. We urge OMB to finalize this rulemaking as quickly as possible and to include a MENA reporting category for ethnicity in any final rulemaking.

Sincerely,