California’s Middle Eastern and North African Communities Advocates for AB-91 (Harabedian): MENA Inclusion Act at State Capitol Press Conference
SACRAMENTO, CA — On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the California MENA Civil Rights Coalition, a coalition of over 20 community organizations serving Middle Eastern and North African communities, will send over 40 MENA Californians to Sacramento to hold a press conference in support of AB-91 (Harabedian): the MENA Inclusion Act. If passed, the bill would require all California entities that collect demographic or ancestry data to include a “Middle Eastern or North African” category.
The press is invited to attend the entire advocacy day and feature over 40 MENA advocates, or to attend the press conference later in the day.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: Advocacy Day 9 am – 5 pm, press conference between 3 pm – 5 pm
Location: Capitol Annex and Capitol Lawn
BACKGROUND:
According to 2020 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, California has the largest population of Middle Eastern or North African (MENA)-identifying individuals in the nation. However, due to current demographic data collection standards, MENA individuals have been grouped under categories that fail to reflect their unique socio-economic and cultural needs, rendering them statistically invisible in public data.
AB 91 (Harabedian), the MENA Inclusion Act, would require all California entities that collect demographic or ancestry data to include a distinct “Middle Eastern or North African” category and allow for further disaggregation by ethnic subgroup. This change, building upon previously successful data disaggregation efforts like AB 1088 (Asian and Pacific Islander data disaggregation) and SB 1016 (Latine and Mesoamerican Indigenous data collection), would enable California to better serve MENA communities and ensure that their distinct experiences are visible in state data collection and public policy decisions.
MENA Advocacy Day serves as a platform for MENA Californians and allies to uplift and advocate for the defense of their communities. MENA constituents from across California, from school teachers to wildfire victims, will gather to share their stories in Sacramento. The Advocacy Day is also a critical community-building opportunity for MENA Californians of diverse backgrounds to unite, organize, and work collectively to advance shared policy goals.
For many legislators, this will be the first time engaging with MENA constituents. This moment represents not only a policy inclusion effort but a broader push for visibility and representation in California’s legislative process, as participants will learn effective advocacy skills and tools for making meaningful change.
The bill is backed by the largest MENA-led and MENA-serving constituency organizations in the country, including the coalition leading the #CountMENAinCA campaign, the California MENA Civil Rights Coalition. The California MENA Civil Rights Coalition includes: Arab American Civic Council, Armenian American Advancement Network, National Iranian American Council (NIAC), CAIR-CA, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Somali Family Services, Access California Services, Arab Cultural and Community Center, Majdal Center of San Diego, and National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC).
