Full Citation
Title: Middle Eastern or North African in U.S. Government Surveys: A Preview of MENA Demographics
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2023
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Abstract: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) seeks to update race and ethnicity statistics in the United States through a proposed revision to the existing 1997 standards.1 The most consequential update is the proposed creation of a new Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category, while other updates would combine race and ethnicity into a single question and require additional detail in race reporting. The stated goal is to represent the diverse American population and simplify self‐reporting on federal surveys and forms. These statistical standards are crucial as they govern civil rights enforcement, federal funding allocation, program eligibility, and statistical reporting. This brief approximates responses to the proposed MENA question, as well as the creation of a new Hispanic or Latino race category, using ancestry and country of origin responses from the American Community Survey (ACS). I find a total MENA population of 3.8 million in 2021—about 1 percent of the total U.S. population. The MENA population is most demographically similar to the Non‐Hispanic White and Asian populations in terms of age, earnings, education, and occupation. Specifically, the MENA population is more highly educated and has higher earnings than Non‐Hispanic Whites, but lower levels of education and earnings than the Asian population. (This brief uppercases races and ethnicities to be consistent with U.S. government stylistic guidelines.)
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Forrester, Andrew C.
Publisher: CATO Institute
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Race and Ethnicity
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