According to the US federal government, this guys is white:
Yes, if following the categorization of race in the upcoming Census, which directly takes its taxonomy cues from the Office of Budget and Management, Sudanese refugee and American olympian (Beijing 2008) Lopez Lomong would be classified as “white.” According to the Office of Management and Budget’s Directive 15, passed in 1997, “whites” are defined as descendants of “the original peoples of Europe, North Africa or the Middle East.” Hispanic or Latino people, according to the same government agency, are of “Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture.” Considering that Sudan is grouped as a part of “North Africa,” this would render Lomong and other nationals from Sudan white, while the famous Cuban below, could receive minority protection for her nonwhite federal classification:
Now, based on this compact lesson on legal categorizations of race, who is the benefactor of minority privileges in the US? Yes, that would be the “white” looking Cameron Diaz. It might seem counterintuitive to what we know as “race” and “racial privilege” that a “white” woman would accrue more privilege for “disadvantage”(the language used in the Small Business Act’s Section 8(a)) than the “black” man/” But it is the very “privilege” of our “white” categorization that has precluded us from basic civil protection.
However, Arabs are not without fault for their liminal white status, one that produces a double jeopardy, as they defected from whiteness in matters of white privilege and citizenship, and excluded from minority protection when their experience of discrimination more closely reflects the “minority” narrative. Historically, the earliest populations of Arab immigrants to the United States, largely a Syrian/Lebanese Christians bunch, aggressively fought with state, county and federal courts to be classified as white. Before the passage of the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, also known as the National Origins Act (the same piece of legislation repealed by the Immigration Act of 1965 which lifted national quotas), Syrian Christians were for the most part success in these naturalization cases. By invoking the “civilizational argument,” claiming origins to the birthplace of Christianity, Shami Arabs convinced white judges of their national kinship. I mention the religious complexion, because not only did the lighter breed of Arabs relate more to the white American populous phenotypically, but religiously. They considered these shared experiences, physical look and religious affilitation, as grounds for establishing as they were more assimmible.
Because of the extreme variance in phenotype, in “gross morphology” (as Princeton professor Kwame Anthony Appiah terms it), nation-state identifications, overlapping religious identities, and the courts and federal governments’ inconsistent racial categorizing, it is my presumption that it has been a difficult task to say what category or label appropriately describes the experience of being “Arab” in America. but as the above images demonstrate, it has done the job of disempowering minority privilege and left little or no safeguard in moments of necessary minority rights protection.
Take for example: racial profiling, INS surveillance during the Nixon era, Operation Boulder, secret prisons and detention camps in the US, guantonomo bay, blatant political racism that AAI’s Helen Samhan brilliantly documents in her seminal essay on the topic, Politics and Exclusion: The Arab American Experience (who has coincidently been actively advocating for an “Arab” category on the Census for decades-check out an article she wrote for the Arab American News about the Census). All these instances and many more demonstrate the parameters of “whiteness” for Arab Americans, where whiteness ends. Forget about white privilege, if our “whiteness” hasn’t even secured us from a violation of basic civil rights and from rampant discrimination, marginalization; what good is this “whiteness”?
Now what? sit and complain about our persecution?
ORGANIZE. And there are many ways you can do this:
1. The upcoming 2010 Census form will be showing up in your mailboxes soon (approximately mid-march). Each household is technically required to return a complete 10 question survey by April 1. This is our opportunity to be counted! Because of the lack of organized efforts to mobilize Arabs around the Census in the past, the 2000 Census was estimated to have grossly undercounted the population by millions. With slogans like “check it right, you ain’t white,” locally-run Arab Complete Count Committees have actively organized to get a more accurate count of the Arab population in the US by encouraging Arabs to check “other” and write in “Arab.” And why Arab? Why not Egyptian, Moroccan, Syrian, Sudanese, etc.?Unfortunately, our national allegiances in this moment does more to hurt us than help us. As the negligible size of those communities will take from the numbers counted towards “Arab” and will just be re-classified as “white.”
2. If you own a small business, request to qualify as Socially Disadvantaged Business through the small business act, or check with your state to determine the rules of minority classification. Although random, this step, especially for a community like ours with many entrepeneurs and family-owned businesses, could be a viable route for community empowerment.
3. Census 2020-Since the 2010 census, the first one after 9/11, crept up on our community with out a prepared, organized campaign, we have to start organizing for 2020 NOW. And that includes issues of categorization and definition. While I personally support the categorization of “Arab,” I myself feel uneasy about endorsing a national category without knowing the overwhelming consensus on this issue. However, I do also belief that a uniform category, an entry point into identity politics, will do us more good than bad by “flattening out difference.” If we are already the victims of social categorization on primetime news, on shows like 24 hour, and in matters and moments of national security, how does refusing to recognize our labeling help us? empower us as a community?
Related posts:
- Animosity Towards Arab-Americans Declines As Hollywood Writers’ Strike Drags On
- ADC Condemns Homeland Security, Delta’s Endangerment of Arab Americans
- Political Unity for Arab Americans?
- Guest Post: How Will Arab-Americans Be Voting Tomorrow?
- Obama to Arab-Americans: I Want Your Vote
WHITE POWER
Posted by Agent 4chan | March 10, 2010, 4:28 pmOk i read the top half of this article .. and yes what you're saying is true maytha especially this part:
"Historically, the earliest populations of Arab immigrants to the United States, largely a Syrian/Lebanese Christians bunch, aggressively fought with state, county and federal courts to be classified as white. Before the passage of the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, also known as the National Origins Act (the same piece of legislation repealed by the Immigration Act of 1965 which lifted national quotas), Syrian Christians were for the most part success in these naturalization cases. By invoking the “civilizational argument,” claiming origins to the birthplace of Christianity, Shami Arabs convinced white judges of their national kinship. "
Posted by Ali | March 11, 2010, 12:47 pmBUT (and i'm saying this so that the actions of the Leb/Syrian immigrants in petitioning to be considered white isn't taken the wrong way) the reason they petitioned to be white was because it was very beneficial to be white at the time with the priveleges given to white folks compared to everybody else. So it was purely motivated by self-interest and was for utalitarian purposes. Nowadays however, it is (or at least seems to me) more benficial to be considered a minority group with the special priveleges minorities get today. So, as an Arab community in the states it would be in your best interest today to petition to be classified as an Arab minority with the benefits that come with it.
Also, at the time (late 1800's to early 1900's) just for general info, all leb/syrian migrants identified themselves as Arab/Syrian … there was no lebanon at the time … most of christians coming from what is today lebanon identified themselves as Syrian/Arab… and this is coming from the logs at Ellis island, New York (think its called Ellis island anyway i forgot … bin a while since i studied this information)
Posted by Ali | March 11, 2010, 12:47 pmThe reason they petitioned to be white was because whiteness was a prerequisite for citizenship in the United States. Dow vs. The United States, 1915.
Posted by JillianKF | March 14, 2010, 2:07 amaye
Posted by Ali | March 14, 2010, 11:02 amYou people sure are obsessed with race.
Posted by abdul alhazred | March 15, 2010, 2:21 amGuess what, when you go to the UK Arabs are considered Asian.. Race issues is a made up hierarchy in the US because occupiers have to oppress one kind to make themselves feel like they are the "Aristocrats" whereas, in the Middle East, it is family name, tribe, proof of true Arab blood lines, and Money. This is the impression I got in my visits. I can be wrong, but I think its a different time and its about poor fighting the rich and the RIch getting Richer and the Poor getting Poorer..
I think we really need to fight the rich man law makers! If the race card can help me fight the RIch Man then I am all for it, so I will mark my census, Other and fill in Arab!
Posted by Farassha | March 15, 2010, 6:23 amWatevaa….. you guys better get outta there while you still can before those fools start the Inquisition again!
First they'll profile you then send you to a concentration camp. It ain't nothing new! Its been done before, in recent history.
Calling all smart Muslims! All Muslims who are not going to compromise and become a lesbian like Irshad “Suck on This” Manji and start dissing Islam. GET OUTTA THE SHIT HOLE.
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Posted by compact mirrors | April 22, 2010, 3:12 pm