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‘I Am Arab, I Am American, I Matter'

Businesses along Brookhurst Street in the heart of Anaheim's Little Arabia. (Leslie Berestein Rojas/LAist)

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A decade ago, the Arab American Civic Council started its first Census write-in campaign called "Check It Right, You Ain't White." The goal was to encourage visibility and representation of Arab Americans.

This time, they're using a different call to action. Raad Ghantous, the group's chair, explains:

“We went through a real adverse situation when the current administration went into power. That, in a very interesting way, caused more unity. Out of that came a sense of civic engagement, and that civic engagement is a positive energy.”

Ghantous' group chose a celebratory slogan: ‘I am Arab, I am American, I Matter' to encourage fellow Arab Americans to check "Other" when they are asked about their race and ethinicity on the 2020 Census, and then write in how they identify.

READ MORE ABOUT THEIR EFFORTS

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