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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.
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