Launching the Arab American Research Team for Economic Advancement (AARTEA)

TO: Committee Chair Sabrina Cervantes

FROM: Nikki Ramsy, Executive Director of the Arab American Civic Council

SUBJECT: Launching the Arab American Research Team for Economic Advancement (AARTEA)

DATE: October 10, 2022

Action Needed: Launching the Arab American Research Team for Economic Advancement (AARTEA)

Nearly one million Arab Americans live in California (Abuelezam et al., 2019). In spite of their significant demographic and cultural presence, however, they remain a largely invisible population. Arab Americans are undercounted, underfunded, and underrepresented. Without the proper recognition and investments, Arab Americans are unable to access equal employment and economic opportunities.

Although this issue will require coordinated, countrywide action across multiple stratums of government, the Arab American Civic Council (AACC) recommends the Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy (JEDE) deploy the statewide Arab American Research Team for Economic Advancement (AARTEA) from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2026. AARTEA will investigate economic disparities and employment barriers for California’s Arab American population — as well as potential policy initiatives to combat these inequities.

Living a Paradox

The U.S. Census classifies Arab Americans as “Non-Hispanic White” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). But Arab Americans have markedly different lived realities from White Americans.

Arab Americans experience poorer economic outcomes than White Americans. In California, they are less likely to have insurance, live above the federal poverty line, and own a house than Non-Hispanic Whites (Abuelezam et al., 2019; Ayash, et al., 2018). Despite higher education levels, Arab Americans had a 3% higher poverty rate and $10,000 lower median annual income compared to White Americans in 2009 (Guzman, 2020; Ryan & Siebens, 2012; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019; American Arab Chamber of Commerce, 2014).

This financial adversity is partly due to employment barriers. Studies show that people with “typical Arab-sounding” names experience hiring discrimination and receive fewer callbacks from job applications than White Americans (Widner & Chicoine, 2011; Bartkoski et al., 2018; Derous et al., 2009). Studies also show that U.S. immigrants who are not fluent in English have lower earnings (Chiswick & Miller, 2009), and a sizable 28% of Arab immigrants reported having limited English proficiency (Harjanto & Batalova, 2022).

Higher health risks — both physical and mental — also contribute to this Arab American wealth disparity. Compared to White Americans, Arab Americans have a higher rate of diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers (Fritz et al., 2016; Tailakh et al., 2013; Schwartz et al., 2014; Dallo et al., 2022; Bergmans et al., 2014; Awad et al., 2022; Abboud et al., 2019). Health influences one’s participation in the job market and is an important aspect of economic well-being. Some studies, in fact, estimate that “bad health” leads to an average $1,500 loss per year of life (de Nardi et al., 2017). The relationship between health and earnings is a vicious

positive feedback loop. Low income and wealth leads to poorer health, which leads to lower income and wealth (Woolf et al., 2015).

In addition to physical ailments, Arab Americans are also more likely to experience mental disorders than White Americans. Due to assimilation pressures, discrimination, struggles with identity, and a myriad of other factors, Arab Americans — especially adolescents and college students — have higher levels of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress in comparison to other racial groups (Dallo, 2015; Cho, 2018; Kader et al., 2019; Khouri, 2016; Ajrouch & Antonucci, 2017; Awad et al., 2019). Mental health and economic outcomes are directly linked; mental disorders are associated with lower employment, increased substance use, and impaired social functioning (Lipson et al., 2018; Mojtabai et al., 2015).

The Arab American Research Gap

More alarming than the statistics themselves, however, is how difficult they are to find in the first place. Research about the Arab American population is alarmingly scarce. Almost all studies conclude with the same verdict: we simply do not know enough about the Arab American community.

One of the biggest reasons for this knowledge deficit is the U.S. Census racial categorization. Since Arab Americans are classified as “White,” not only are we lumped into a group with which they do not identify (Maghbouleh et al., 2022), but population characteristics and trends are undetectable. “With no separate...checkbox on the U.S. census forms,” NPR journalist Hansi Lo Wang (2022) explains, “there is no direct way of producing a national count.”

To offer perspective on the severity of this issue, the U.S. Census estimated the Arab American population in California to be 373,1891 (Yalla Count Me In!, 2020). But according to the Arab American Institute, the population is closer to 817,455 (Abuelezam et al., 2019) — more than twice the Census estimate.

This research gap has troubling ripple effects. Without accurate data, it is extremely difficult for Arab American communities to secure the funding, grants, programming, and services they need (Bakkar, 2022; Measher, 2020; Leadership Conference Education Fund, 2017). As former executive director of the Arab American Civic Council Rashad Al-Dabbagh succinctly described it: “it’s as if we don’t count” (Parvini & Simani, 2019).

Committing to Our State’s Values

California is one of the most diverse states in the country (U.S. Census, 2021; Clarke, 2020). The state has been a Democratic and relatively progressive stronghold for decades (McDermott, 2020; Koseff, 2022). In a 2019 public statement, Governor Gavin Newsom himself asserted that “California is proud to be the most diverse state” and insisted that “all Californians deserve to know that their government is working for them” (Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, 2019).

1 Since there is no racial categorization for MENA Americans, this number was determined by surveying respondents’ ancestry.

But right now, the government is not working for Arab Americans. Without recognition and without access to opportunities, these communities cannot achieve their full economic potential within U.S. society.

Action is long overdue. Although a census category would ameliorate many of these problems, we recognize that it is a long-term battle with a federal scope beyond the Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy’s jurisdiction. Instead, we recommend taking a state-based approach by implementing the Arab American Research Team for Economic Advancement (AARTEA).

California is the prime location to pilot AARTEA. Not only does the state host the largest population of Arab Americans in the country, making it logistically ideal, but California is celebrated for its racial diversity and strong emphasis on and inclusion. It is time for Arab Americans to be part of the picture. It is time for California policymakers to deliver on their promise to work for everyone.

Launching AARTEA

The Arab American Civic Council recommends launching AARTEA throughout Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2026.

We propose enlisting 12 AARTEA members:

1 Principle Investigator who will interview, vet, and select team members as well as report back to JEDE and the Arab American Civic Council.
2 Research Directors who will oversee research activities and ensure they follow pre-designated guidelines.
3 Research Associates who will both conduct and monitor research/data collection.
5 Research Assistants who will collect data and perform clerical duties. They will report
back to the Research Associates.
1 Statistician who will analyze and interpret data.

In order to ensure cultural sensitivity and empower Arab Americans with agency over their own research and narrative, all of the AARTEA members should be of Middle Eastern and/or North African descent. AACC estimates that the total cost of stipends for the 12 research team members, equipment, services, travel, and any additional expenses will be $4,250,000. A tentative timeline of the next few years is as follows:

November-December 2022 : JEDE allocates funding

January-April 2023: Hire Principle Investigator

May-October 2023: Principal Investigator hires AARTEA members (Research Directors, Research Associates, Research Assistants, and Statisticians)

November-December 2023: AARTEA drafts data collection plan

January 2024: AACC reviews and approves research plan

February 2024: JEDE allocates additional funding

March 2024: Obtain necessary materials and equipment

April 1, 2024: Begin research

March 31, 2026: Concludes research

April-May 2026: Present research findings and policy recommendations to JEDE and AACC

June 2026-undecided: JEDE, AACC, and other organizations collaborate to plan and implement AARTEA-recommended policies

Fighting for a “California for All”

For the past three years, we have been fighting for a “California for All.” A California where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, where the shiny American Dream is within reach. But right now, we are leaving nearly one million people behind — people who are tenacious, giving, community-oriented, hardworking. We need to do more for the Arab American community. We need to conduct more research, allocate more funding, and implement more targeted policy initiatives. AARTEA can help us do exactly that. AARTEA can help us build an economy for all — a “California for All.”

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