State lawmakers propose ethnicity box for Middle Eastern, North African communities NBC 7 San Diego [Video]

There’s a bill hoping to make its way to the House floor that represents a large population that call San Diego home. The California MENA Inclusion Act hopes to bring more attention to collecting demographic data on people who identify as Middle Eastern and North African.

San Diego has one of the largest populations of Middle Eastern and North African communities. Amin Nash, policy and research coordinator for the Arab American Civic Council, said specifically in El Cajon, almost 40% of the population identifies as such.

“I would identify as Arab American. I would identify as Iraqi American, but there’s Iranian Americans part of this, there’s Armenian Americans part of this. We put in a lot of work as a village” Nash said.

But still, many feel forgotten.

“I remember not seeing the box there, and it was hard,” Nash said. “It was like, ‘Who am I?'”

California State Assemblymember Bill Essayli introduced a bill called AB …