The legislation would stop classifying members of those groups as 'white' on state government forms, potentially with pocketbook implications.
Middle Eastern and North African business leaders in New York say they are looking to a future of expanded economic opportunities under state legislation that would create a separate racial category for members of those groups on government forms, in research and potentially in contracting.“I think this is going to be a game-changer for so many Arab American business owners,” said Debbie Almontaser, cofounder of the Yemeni American Merchants Association and CEO of Bridging Cultures Group.
Kristin Devoe, a spokesperson for Hochul, said the Democratic governor will review the MENA legislation, which passed the state Legislature in June. “That puts us well on our way to hitting our ambitious goal of $25 billion awarded to MWBEs by 2026,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a city procurement fair last October, noting that the program facilitates “a more equitable business landscape.”
She said in an earlier interview that “disaggregating the white category to identify the MENA population … will remove certain barriers and allow much-needed resources to reach these residents.” Almontaser, whose company provides translation services, food contracts and services for migrants, said she was “excited” by the prospect of the MENA classification.
Now 36, he was 13 at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “There's a whole decade where the only thing we wanted to do or our parents want to do is hide our identity in a sense, because of fear of backlash,” he said.
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