‘De-Whiting NY’: North Africans, Middle Easterners Would Lose ‘White’ Status Under State Bill
27th May 2024
The legislation, sponsored by Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas (D-Queens) and Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), would mandate state agencies and other entities use separate categories for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) New Yorkers when collecting demographics data – rather than relying on the US Census, which classifies them under one “white” umbrella.
Not only will restaurants have to cope with ‘party of one’, governments will have to adjust to ‘identity of one’.
UPDATE: Neither ‘white’ nor ‘other,’ Middle Eastern, North African NYers want their own box to check (The Gothamist)