IGR Public Statement Regarding the Middle Eastern/North African Identity Category
Ann Arbor, Michigan, December 7, 2017. We, the staff and faculty of The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) at the University of Michigan (U-M), support the student-led drive to implement the Middle Eastern/North African (ME/NA) identity category on all official university documents that collect demographic information. This initiative is in line with IGR’s mission for building dialogue across social group identity.
IGR supports individuals and groups to self-identify in ways that create personal meaning and group advocacy. The ME/NA designation petition provides sound reasons for adopting ME/NA categories that will give meaningful recognition to a significant portion of the U-M population. The ME/NA designation is an opportunity to realize the diversity, equity, and inclusion values the U-M community espouses. More importantly, the designation will empower ME/NA students, staff, and faculty to more accurately determine how they want to identify.