ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)--A BILL IN ALBANY WOULD TAKE APART MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN GROUPS FROM WHITE CATEGORIES ON STATE DATA FORMS.  

SOME ADVOCATES SAid THEY WANT TO BE ACCURATELY REPRESENTED IN STATE DATA.  
 
“Any application in any agency we have to fill out all this information. I have a right to say I’m from the Middle East, I have a right to say I’m from South Africa, not white. I’m not white, so how do I write white?” said Zeinab Gomaa.
 
LAWMAKERS SAid THIS legislation WOULD DO MORE THAN PROVIDE RECOGNITION TO MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN COMMUNITIES.  
 
“It’s not just a matter of mis-characterizing someone racially like that but it also has real consequences for these communities because a lot of times state benefits are driven by information and data that the state has—where these communities are located, what their needs are,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-12th Senate District).
 
FOR OTHER LAWMAKERS IT BOILS DOWN TO THE FACT THAT DATA IS POWER. AND THEY SAid HOW THAT POWER IS WIELDED, MATTERS.  
 
“Having that data pulled out by any board, state, commissions, agencies that the state oversees will be vital to making sure that we have the numbers to advocate for the community's needs, so whether its information on health disparities, whether its language access needs, whether its religious or cultural needs of the community,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas (D-Assembly District 34).
 
The bill has passed in the Senate. If it's going to make it to the Governor's desk before the end of session it has to pass in the Assembly.