US Arabs need new approach
Even though we saw a slight increase in the number of Arabs and Muslims who ran for and won office in Tuesday’s midterm elections in the US, the key to being effective is not in your ethnicity, religion or nationality. That is a fallacy that many Arab and Muslim candidates take with them when they win elections and serve in public office.
What is really needed is for victorious Arab and Muslim candidates to focus on strengthening their voices and agendas by building coalitions through achieving consensus and compromise with elected officials of other ethnic and religious backgrounds, and even with members of the other political party.
For Palestinian, Arab and Muslim elected officials who want to focus on helping their heritage constituency’s foundations, what they need to do is identify needs that can be shared with others and build a coalition, such as what African American Cyril Nichols, a state legislator in Illinois, has done.
Democrat Nichols, who was appointed to represent the 32nd Illinois district last year, won election to his seat on Tuesday by a wide margin.
His district includes a slice of Chicagoland’s large Arab American, mostly Palestinian, population.
After taking his seat in the state legislature, he identified a need that Arab Americans have, which is to receive their share of the contracts Illinois awards to businesses.
To help minority businesses, Illinois has created a Minority Business Enterprise program that sets aside 25 percent of the $46 billion it awards in annual contracts to “designated minorities” who own businesses. Nichols has said he wants to include Arabs in the program for the first time.
The problem is that many Arab American politicians base their role on helping their own ethnic and racial community, not by including them in general benefit programs such as the one in Illinois.
Instead, they get involved in emotionally charged issues to do with Arab heritage and origins, such as proposing a Nakba law.
How do we make Arab and Muslim Americans stronger and more successful?
Should we push laws to recognize injustices in the Middle East that only gather a small amount of support?
Or should we turn inwards and focus on changing laws to strengthen the situation of Arab and Muslim Americans today?
Nichols is doing just that by seeking to include Arabs in the Minority Business Enterprise program.
To be successful, he needs the support of 50 percent of the 218 members of the Illinois House of Representatives. He already has the backing of Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
What Nichols has done is far more productive in helping Arabs and Palestinians than what the likes of Rep. Rashida Tlaib have done. And Nichols doesn’t even have an Arab background.
www.arabnews.com/opinion