News

Middle Eastern Communities Say Census Whitewashes Their Numbers, Needs

Voice of San Diego highlighted our Census 2020 work around completing the questionnaire and ensuring community members write in their nationalities of origin to ensure that our communities are heard and accurately represented.

“San Diego is home to large numbers of refugees from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia – communities the census mostly classifies as White. Without detailed data, it’s nearly impossible to gauge just how large those populations actually are and how to direct support their way. Ramah Awad says community organizations like hers that serve Arab Americans struggle with funding and other issues because her community is often grouped with White people in data.“

A LIFELINE TO THE REGION’S REFUGEE COMMUNITY

The San Diego Foundation discussed results of the San Diego Refugee Community Coalition COVID-19 Refugee Community Impact Report, highlighted the Majdal Center’s participation.

“These are small ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) led by the communities they serve and they are the ones most at risk during the pandemic even though they are on the front line working with highly marginalized, often distrustful, linguistically challenged populations that are scrambling.”

Commentary: Refugees in San Diego are struggling with pandemic challenges. We know, we surveyed them.

Check out the UCSD Refugee Health Unit op-ed in the San Diego Union Tribune featuring the Majdal Center and highlighting the results from needs assessments surveys we conducted.

"Even before the pandemic, immigrants and refugees in San Diego County struggled to access employment, affordable housing, educational opportunities, and health care. The pandemic has made these challenges worse while cutting off access to critical social supports and connections when they're needed most."

2020 Census: Our Interview on KUSI

In June, we joined Good Morning San Diego to discuss the 2020 census and remind our communities to fill out the 2020 census as soon as possible! Watch Ramah, our community organizer, talk about the importance of filling out the Census. As Arabs in the U.S., we have gone undercounted for too long.

awarded the 2018 outstanding youth activist Group award

Through our work in El Cajon, we are honored to announce that we are being awarded the 2018 Outstanding Youth Activist Group Award. This is both in relation to the projects we have been building here at the Majdal Center as well as across community lines in this border town.

Our community was featured in this short documentary produced by MSA West.

“The City of Refuge was made to tell the stories of the three hundred Syrian Refugee families living in El Cajon, California. This documentary narrates our recent visit and we wish to raise awareness around the ongoing refugee crisis. According to state data, San Diego has welcomed more refugees than any other region in California. Most of them come from war-torn Syria: some leaving life-long friends, others leaving their own mothers, fathers, children, all leaving their homes.”