DEARBORN — As the 2010 United States census approaches, Arab American community leaders are expressing great concern over sampling figures that were recently released by the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

While the newly released numbers show an increase in Arab population since the 2000 census, many have found the figures to be misleading and an inaccurate representation of the actual number of Arab Americans in Michigan and in the country as a whole. The current numbers show that Michigan has an Arab population of 147,000, a figure which many feel is questionable and merits review.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in Michigan has been working closely with the U.S. Census Bureau in an effort to address some of the challenges that both the Arab American community and the Census Bureau are facing.

ADC Michigan Regional Director, Imad Hamad, said that the issue of obtaining accurate numbers will be even more challenging due to the change in political climate since the events of September 11, 2001. The 2010 census will be the first to be conducted since 9/11, and the lasting effects of the national tragedy on the Arab American community will likely play a large role in the gathering of census data.

“Historically speaking, filling out census forms has been a true challenge in this country, similar to the challenge of voting,” stated Hamad. “This issue is even more complicated, however, because it requires people to disclose sensitive information, which they fear will be used for purposes beyond the census. Due to the strained political climate that has arisen since 9/11, it has become more difficult for Arab Americans to disclose personal information, especially information related to national origin. The many setbacks the community has faced over the past few years have led to a general sense of fear and uncertainty, causing people to become hesitant about actively engaging in this and other processes.”

Another factor that plays a key role in the accuracy of the numbers is the fact that many Arab Americans, who are not technically considered a minority, choose to classify themselves as “white” on the census forms. Hamad claimed that doing so will prove to be detrimental to Arab Americans around the country, as it will prevent many from being counted.

“The value of participating in the census is that you are counted,” said Hamad. “Having a correct count will enable the community to maintain its rightful place politically, economically and socially. There are great gains to be made that can lead to immense empowerment of the community as a whole. Without showing our real numbers, we will not be able to take on the role we deserve.”

ADC Michigan Deputy Director, Rana Abbas, agreed that making sure a correct count is reached is vital for the Arab American community.

“Census numbers are used to legitimize communities,” she stated. “These figures are what give communities power and influence. “Considering the political climate we are in today, we need to have concrete numbers and we need to be counted.”

Preparation for the 2010 census has already begun, with ADC and other local organizations launching an awareness campaign in close coordination with the Census Bureau. The recent development of a short form of the survey, which fails to include an option for individuals to indicate their national origin, has left many community leaders concerned about how an accurate figure can possibly be reached. The absence of this category is likely to make it increasingly difficult to obtain a correct count of Arab Americans.

Abbas recently met with the Bureau and other members of the Arab American community to discuss this and related matters. The Bureau recently put together an advisory committee comprised of Arab American community leaders, with the hope that they can provide the Bureau with guidance and suggestions in the years leading up to 2010. During the gathering, U.S. Census Bureau Regional Director Dwight Dean took the attendees through a synopsis of the work that they plan to carry out over the next three years. Dean recognized the complexity of the issues concerning Arabs, and spoke about the importance of maintaining open dialogue regarding those concerns.

“We are very interested in understanding the perspective of the Arab American community,” stated Dean. “We’ve worked with this issue for a very long time and we realize its importance. While we must follow a certain process and work within constraints, we recognize that we must actively engage every community, and that is what we plan on doing here.”

The Bureau plans to continue holding meetings to discuss this ongoing matter in an effort to resolve these and other matters of concern.

“The information needs to have merit to the consumer, and we want to work closely with the community to make sure it does,” concluded Dean. “This is not a one-time meeting; we hope to continue this dialogue as we approach the next census.”