Everyday Traces of NYC's SWANA Diaspora

"Unlike virtually all other non-European ethnicities, SWANA - or Middle Eastern/North African (MENA), as used in the show - is grouped under "White" on the US census. It's not just the census, though. It's medical forms, college applications, just about anything with a check box for ethnicity. Efforts have been made to change this, with some success. More institutions are adding a separate category on forms - and one might appear on the 2030 census."

"One easy way to rationalize racism is to erase the target from official existence, and being a person of SWANA descent in the US can feel defined by erasure. The exhibition, which examines the history of that diaspora New York City, presents everyday presences, like the city's many SWANA-owned bodegas, as well as photographs of early immigrants and archival documents."

A New York Public Library exhibition examines the paradox of invisibility and visibility experienced by Southwest Asian/North African (SWANA) or Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) communities in the United States. The core issue centers on census classification: SWANA populations are grouped under "White" despite most not identifying with this category, affecting medical forms, college applications, and official documentation. This classification represents systemic erasure that facilitates racism by removing targeted groups from official existence. The exhibition documents the SWANA diaspora in New York City through multiple approaches, including photographs of everyday spaces like MENA-owned bodegas, historical images of early immigrants from Ellis Island, and archival materials. These materials collectively illustrate how SWANA communities maintain presence and identity despite institutional invisibility.

Read at Hyperallergic