Currently, UNITED STATES CITIZENS whose heritage is Middle Eastern or North African and are business owners are not recognized as minorities according to the NMSDC, the primary and nationally recognized certifier of Minority Owned Enterprise (MBE). MBE certification is essential to gain access to economic opportunities and resources administered by private, federal, and government agencies. 

THE DETAILS

Currently, United States Citizens who are minority business owners with ethnic heritage from The Middle East and North Africa are not recognized as Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) by The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), The largest accredited and recognized MBE certifier. 

Excluded are US Citizens and Business Owners from Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Syria, and others. 

The NMSDC follows the guidelines of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a Government agency under the command of the U.S. Department of Commerce. These guidelines have not been updated in decades and especially not in a post 9/11 world where Muslim-Americans have endured social and economic discrimination in addition to discrimination in culture and media. 

THIS IS OUTDATED, DISCRIMINATORY, AND DISENFRANCHISING. 

MBE accreditation is vital in the promotion of growth and competitiveness of minority owned business. It is critical in gaining access and qualifying for:

• Essential grants and loans (including minority specific SBA loans)
• Counting towards the minority spending goals of top corporations.
• Eligibility for federal and state incentivized bidding of MBEs on publicly awarded construction and service contracts.
• Eligibility to count towards federal and state mandated MBE awarded contract quotas.
• Education, networking, and training opportunities.
• Being listed in top national MBE supplier databases. 

Additionally, a growing number of employers and companies favor MBE certification and are placing priority on vendors who are MBE certified exclusively via the NMSDC and its guidelines. 

The origin of this discrimination lies in the exclusion of MENA (Middle East and North Africa) from the US Census and defaults Middle Eastern and North African nationals to identify as "White". This is an archaic and gross misclassification of a minority group that many have been fighting for decades to reform. Read about this issue more, here.

Many of these entrepreneurs from MENA countries have endured Civil War, Revolutions, and War itself in their homelands. Their diaspora has emerged from devastating events including the Iranian Revolution, Iran/Iraq War, Desert Storm, The War in Iraq, The Syrian Civil War, etc...

Immigrants from MENA countries have come to America to pursuit the American Dream and contribute to the prosperity of this great nation. They continue to be proud Americans and intrepid entrepreneurs even in the discriminatory climate of a post 9/11 world and the socioeconomic challenges faced by their communities in America. 

Like other deserving minority groups that are MBE eligible, these communities have been discriminated against for the color of their skin, heritage, and religious beliefs and have been socioeconomically marginalized in disproportionate rates in the United States. As entrepreneurs, their ability to have MBE status is vital for positive economic outcomes. 

MBE certification has aided in providing essential access and opportunity for African-American, Latino-American, Asian-American, and South and West-Asian American owned business. The spirit of MBE certification is patriotic and wonderful. It is time for the NMSDC to do the right thing and extend MBE certification to US Citizens and Business Owners from Middle Eastern and North African heritage.

ABOUT ME 

I'm a first generation Iranian-American who immigrated to the United States because and during the Iran/Iraq War. My family faced economic challenges and we were on food stamps for the first 5 years in America and my parents, despite starting their own business, continue to live in Section 8. I became a naturalized citizen after both my parents became proud American citizens. I did not graduate from college and got my formidable education working at golf courses and inside of restaurants as a dishwasher, busser, and eventually a waiter. I pursued filmmaking and started my own production company and business in 2013. I recently attempted to get my business MBE certified by the NMSDC and was denied. 

I appreciate you reading all this. PASS IT ON!