Are Arab Americans people of color? Mayor vote raises issue

By STEVE LeBLANC
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — One of the two candidates In Boston’s historic mayor’s race has found herself questioned about her decision to identify as a person of color. Annissa Essaibi George describes herself as Polish-Arab American. But she acknowledges she hasn’t always identified herself as a person of color. That’s in part because Arab Americans don’t fit neatly into the boxes Americans are typically asked to check off on official forms, including the U.S. Census. It’s a frustration felt among those in the wider Arab American community, many of whom also struggle with whether to identify as persons of color.