Record Number of Arab American Delegates at the DNC Shows Diversity Within the Party

posted on: Sep 3, 2012

In attendance at this year’s Democratic National Convention are 55 Arab American delegates elected from 21 different states. This is a record-setting event for this American community, breaking the record from the 1988 DNC with 53 delegates.

Thankfully, one of the two major political parties in America accepts and encourages diversity. Notice neither of those records come from the Republican Party. That is not to say that the Republican Party is all-White, there is color among their ranks such as Florida’s Marco Rubio, Former Presidential Candidate Herman Cain, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or Florida’s Representative Allen West.

Race and Religion Shouldn’t Matter
But for some reason, it does to some people and these issues seep into politics and government through bills drafted, voted on and signed into law. A good example of some would be the Anti-Sharia bills proposed and passed throughout the country over the years following 9/11.

Although many of the anti-Sharia bills failed to pass and become law, the GOP is still pushing the anti-Sharia platform, but under the guise of a law banning foreign law in the U.S. Such a law would negatively impact many other groups such as Jewish Americans and Catholic Americans.

Out of the Shadows and into the Light

Arab Americans see their DNC numbers as new era for them in America. According to James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute, “. . .has brought us from exclusion to being respected and recognized as part of the mainstream of the Democratic Party.”

Hope

These positive numbers at the DNC can give hope to all minorities in America. Hopefully 2016 will see even more minority American delegates elected to both party’s national conference.

Christine Dantz
Gather