Our Impact
Commissioning and presenting our own research is crucial, and allows us to show decision-makers the real data that forces a dialogue on how to disrupt these dangerous silos.
Research.
Up until 2018, the MENA community was erased in any data highlighting inequality on-screen, instead put into the “other” or “caucasian” categories. Our report with Nancy Yuen Wang, “Terrorists & Tyrants,” changed that, calling to attention the severity of the dangerous representation of our community. Since then we have successfully lobbied for the inclusion of MENA in all high-profile reports on Hollywood. We hope to fund more of our own studies to highlight not just the quantity of MENA performs, creatives, and writers, but the quality of narratives we are part of.
Visibility.
We created the MENA category, which gave millions of MENA diaspora a seat at the table in conversations surrounding diversity, invisibility, and dangerous stereotypes our communities have faced on screen. MAAC works directly with SAG-AFTRA, Casting Society of America, WGA-West, The Academy, USC’s Annenberg, UCLA Social Science, CBS Networks, CBS Studios, NBC Universal, Lionsgate Films, and more to create visibility for MENA performers and creatives.
Action.
Through the power of storytelling and social media, we have launched video campaigns highlighting resources and services we provide to tackle the lack of protecting MENA performers in Hollywood and beyond are facing. Through MAAC's advocacy, the Academy announced new eligibility guidelines to be considered for an Oscar by 2024, and through MAAC's advocacy, for the first time ever, the Academy included MENA in their language.
Our impact has been far and wide. With the success of adding the MENA hiring category SAG-AFTRA, we were able to finally show, in hard data, the way we’ve been portrayed on screen. Presenting the 1st study of its kind on MENA representation on Television was a call to action for all executives, show-runners, writers, and studios to do better or be held accountable. Our data has been used now globally in conversations around the harsh reality for on-screen portrayals for MENA performers. And helped major Universities and researchers begin to measure MENA representation on screen.
To help us continue to fund yearly research click below to help donate for our next annual report on how MENA representation has grown or diminished.