https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/press daily 0.75 2022-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/3c4a54e0-0e26-4459-a370-cc503dbb1d97/3.jpg Press https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/72b36b2e-8f54-4a3a-885b-e8fe9440e85a/4.jpg Press https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/15f13e37-6a28-4090-8931-764386e72749/variety-logo-0B4A51D8B7-seeklogo.com.png Press https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/81aa0667-a66c-477f-b88a-5060082488b0/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.04.31+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/39b3d633-0677-46f1-82a8-66b2ea900b4c/ThinkProgress_Logo.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/a09738bd-cbc3-4f1b-ad96-b71ecdeee22b/Deadline_logo.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/163e4195-b1bd-4d21-9f93-50edd1b87907/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.15.04+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/aa32bf53-4171-447d-a443-8f8449d3ac87/The-National-logo-vector.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/7731dd55-9feb-4076-a9ca-d0e4c9ad9614/Screen+Shot+2021-12-22+at+2.06.30+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/bfa741de-5fc6-4c51-883f-cd0cf4a4c233/The_Hollywood_Reporter_logo.png Press https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/07c31b0e-886a-466f-accf-263e227ce517/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.08.53+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/210fece5-fb0f-4935-9122-e4d45f428ab7/colorlines_logo_vector.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1759088d-8010-4bbc-9036-b6336ca8872e/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.32.55+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/b9822999-49d6-4cf3-9491-54748211f0f9/Forbes_logo_vector.png Press https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/fa7135c7-6761-4787-929f-7b7bc44c1818/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.01.31+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/547ff9cd-e436-4672-8b81-774fc059cfa2/huffpost-logo-transparent.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/77894901-83d1-43f1-9efd-6ebb1617f122/good-day-la-logo+%281%29.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/53c1c9f9-27e4-488b-af42-ae6b089bb487/Screen+Shot+2021-12-22+at+2.16.42+PM.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/home daily 1.0 2026-01-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/debc9d2d-f1df-4a30-85b7-5fe37c695a32/MAAC++EPK+2024+%28MOST+UPDATED%29.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/ccb423db-959d-4f41-8ff0-8c714c87a25a/5.jpg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/d7ff36d4-0d26-4487-953e-5b974abc8253/WM_PHOTO-17+%281%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/b97cf888-b104-4861-9ff0-33b387b18467/WM_PHOTO-113.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/96b07f21-9956-4f05-810c-61649d66f8fa/WM_PHOTO-243.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615790633674-XZPNIMNLVQU7PWPUF8RE/IMG_7927.JPG Home - Our Impact Our Impact is far and wide. Little did we know that, in 2017, when we successfully lobbied MENA to the SAG-AFTRA-AMPTP contracts, the term would become the industry standard for finally defining our communities as diverse and helping us demand inclusion. Adding the MENA hiring category enabled us to show, in complex data, how we’ve been portrayed on screen. Presenting the 1st study of MENA representation on Television was a call to action for all executives, showrunners, writers, and studios to do better. Our data has been used globally in conversations around the harsh reality of on-screen portrayals of MENA performers. Our lobbying efforts have prompted major universities and researchers to begin measuring MENA representation on screen, launched various MENA and MENASA clubs across the US, and inspired MENA Arts advocacy groups in the UK and Canada. Helped launch the WGA’s writers’ committee and created MENA recognition in the Academy’s hiring standards and practices for the OSCARS! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1626657687952-RSA3RA5JT1LXOI9CIJKX/MAAC++Netflix+Educational+Training-3.jpg Home - *Please note: This graphic was created in 2019 and advised on by several academics who advised on the MENA category for the US Census. MAAC is not responsible for defining the region, or what is included in US data reporting. Since 2022, MAAC has aligned more closely to the term SWANA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615894417379-KM7XCUB9Q8EV4IIGI04K/Media+Coverage+Page+copy+3.png Home https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/mission daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1613994947952-8K3MA4JT4VO0Q1PV8K3T/IMG_7927.JPG Mission - Our Mission MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition (MAAC) achieved landmark success by achieving status for Middle Eastern and North African performers in Hollywood in 2017. This is the 1st time the MENA community has had hiring status. Previously, they were counted as white. A loophole that leads to the erasure of positive portrayals in the media and feeds into dangerous stereotypes that lead to serious harm for the entire MENA and SouthWest Asian region. MAAC was established by Azita Ghanizada following an incident where she was categorized as Caucasian by a major Television network after a network pilot table read. This revelation prompted a recognition of the erasure of an entire region in the context of diversity and inclusion. MAAC successfully advocated for the inclusion of MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) individuals in the casting world and substantially contributed to the development of the Casting Society of America’s guidebook on hiring and auditioning MENA & MENASA performers. Furthermore, MAAC was instrumental in revising all casting breakdowns worldwide, educating C-level executives on the noticeable absence of MENA performers on screen, and presenting a comprehensive study titled “Terrorists & Tyrants” focusing on MENA representation on TV. Moreover, MAAC actively lobbied for the inclusion of MENA in influential diversity reports and provided access to a diverse pool of artists to Studios, Networks, Producers, and filmmakers. MAAC remains dedicated to its mission of educating the Hollywood community about the underrepresentation of MENA performers across all TV and Film platforms. We continue to provide resources, tools, and recommendations on how to enhance the visibility of the MENA & SWANA community in Hollywood. Our goal is to further elevate the presence of MENA & SWANA across all industry-wide DEI events, film festivals, Academies, and guilds. It’s time for MENA to be recognized and elevated. - MAAC team https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/whatwedo daily 0.75 2024-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/99981702-0932-4982-bee3-4d668a8f98b3/WM_PHOTO-30.jpg Programs, Education & Consulting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/bc398f60-0818-4ce9-a54a-7c943850b830/WM_PHOTO-96+%281%29.jpg Programs, Education & Consulting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/d14ce8d4-4da7-40b2-bc02-e24a50251a7d/WM_PHOTO-108+%281%29.jpg Programs, Education & Consulting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/fd73bd0a-2c8a-4338-ad7a-81d426aff4de/WM_PHOTO-102.jpg Programs, Education & Consulting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/e4e0b7e4-02be-4556-9811-0eba18b5f06c/WM_PHOTO-217.jpg Programs, Education & Consulting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/e33f0cd2-c4a4-4cec-b99c-7a69bdeb4ea9/WM_PHOTO-292+%281%29.jpg Programs, Education & Consulting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/bc3682e6-77b6-48b8-8888-a6d3ba5087e5/Untitled+design.png https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/founder daily 0.75 2026-01-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1613992377859-M7XE15MA8F4IOSAEN3GX/Azita+-+News.jpg Our Founder - Our Founder Azita Ghanizada is an Afghan American actress, writer, producer, and cultural advocate whose journey from political asylum seeker to working artist in Hollywood has helped reshape representation for Middle Eastern and North African creatives. As one of the first women from Afghanistan to star in a U.S. television series, and on Broadway, Ghanizada has built a career spanning film, television, and theater, working alongside Academy Award–winning and nominated artists, including Rachel Weisz, Mahershala Ali, David Strathairn, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, and Casey Affleck. Her work has been recognized by Sundance, where she was named one of the Seven Breakout Actresses You Must Know for her performance in Complete Unknown. Beyond her on-screen career, Ghanizada is the Founder and President of the MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition (MAAC), launched in 2017 to address systemic exclusion and misclassification of MENA creatives in the entertainment industry. Under her leadership, MAAC played a central role in the historic introduction of the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) designation into the 2017 SAG-AFTRA theatrical contracts—establishing a long-overdue labor and representation category and setting a precedent for institutional change across Hollywood. Through MAAC, Ghanizada has built pipelines, industry partnerships, and acceleration programs that connect MENA writers, actors, directors, and executives to meaningful access, mentorship, and opportunity. Her advocacy work—along with her widely viewed TEDx Talk—has contributed to ongoing conversations around equity, authorship, and cultural accuracy in global storytelling. In recent years, Ghanizada’s work has expanded to include thoughtful dialogue around health, resilience, and self-trust, informed by her personal journey through breast cancer. She brings the same rigor, honesty, and accountability to these conversations as she does to her advocacy—creating spaces that center clarity, dignity, and long-term sustainability, particularly for women navigating high-pressure industries. She has served as the Chair for SAG-AFTRA National MENA Committee, the National Welcome Council for refugees on behalf of Welcome US, and as an Ambassador to Women for Women International, supporting global efforts to aid women facing oppression, famine, and gender-based violence, with a focus primarily on Afghanistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615802541245-Y7BH4H1YDES8RCI019YB/Azita+Ghanizada+%7C+Professional+Headshot.jpg Our Founder - Azita Ghanizada Actress, Producer, Speaker https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/story daily 0.75 2025-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/e8aac702-84ee-40dd-af8d-a64c61e58552/MAAC++EPK+2024+%28MOST+UPDATED%29.jpg Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/122bfb92-1b05-4b08-9798-6bc3f74e55dd/5.jpg Our Story https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/impact daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615846306057-BAPZY35R8QCM9QOS8K9I/Impact+Graphics+%282%29+copy.png Impact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615846342677-K5RFQ3J2JYINR0XEP4DX/Impact+Graphics+%282%29+copy+2.png Impact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615804652437-SZ5OF88MSS3BR9UPZTRF/Impact+Graphics+%282%29.png Impact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/aa9b5bae-5db4-4fe7-a103-4af0ff1278e6/Screen+Shot+2021-12-22+at+2.25.33+PM.png Impact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/mena-studies daily 0.75 2024-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/58768962-44e1-42c1-8392-54ef42e23528/19+Year+Study+July+2022++MAAC+IG+Post+%281%29.png MENA Studies - How Reel Middle Easterners' Portrayals Cultivate Stereotypical Beliefs and Policy Support, Mass Communication and Society MAAC is presenting a new study with data from 19 years (1996 to 2014), that investigates the long standing impact Middle Eastern, North African (MENA) portrayals in entertainment media has had on Americans’ attitudes and in turn, public policy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/b1028ebd-9d6a-4027-b052-b370737e5395/Screenshot+2024-02-21+at+5.55.26%E2%80%AFPM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615801592738-ODXW2HMY0P683WS3EMJL/Hollywood.+Diversity+Report.png MENA Studies - In the Spring of 2020, we sat with UCLA social sciences and asked for MENA performers to finally be counted, measured, and included in their very important Hollywood Diversity Report. Even though MENA Performers only represented 0.7% on film, we packed a big punch at the Global Box Office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1616186866376-PLSNV626TNLJKZFHZR79/Terrorists+and+Tyrants+%28dragged%29.jpg MENA Studies - In 2018 We presented the 1st ever Study on MENA on TV with authors Nancy Wang Yuen, Christina Chin, Meera Deo, Faustina DuCros, Jenny Jong-Hwa Lee . 90% of the time MENA series regulars were tokenized. 78% seen as terrorists, threats. 67% of the time had exaggerated accents … https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1616187760971-RJL9PYQHXKK2WOI1GHVC/mew-wgaw.jpg MENA Studies - Per the Writer Guild of America’s 2020 Inclusion Report …. Middle Eastern writers had “almost no representation at all.” A mere 0.3% of working screen and TV writers identified as Middle Eastern. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/aa9b5bae-5db4-4fe7-a103-4af0ff1278e6/Screen+Shot+2021-12-22+at+2.25.33+PM.png MENA Studies - 2021 New Diverse Intelligence Series Report “Being Seen on Screen: The Importance of Quantity and Quality Representation on TV This year we’ve begun a new partnership with Nielsen Media to begin measuring MENA on screen. Nielsen data is crucial and works across all media, including news, commentary and advertising. Our first collaboration with their 2021 New Diverse Intelligence Series Report “Being Seen on Screen: The Importance of Quantity and Quality Representation on TV,” is the start to educating Nielsen clients that MENA deserves to be its own Category alongside our Black, Latinx, Asian and Indigenous communities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615800890477-S36IWBBWKU5S3JHU5WJP/Netflix+copy.png MENA Studies - Annenberg Inclusion Initiative releases study of representation in Netflix original productions. “Very few cast members or creatives were Middle Eastern/North African in Netflix films & series. Cultivating opportunities intentionally for these erased communities is not only important but a necessary next step toward greater inclusion.” https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-01-28 https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/conferences daily 0.75 2021-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615844249478-FIN4AU2EI8PLCFTYRDHF/Screen+Shot+2021-03-15+at+2.36.43+PM.png MAAC at Conferences https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615844355648-G249VBF3JXSXYZS8XXDQ/Screen+Shot+2021-03-15+at+2.38.59+PM.png MAAC at Conferences https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1615844412732-URMXGMILGECF4MOFF1DT/Screen+Shot+2021-03-15+at+2.37.13+PM.png MAAC at Conferences https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/academic-advisors daily 0.75 2025-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1638503020795-1F7R4TNUO248560GAS7N/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+7.43.16+PM.png Academic Advisors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/1638503068408-E1KQ9SPN9MJ97NIVMVHX/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+7.43.26+PM.png Academic Advisors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/612e4678-d583-4aef-861c-e88c6c67d04c/ouv-179.jpg Academic Advisors https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/whatismena daily 0.75 2025-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6017e06dcbc71f649dae3a80/28f896cd-bf60-4ddc-a168-0043c10f0b17/Screen+Shot+2022-08-05+at+5.04.33+PM.png What is MENA / MENASA - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.