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I moved to Hollywood a few months after 9/11.
I had a handful of lines, including, Is okay, I dont need to land.
Thats not to say Ive only played terrorists.
Far from it most of the roles Ive played had nothing to do with terrorism.
But they also had literally nothing to do with being MENA.
This felt true, but I had no way to prove it beyond my own life experiences.
Specifically, MENAs are 3 percent of the U.S. population but only one percent of series regulars.
Seventy-eight percent is absolutely staggering to me.
And now that we have data to back it up, it gives us the opportunity to change things.
Is it any wonder that hate crimes againstMuslimsandArabsin America are higher than theyve ever been?
Know that MENAs are more than terrorists, and more than terrorist-fighters.
Most of us go about our daily lives just like everyone else.
