A greater number of Arab-Americans are on ballots in these elections. Currently, there are only six members of Congress who are of Arab descent. CGTN's Yasmeen Alamiri in Washington DC explains why many in the community hope to increase their representation on Capitol Hill.

In the wake of anti-Muslim and Arab rhetoric, there is a surge of Arab-American candidates running for office in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. The Arab American Institute reports over 50 Arab-Americans will have their name on ballots on election day-the most they have seen in over 30 years. Midterm elections are often seen as a referendum on the president and his party. This election will usher in names like Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American and Ilhan Omar, a Somali immigrant-and both are poised to become the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.

YASMEEN ALAMIRI WASHINGTON DC The increase in Arab-American candidates across the nation reflects a need to have their voices heard in U.S. politics.

The midterms come two years into the Trump presidency, after he signed an executive order in his first week in office, blocking entry into the United States by people from several Muslim-majority countries.

JAMES ZOGBY PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE "They've decided to make their mark in politics as an act of defiance, but also of assertion of pride in their identity and pride in the politics that they bring to the table. They're making their mark in politics."

RASHIDA TLAIB MICHIGAN STATE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE "What a powerful message to send to the world, not even just in our country. That even though we have the rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration we have people pushing, and even celebrating the Muslim ban, that Muslim has not been banned from Congress. I'm going to walk in there, and what an incredible statement that is. It just makes our country even more uniquely special."

Yasmeen Alamiri, CGTN America, Washington D.C.