A SWANA community platform
If your idea of culture is a hookah lounge, we're not your people.
SWANA (SouthWest Asian and North Africa) New Yorkers, opinionated, political and allergic to cliché. We find the rooms worth being in, and the people worth knowing. You already know if you're one of us.
A weekly letter
to find your scene
Currently building a better way to find your people
A free space to bring SWANA New Yorkers together based on their interest and lifestyles, to find each other, show up for each other, and turn a scattered diaspora into an actual community. No algorithm picking who you meet. No gatekeepers. Just our people, in one place, by design.
We're building it now, with the support of our community. Cause if we don't do it for ourselves no one will do it for us. Start build with us.
Become a founding member
We'll keep you posted on project updates, give you first access to offers, and invites to private members-only events.
$25/month →Cancel anytime · Secure checkout via Stripe
Or make a one-time donation
Frequently asked
- Where can I find Arab events in NYC?
- Menna maintains an up-to-date guide to Arab, SWANA, and Middle Eastern events across all five boroughs of NYC — concerts, festivals, film, food, and nightlife — updated weekly at itsmenna.com.
- What SWANA events are happening in NYC this weekend?
- See Menna's This Weekend page for a current, dated list of SWANA and Arab events in NYC, including venue, neighborhood, and ticket details.
- What is SWANA and how does it relate to Middle Eastern events?
- SWANA stands for South West Asian and North African — an umbrella term for cultures from the region historically called the Middle East and North Africa. Menna uses "SWANA" and "Middle Eastern" interchangeably to cover Arab, Persian/Iranian, Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish, and other regional communities across NYC.