History of Middle Eastern people in Metro Detroit

in Dearborn By 2007 Metro Detroit, if defined as Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties, had the United States's largest Arab American population, larger than that of Greater Los Angeles if that region was defined as Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. As of that year Arab Americans are one of the largest immigrant groups into Southeastern Michigan. The majority of Metro Detroit's Arabs are Lebanese, Palestinian, Iraqis, and Yemeni. According to Jen'nan Ghazal Read of the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2000, in the Wayne-Oakland-Macomb-Washtenaw region there were 96,363 persons of Arab ancestry, of whom 92,122 people lived in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb counties; these made up 79.2% of Michigan residents of Arab ancestry. As of 2006 Hamtramck has a large concentration of Yemeni people. As of 2004 Arabs stated that they wish to come to Detroit to unify their families, escape from conflicts in the Middle East, and improve their economic standing. Andrew Shryock and Nabeel Abraham, authors of "On Margins and Mainstreams", wrote that "When asked to explain why so many Arabs have migrated to Detroit, most people in the community will mention the automobile industry. As a kind of historical shorthand, this answer is certainly the best." The Lebanese worked as peddlers and shopkeepers. Henry Ford's factories had 555 Syrian employees, including many recently arrived Muslims, by 1916. 9,000 Arabic-speakers were among the residents of Detroit in 1930. Of them, 6,000 were Syrians. The remainder included Assyrians, Yemenis, and Palestinians. Around 1951 there were about 50,000 people in Detroit who had descent from Lebanon and Syria. Around the same year there were about 4,000 to 5,000 persons in Detroit and Dearborn who had origins from the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Yemen, and other Middle Eastern countries. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that Yemeni people had a presence in the area since the late 1960s. Arab immigrants continued traveling to Detroit even after the automobile industry decline of the 1970s. Many Iraqis immigrated to Metro Detroit after the Gulf War of 1991 and the Iraq War of 2003. From 2001 to 2011 the number of members of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce increased from 300 to 1500. Demographics of Arabs Since their immigration to the United States in the 1870s, the Arab population has been continuously increasing. This increase can be observed in data collected by The American Community Survey and U.S Census Bureau. To determine this amount, surveys are sent out asking each individual to identify his or her "ancestry or ethnic origin." This phrase is defined by the U.S Census Bureau as ethnic origin, descent, roots, heritage or place of person's or ancestor's birth. The U.S Census Bureau considers individuals who reported being one of the following ethnic origins as an Arab: Algerian, Bahraini, Egyptian, Emirati, Iraqi, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Lebanese, Libyan, Moroccan, Omani, Palestinian, Qatari, Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Tunisian, and Yemeni. With the aforementioned criteria, it was estimated that 850,000 people with Arab ancestry (0.35 percent of the total population) lived in the United States in 1990. In 2004, 1.2 million (0.42 percent of the total population) resided in the U.S. The 2006–2010 ACS 5-year estimates show that an estimated 1.5 million people (0.5 percent of the total population) with Arab ancestry were living in the United States, representing a 76.0 percent increase since 1990. These populations are generally concentrated in metropolitan areas. Arab American communities are generally tight-knit, as they value family, tradition, and economic achievement. Earlier immigrants worked as peddlers and in factories. More recent immigrants, however, have taken up roles in all parts of society, including public leadership positions. These increasingly professional roles have helped establish a majority of the populations in bustling cities. Consequently, their increasing role in high-level positions has helped raise the median income of Arab American households to $56,433 compared to the $51,914 for all households in the United States. Sally Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", wrote that the mosque "has been credited" by public officials and area Muslims "with having turned around one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, making its streets safe, revitalizing a dormant housing market, attracting new business to the area, and laying the foundation for an ethnically mixed, highly visible Muslim population in Detroit and Hamtramck." ==Assyrian Americans==

By 2004, the Metro Detroit area was home to the largest Assyrian community in the diaspora. However, the majority of the Chaldean population settled in Metro Detroit in the late 1960s, settling in this area because of job availability in the automobile industry, the presence of a Maronite Christian community (in which both communities shared many similarities), and a pre-existing community in Detroit and nearby Windsor, Ontario. Typically, newly arrived immigrants initially worked in small family-owned stores which older groups setup. As time passed, more and more Chaldo-Assyrians moved to Detroit and found jobs at existing stores operated by their relatives. The stores became larger, becoming large convenience stores. In 1980, Saddam gave Yasso $200,000 ($ when adjusted for inflation) after Yasso told Saddam his church had $170,000 ($ when adjusted for inflation) in debts. WDIV-TV (Channel 4) wrote that the funds "reportedly helped build" the Chaldean Center of America, a building on Seven Mile Road adjacent to the church which housed church offices, an English-language school, and a cultural museum. In honor of Saddam's efforts, Yasso presented Saddam with the "Key to the City" procured by Mayor of Detroit Coleman Young. State Department officials also stated that the Iraqi government was establishing spy networks in these communities at that time. As of 1990, there were about 50,000 to 60,000 Assyrians in the metropolitan area. From 1990 to 2000, the population of Chaldeans in Oakland County increased by 10,903, in Macomb County by 7,579, and in Wayne County by 219. Macomb County had the largest percentage increase, at 426.5%. qenṭrōn yārtūṯānāyāʾ kaldāyāʾ), has been established. In 2023, a study conducted in collaboration with the Chaldean Community Foundation and Walsh College revealed that the Chaldean population had increased to 183,500, and that their economic impact had increased upwards of $17.6 billion. Chaldo-Assyrian neighborhoods During the 1950s, Highland Park and Woodward Avenue had a high concentrations of Assyrians. The community's focal point later shifted to Southfield. Assyrian residents of Chaldean Town tended to be low-income elderly people and recent immigrants from the Middle East. By 2014, in addition to West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills and Sterling Heights had also received Assyrians due to higher income stability. The Chaldean Federation of America, an umbrella organization for most of the areas Assyrian groups, had its offices in Southfield. As of that year, the largest Chaldean Catholic church building in terms of the number of congregants resided in Southfield. The city also had the area's sole Assyrian retirement home, the Chaldean Social Club Southfield Manor, and a popular Assyrian restaurant named La Fendi. Grocery industry Assyrians have a near monopoly over Detroit's grocery stores, largely due to white flight as a result of the 1967 Detroit riot. In 1962, 120 grocery stores were operated by Assyrians, and over half of Assyrian households were supported by proceeds from the grocery business. After the riots, Assyrians purchased abandoned businesses at rock bottom prices, increasing the level of ownership in the community. In 1972, there were 278 grocery stores in Detroit owned by Assyrians, and by the mid-1990s, that number had increased to 1,500. Most of the customers of these stores were African Americans living in the city, which has caused some notable instances of tension between the two groups in the past. There has been resentment against Assyrian businesses because, as family-owned operations, many do not hire outside employees, including African Americans. Many also felt an underlying discrimation had occurred through overcharging for orders. According to the Associated Food Dealers of Michigan (AFD), only larger stores had mixed race employment with African Americans and Assyrians working together. However, many young Assyrians today are now pursuing more professional fields for work, attending universities and abandoning the traditional grocery model. Culture In Chaldo-Assyrian culture, traditional family and religious values are increasingly important to the community, even as younger generations are becoming more Americanized. The Chaldean Federation of America (CFA) oversees several Detroit-area Assyrian clubs while the Chaldean-Iraqi Association of Michigan (CIAM) oversees the Shenandoah Country Club and Southfield Manor, two Assyrian social clubs. Assyrians have a group participation rate above the American average. The Community Education Center, a government-funded center owned by Assyrians, is located on Woodward Avenue in Chaldean Town, near Seven Mile. Asaad Yousif Kalasho founded the center. The teachers and most of the students are Assyrian and they provide free education. One group, Chaldean Americans Reaching and Encouraging (CARE), takes efforts to improve the Assyrian community such as doing food drives. As of 2001 most of the members are in their early 20s. Another organization, Chaldean American Ladies of Charity, is also popularly cited by the community. The Chaldean Community Foundation is headquartered in Sterling Heights. Connected organizations, such as the Chaldean Cultural Center, Chaldean Chamber of Commerce, and Chaldean News, are located further west in Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield. ==Coptic Americans==

As of 2008 about 3,000 Egyptian Copts lived in the state of Michigan, mainly in Metro Detroit. Many Copts do not consider themselves Arab and see themselves as being the descendants of ancient Egyptians, while anthropologists classify them as Arabs due to cultural and linguistic features. St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Troy is the religious center of the Copts. Pope Shenouda III laid the first cornerstone of the church. Construction began on May 1, 1977 and was completed in May 1979, with the first Holy Communion on May 8 of that year and consecration in 1981, from June 12 through June 14. The Coptic community is scattered across Metro Detroit, with many living far away from the church. Some members of the church live in northern Ohio. ==Geography==

As of 2014, Dearborn's population was about 40% of Arab origin. At first Arabs mainly settled the Southend and east Dearborn and the main concentration is in those areas. By 2005 a popular Arab restaurant had opened in west Dearborn, and a group of Arab Americans had settled in adjacent in Warrendale, Detroit, most of whom were Lebanese. By 2014, Arab Americans had been moving into Dearborn Heights, with the north end having more Arabs compared to the south end. Many Arab businesses in Dearborn established branch operations in Dearborn Heights. In 2014, the Dearborn Heights director of community and economic development, Ron Amen, stated that Arabs are about 25% of the city's population. Yemeni Americans, as of 2023, are the largest group in Detroit of MENA ancestry, and make up one third of MENA residents in Detroit. Many Arabs have been moving to Macomb County, Oakland County, and Canton in Wayne County. Lebanese American Christians had settled in several areas of Metro Detroit, including the Grosse Pointes. Many of them do not consider themselves as Arab. By 2014 many Lebanese American Christians had assimilated into American culture. The Palestinians in Livonia, many of whom operated small and medium-sized businesses, originated from Ramallah. ==Politics==

As of 2014, Susan Dabaja, the city council president of Dearborn, is a Muslim Arab-American and the majority of the members of the council are Arab. In 2021 their city council became all-Muslim with its first-ever Muslim mayor (previously, the mayors had been Polish); and in 2023 the city banned pride flags, explaining that because they are a diverse community, they did not want to provide "special treatment" to any specific groups. The mayor also claimed the issue was "divisive". ==Demographics==

, 17% of the immigrants in the Global Detroit studies that are under the Middle East category are Assyrians. ==Economy==

As of 2000 most Arab immigrants enter the service economy or work in small, family-operated stores. In Metro Detroit, in 1994 there were over 5,000 Arab-owned businesses. The report stated that Arab Americans held about 47,924 to 58,515 jobs in Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties. It also concluded that between 99,494 and 141,541 jobs in the four county region are a part of employment associated with Arab American economic activity, making up 4.0 to 5.7% of the jobs in that region. The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce stated in 2012 that over 200 Chaldean Assyrian business owners in Metro Detroit were murdered from the 1970s to 2012. The president of the chamber of commerce and the Chaldean Community Foundation, Martin Manna, stated that year, "We've seen acceleration, unfortunately, (with) four incidents in just a year." The executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, Fay Beydoun, stated that year that "We don’t have an exact number" of the Arab businesspeople who were murdered "but we are aware of many from our community who have been killed." ==Media==

The Arab American News is published in Dearborn. The Chaldean News is published in Southfield. Other Middle Eastern-origin print media include Al-Muntada (a magazine), Arab American Message, Arab American Journal, Chaldean Detroit Times, Chaldean Voice, and Harp Magazine. Other forms of media include Arab Network of America, Arabic Time (television program), TV Orient, and United TV Network. There are two radio stations heard in Metro Detroit that target the Middle-Eastern community, WNZK and CINA. ==Pan-Middle Eastern institutions==

Political organizations in the region include Arab American Political Action Committee, Arab American Voter Registration and Education Committee, and Iraqi Democratic Union. ==Education==

In a thirty-year period ending sometime prior to 2010 Dearborn Public Schools and Detroit Public Schools both developed policies to accommodate Arab and Muslim students in collaboration with administrators, parents, teachers, and students. Policies adopted by the districts included observances of Muslim holidays, Arabic-language programs, policies concerning prayer, and rules regarding modesty of females in physical education and sports. Since the early 1980s, Dearborn district schools have vegetarian meals as alternative to non-halal meals. some schools use discretionary funds to offer halal meals, but most schools do not offer halal meals since they cannot get affordable prices from distributors. In 2005, Highland Park Schools made plans to attract Arab and Muslim students resident in Detroit and Hamtramck. Dr. Theresa Saunders, the superintendent of the school system, hired Yahya Alkebsi (), a Yemeni-American educator, as the district's Arab Muslim consultant. It added Arabic-speaking teachers and began offering instruction in Arabic. Sallow Howell, author of "Competing for Muslims: New Strategies for Urban Renewal in Detroit", said that the district began treating "Muslim families more directly like consumers". ==Diplomatic missions==

The Consulate of Iraq in Detroit is in Southfield. The Consulate-General of Lebanon in Detroit is located in Suite 560 in the New Center One Building in New Center, Detroit. ==Notable people==

• Abraham Aiyash (Yemeni), politician • Danny Thomas, born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz, actor and philanthropist of Lebanese descent. • Saladin Ahmed, Arab-American science fiction writer of Egyptian and Lebanese descent. • Andrew Bazzi (Lebanese) - Canton Township • Mohamad Jawad Chirri • Rima Fakih (Lebanese Arab) - Dearborn • Abdullah Hammoud (Lebanese-American) - first Arab mayor of Dearborn, Michigan • Ali Kabbani, better known as Myth (Syrian-American) - Dearborn • Casey Kasem (Lebanese Druze) - Detroit • Manuel Moroun (Lebanese-American) - Owner of Ambassador Bridge • Hassan Al-Qazwini (Iraqi Arab) - Shia religious leader • Serena Shim (Lebanese-American) journalist born in Detroit • Rashida Tlaib (Palestinian-American) - Detroit - Congresswoman • Paul Elia - Chaldean-Assyrian Comedian based in Detroit area • Janan Sawa - Iraqi singer-songwriter of Assyrian descent Fictional characters: • Simon Baz (Lebanese Arab) DC Comics Character • Minah Amin, Lebanese American • Raina Amin, Lebanese American ==See also==