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Arab Immigration into Michigan
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An analysis of Arab immigration into Michigan during the th century including a detailed ...... More...
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Paper Abstract:
An analysis of Arab immigration into Michigan during the 20th century, including a detailed description of Arab immigration in the Detroit and Dearborn areas. Changing views of ethnic identity and assimilation.
Paper Introduction:
Urban Studies Arab Immigration into MichiganINTRODUCTION The history of Arab immigration in Michigan particularly theDearborn and Detroit areas illustrates similar challenges and experiencesas those faced by other waves of immigrants in United States History While the largest waves of Arab immigrants to the U S occurred during the s primarily from the region that is modern Lebanon there is anecdotalevidence that some Arabs came to the United States with the Spanishexplorers of the s Arab immigrants were largely concentrated in NewYork and
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Since the Gulf War more than 3, Iraqisannually have immigrated to Detroit. However, like current waves of Arab immigrants those who didfind employment often worked in environments that were dangerous and rifewith racism. However, perhaps one of the biggest factors many Arabimmigrants choose this region to settle in is because of the supportnetworks that exist in them for the Arab community. However, this influx ofArabs and the actions of Arab terrorist groups have left Arab communitiesin Michigan facing some of their biggest challenges with respect to thefuture.CONCLUSION With respect to the future, Arab immigrants in Michigan continue toface many challenges and deal with a variety of struggles. Economic opportunity isprobably the greatest pull factor, as the U.S. War, poverty and cultural restrictions havefueled Arab immigration to the United States for the past century. Available: http://www.newday.com/reviews/talesfromarabREV.html, 1-2.Howell, S. Immigration represents a way of improving lifestyle, as manyArabs experienced destitution in the homeland daily life. Nevertheless, the disparate groups of Arab nationalities andethnicities that makeup Detroit, Dearborn and other cities often means suchgroups conflict with one another with respect to degrees of assimilation,transnational commitment and other factors. What is a natural rite of passage in American culture often creates great emotional strain for Arab Americans (Hajar, 2 3, p. Arab immigrants were a significant portion of the great migrationof immigrants to the U.S. ACCESS is funded by government, corporateand individual sources. The Michigan Daily, 1-3.Kosdrosky, T. In May of 2 ACCESS wonfunding of $15 million to establish a National Arab American Museum inDetroit (Kosdrosky, 2 , 1). 3). Women take abreak from domestic duties to visit with other women, while men often sharestrong coffee laced with cardamom, play cards, and exchange the most recentgossip from home and locally. 1). 3). So, too, the conflict betweenolder and younger generations continues to exist within Arab immigrantfamilies as it does in many other immigrant groups in the U.S. 3). AsRignall (2 3) maintains: Most of the post-WWII immigrants from the Middle East fled war and severe economic deprivation; this was the case of Palestinians arriving after the creation of Israel in 1948, and a new surge of Lebanese in the wake of the 197 s civil war and the 1981 Israeli invasion (p. War is one of the biggest drivers of Arab immigration intoDetroit. occurred during the187 s, primarily from the region that is modern Lebanon, there is anecdotalevidence that some Arabs came to the United States with the Spanishexplorers of the 15 s. The economic, political, and social challenges faced by Arabimmigrants in Michigan cities witnessed the growth of political activismover the past three decades. Cultural interventions: Arab American aesthetics between the transnational and the ethnic. (Feb 3, 2 3). from 188 -1925. Lila Kadaj is a U.S. (Nov 22 1998-Jun 6 1999). 63). The booming Industrial Revolution andtycoons like Henry Ford offered ready employment to immigrants. So, too, many Arab immigrants live in fear of new U.S.policies that they feel discriminate toward Arabs. 3). As one historian maintains,"entire villages have relocated, one relative at a time, to the Detroitarea" (Community, 1999, p. Immigration: Officials round up illegal Iraqi men. A commonsource of conflict is the stringent restrictions placed on girls in Arabfamilies. 2). The city of Detroit boats the oldest and most diverse Arab communityin the U.S. However,while most nationalities and ethnicities of Arabs are represented inDetroit, there is an inverse relationship that exists with respect topercentages of these nationalities in the Middle East and Detroit. Urban Studies Arab Immigration into MichiganINTRODUCTION The history of Arab immigration in Michigan, particularly theDearborn and Detroit areas, illustrates similar challenges and experiencesas those faced by other waves of immigrants in United States History.While the largest waves of Arab immigrants to the U.S. (Spring 2 ). Immigration policies and politics pale in comparison as a challengeto Arab immigrants when looking at the recent backlash against Arabcommunities because of the terrorist actions of September 11, 2 1.Because of this backlash many Arab immigrants in Detroit have beenthreatened with violence, including bomb threats in mosques and otherreligious places. Lacking unionrepresentation or a network of factory alliances that might permit them towin better positions, Arab immigrants then and now have worked against suchobstacles to succeed in the shadows of mainstream American culture. These citiesalso act as a magnet for Arab immigrants because of employmentopportunities. That's standing the Constitution on its head" (Upton, 2 1, p.2). Celebrations of ethnic identity were confined largely to weddings, church and mosque events, family observances of religious holidays, and other intimate occasions. These conservative values support Arab immigrants as they adapt to the demands of a fast-paced, highly competitive society and insulate families from a broad range of social programs, such as teen pregnancy, divorce, and poverty in old age (Community, 1999, p. Suchstructures not only help to reinforce and reaffirm Arab identity in themidst of mainstream American culture, but they also insulate Arab familiesand communities from some of the social ills plaguing mainstream society.As one sociologist explains: Arab families place heavy emphasis on modesty, respect for elders, arranged marriage, child-rearing and individual sacrifice on behalf of the group. (Dec 18, 2 ). Today there are more than 3 , Arabs residing in southeastMichigan. By the end of this wave ofimmigration, more than 2 , Arabs would reside in the United States. Detroit Free Press, 1-3.Upton, J. One of the outcomes of these struggles hasbeen the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS).ACCESS has helped Arab immigrants develop their communities in a variety ofways, from aid with employment and language barriers to funding for smallbusiness owners. Farouk Ali-Haimoud, 21, of Detroit, was one Arab immigrant detainedbecause it was suspected his immigration papers were forged. This is because many of them already havefriends or family members who have immigrated to the region. Along with the auto industry the neighborhoodsin the Dearborn area evolved. ReferencesA community between two worlds: Arab Americans in Greater Detroit, (Exhibit). Yet the decline of the manufacturingindustry in the region and animosity from many Americans with respect toimmigration hurting employment opportunities, Arab immigrants have had towithstand immigration policies that are more often the result of fear-mongering and politics. As Kaplan (2 3) argues, "Basically, we need totake the politics out of immigration. and Warikoo, N. The immigrants in southeast Michigan enjoy spending time with familyand friends. Her father was staunchly opposed to hermoving out. From WWI until the modern era, Arab immigrants come to Americabecause of economic, social and political factors. However, itmay be racism and discrimination, including exclusionary immigrationpolicies, that pose the biggest threat to and challenge for Arab immigrantcommunities in Michigan. The more successful of these tradesmen eventually began settling inmore urban areas like Chicago, Dearborn and Detroit. (2 3). Further, the clan structure and familytraditions are imported to the area as well. Like other ethnic immigrants, Arabs chose toconcentrate in various cities as a result of their growing economicsuccess. In places like Dearborn, ACCESS has helped Arabcommunities fight for urban renewal and cleaner air. In house mainly built by the Ford MotorCompany, many Arab Americans lived in Dearborn and worked in the Fordfactories. is any example, it is likely they will rise to the challenge andsucceed in making a success in American culture. In the 196 s, the Arab-Israeli war and in the 197 s theouster of the Shah of Iran were responsible for driving Arab immigration tothe United States. Arab immigrants were largely concentrated in NewYork and migrated west because of trade. Arabs wereno different. In her early twenties Lila admits: I was either going to have a nervous breakdown or move out. New immigrants energized ethnic pride and transformed neighborhoods in Dearborn, Detroit, and Southfield into bustling centers of Arab life and commerce(Community, 1999, p. Clashes of mainstream values and traditional Arab culturecontinue to occur between older and younger generations. However,there are basic similarities among all Arab groups living in the region.Perhaps the most significant and common of these is the importance offamily ties among all Arab groups. The number of minorities and disenfranchised groups that makeupDetroit's Arab populations makes it difficult for the community toexperience a great degree of cohesion and uniformity of identity. Crain's Detroit Business, 16(51), 1-2.Rignall, K. Between 1983 and 199 more than 3 , immigrants settled inDetroit from Lebanon alone, with an additional 1 , arriving from Africa,Canada and Europe (Howell, 2 ). 3). (Mar 22, 2 3). Available: http://museum.cl.msu.edu/exhibitions/Virtual/, 1-4.Hajar, P. In1923, the first Arab mosque in the United States was constructed inDetroit, Michigan. "sought to assimilate by Americanizing names, language andtraditions", beginning in the 196 s and 197 s this trend changed (Rignall,2 3, 1). (2 3). The Museum site willbe across from the Dearborn City Hall and it will also contain space for ahealth care center to serve the Arab community. As Rignall (2 3)explains: Arab immigrants hope Dearborn will offer chances of finding work. Community roots grow as access improves funding. Michigan State University Museum. In large part, the Civil Rights movement of the 196 s fueled thischange among the Arab immigrant community. Basically every nationality and ethnicity in the Middle East isrepresented somewhere in the region. According to a Michigan StateUniversity exhibit devoted to Arab Americans in Michigan, waves of Arabimmigrants prior to the mid-196 s tended to restrict celebrations ofethnicity in favor of assimilation. Home visits and lavish means shared by different families arecommon as a form of leisure and reaffirmation of community. It is likely as the war against Iraq progresses, Arab immigrants willcontinue to face the challenge of discrimination and remain the subject ofhostility by some Americans. Arabs in the region typically live andwork in close proximity to one another. (Nov 23, 2 1). 1). The Arab community continues to choose Detroit as its favoritelocation to settle because of numerous job opportunities and large numbersof Arabs. If you keep on changing the lawdepending on the political agenda, it means you don't have a consistentpolicy that's clear to everybody and clear to implement" (p. Arab Americanscontinue to fight for economic and political representation. So, too, manyArabs immigrate to America in search of greater freedoms not found in theirhomeland, like freedom of speech, democratic government, and fewerrestrictions based on gender. I moved out. As Abed Ayoud, a 23-year-old law student living in Dearborn explains, "When they start pickingand choosing who they want to detain, it reminds you of what happened toJapanese Americans during World War II" (Schaefer and Warikoo, 2 3, p. The waves of Arab immigrants inthe 187 s were mainly single men who were employed as traveling tradesmen,serving primarily rural areas with "suitcases of notions, dry goods, andother small commodities" (Rignall, 2 3, p. Political and economic instability intheir homeland continues to drive Arab immigrants to Michigan. Detroit's Iraqi population is predominantly Chaldean, a Catholic, Aramaic-speaking minority from northern Iraq. Additionally, whereas initial groups of Arab immigrantsto the U.S. The newer immigrants tothe area are typically those most in need of such services and assistance. Running errands, teaching English, reading letters andother activities are also carried out by ACCESS. Though he was eventually cleared and released, his lawyer's commentswith respect to the case demonstrate the challenges being faced by Arabimmigrant communities in the southeast Michigan region, "People are gettingarrested, detained and targeted first-then the government figures out whatthey did. During the 199 s, the Gulf War and therecent military action in the Middle East have witnessed an increasingnumber of Iraqi immigrants to the Michigan area. 3). New INS system faces constitutional scrutiny, criticism. Family structures are maintained byrigid controls, typically administered by male family members. born Arab who fought with her family to beable to move out of the house. As their success intrade grew, many Arab immigrants sponsored the immigration of other friendsof family members. AsHowell (2 ) maintains, this inverse relationship further illustrates theforces that fuel immigration from the Middle East to southeast Michigan: Christians make up less than 5% of the Arab world, but in Michigan they are half the Arab community. Dearborn and Detroit are popular choicesfor many Arab immigrants. Tales from Arab Detroit (Review). He wasdetained, spent 25 days incarcerated in a Detroit jail, and he lost hisjob. According to Rignall (2 3), the auto industry not onlytransformed Michigan's economy but it "restructured the burgeoning Arab-American community" (p. Building an Arab-American community in Dearborn. It is through such networksof family and friends that Arab immigrants are able to support one anotheras they try to adapt and adjust to culture and daily life in Detroit,Dearborn and other Michigan cities. They also look to Dearborn for the social networks, mosques and churches where they may pray in a familiar manner, stores where they may buy the clothes they prefer and the foods they grew up with: in sum, a cultural milieu that dulls the edges of the experience of dislocation and adjustment (p. The Detroit News, 1-5. However, as the exhibit notes, thecase from then until now is distinctively changed: Before the 1965 influx of Palestinian, Iraqi, Yemeni, and South Lebanese immigrants to Detroit, the city's Arab community avoided calling attention to itself. As Rignall (2 3) maintains, "Though they received work withFord and others they still suffered the effects of discrimination in thedaily operations of the plants: even today, a disproportionately highpercentage of dangerous jobs go to Arab immigrants" (p. However, if their history of immigration inthe U.S. 2).We will now take an in-depth look at the Arab American culture in Michigan,particularly those in Dearborn and Detroit, to more fully understand thisunique American subculture.BODY The wave of immigrants at the turn of the century in places likeDearborn and Detroit often melded into the burgeoning class of immigrantworkers in American factories. That was probably the most difficult thing that I have ever did in my life. Likewise, Detroit's Lebanese, who were once overwhelmingly Christian, are not at least half Muslim, with Shi'a, a minority in Lebanon, outnumbering Sunnis three to one (p. Lebanese, Yemenis, Syrians,Palestinians, Egyptians and a growing number of Iraqis due to the Gulf Warsnow reside in southeast Michigan. is viewed as the land ofopportunity. The Journal of the International Institute, Available: http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/journal/vol5no1/rignall3.html, 1-6.Schaeffer, J. Diaspora, 9(1), 59-82.Kaplan, A. One of these isthe increasingly mainstream assimilation of American-born children to Arabimmigrants. 1). However, American culture has change and multiculturalism has become a model. Terror war rises fears about rights.
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