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Arab Americans have been an integral part of Detroit's history since the 1880s. Early Arab immigrants worked as peddlers, grocers, and unskilled laborers, first settling downtown and later on the east side of Detroit. Their numbers increased after the First World War. They were attracted to the area by the booming automobile industry, and Ford's $5 for an 8-hour work day. This visual journey explores the history of four generations of Arab Americans in metro Detroit. It takes us to the days that preceded the automobile to modern 21st-century Arab America. Through more than 180 images, this book portrays the challenges and triumphs of Arabs as they preserve their families, and build churches, mosques, restaurants, businesses, and institutions, thus contributing to Detroit's efforts in regaining its position as a world class city.
About the author
Anan Ameri, Ph.D, is the Cultural Arts Director at the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, one of Metro Detroit's most effective non-profit human service organizations. She is the author of many publications and the co-editor and contributor to the 1999 Arab American Encyclopedia. Yvonne Lockwood, Ph.D, is Curator of Folklife, Michigan State University Museum. She is co-curator of Community Between two World: Arab Americans of Greater Detroit and author of many publications on the traditions and culture change of American ethnic groups.
