Arab Americans in Metro Detroit

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.

Dr. Anan Ameri is a scholar, author, activist, and community organizer. She is the founding Director of the Arab American National Museum (AANM) and Palestine Aid Society of America. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Jordan, an MA from Cairo University, and a Ph.D from Wayne State University in Detroit. She was a fellow at the Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College, a visiting scholar in Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, and served as Interim Director of the Institute for Jerusalem Studies.
The recipient of numerous awards, Anan was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in Lansing, Michigan in 2016 and received ACCESS's Arab American of the Year award in 2020.
She enjoys writing and has authored and edited several articles and publications.