Dearborn native defends his Arab American neighbors
By L. Glenn O’Kray
Press and Guide
I was born in what had been a hospital on the corner of Morley and Oakwood. I now live two short blocks from my place of birth. I grew up on North Elizabeth, near Ford Road and Outer Drive, and have either lived in Dearborn or worked in the city at Henry Ford College almost all my life.
Some 1.7 million viewers have watched a negative Youtube video on the shift in Dearborn culture from European to Middle Eastern. When I hear negative things about Dearborn, I get my back up I don’t have a handle on statistics, so let me give some personal stories and thoughts as they relate to the changing culture.
In my role of financial aid director at the college, I made presentations before students and parents throughout our service area, ranging from Detroit to Plymouth to Southfield to Grosse Ile. There has never been a more polite group of students than those I found at Fordson High School, which is predominantly Arab.
Since my retirement from my administrative duties in 2003, I have been teaching as an adjunct instructor. Typically, my Arab students are more dedicated in the classroom than others.
East Dearborn’s business and residential stock was disintegrating before Arabs came to Dearborn. The east side has been rejuvenated. If it weren’t for them, Dearborn would be a declining part of Detroit. It is a fun experience to eat there.
I have met many cultured Arabs. At the Arab American National Museum my wife and I met a couple who were originally from Iraq but migrated to Yemen. The husband had written 25 books only to be outdone by the wife who had written 28. They rejoice in their lives in the United States and have become proud American citizens and contribute to the American culture by their teaching at Washtenaw Community College and the University of Michigan.
My Arab neighbor down the street is an anesthesiologist who is from Jordan. His father had a doctorate degree and came to the U.S. because of the 1948 conflict in Israel. Many assume that all Arabs are Muslim; my neighbor is Christian.
My immediate neighbor is Arab and cuts my front lawn. In recent snowy weather, he also cleaned my walk.
A former colleague of mine who is Muslim called and asked if I might come to a meeting to discuss the negative image of Arabs. I happily agreed to do so. They are as concerned about their negative image as we who view it.
I am the chair of the Dearborn Historical Commission. There are two members who are Arab and working to sustain the history of Dearborn.
I am an officer in the Dearborn Democratic Club. Our president is Jordanian and Muslim. Another officer is Jordanian but Christian. I would say that my values correspond with both of theirs. We are all out to make the city, state and government more functional through supporting good candidates. At potluck functions we get lots of great Arab cuisine.
My wife and I have garage sales, which are perfect for our location, across the street from the old Dearborn High/Adams Junior High. We typically host our sale during homecoming weekend. We have lots of Arab people visit us.
One buyer at our garage sales made a real impact on me. She is from Lebanon and told me how her family home was destroyed by American-made Israeli jets. I drove her purchases over to her house. I noted the American flag flying in her yard. Her son is currently serving in the Marines.
There are aspects of the culture which we might not like, but there are aspects of the American culture that Muslim Arabs don’t like either. I greatly respect my Muslim friends who fast during Ramadan. I remember when it was a big deal for us Catholics to fast from midnight until Mass time so that we might receive Communion. I suspect that many Muslims suspect we are weak because of today’s minimal fasting.
While some Muslims do drink alcohol, most don’t. I am sure that they consider us heathens when we toss down a few. Apologetically, one Muslim friend did not post a sign advertising our museum’s beer tasting party.
I am currently reading “Juan de Segovia and the Fight for Peace — Christians and Muslims in the Fifteenth Century” by Anne Marie Wolf, daughter of classmate Kathy Hass (1960). The book is excellent and tells how Muslims thought that Christians believed in three gods. If I were they, I could very well consider Christianity to be irrational. It seems that there was a breakdown in communication even then.
Am I saying that all Arabs are good people? No. Obviously, I also don’t consider all Christians to be good people either.
Last week I spoke with an American neighbor who had invited an Arab neighbor to his house for Thanksgiving. The neighbor was filled with joy at being invited into an American household. This same neighbor was chatting with another American neighbor who was going to move to the state of his birth because he felt so isolated here in a Dearborn neighborhood where a Muslim had that same feeling of isolation. There is a need for communication here — and everywhere — about the American experience.
I am very proud of my 12 years of education at Sacred Heart. In addition to a pretty good education, the nuns instilled in me a thirsting for social justice. When generalizations such as the ones in this video are made, it goes against my Shamrock heritage. It’s just plain wrong.
Scripture tells us to be kind to the poor and to the immigrant. That means Arabs and Muslims, too.
Dearborn resident L. Glenn O’Kray is chairman of the city’s historical commission.
