PBS News Hour

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Sreenivasan

METROPOLITAN DETROIT HAS LONG BEEN HOME TO THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF ARAB AMERICANS IN THE U.S. AND WHILE THE COMMUNITY HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED PREJUDICE, NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES AND GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE, THE ATTACKS OF 9/11 MADE THINGS WORSE. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STATISTICS POINT OUT THAT ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND HATE CRIMES AGAINST MUSLIMS AND ARAB AMERICANS INCREASED. TWO DECADES LATER, THE COMMUNITY THERE IS SHOWING HOW THE EVENTS OF 9/11 WERE A CATALYST TO COMBAT STEREOTYPES BY ORGANIZING AND BUILDING A STRONGER CULTURAL IDENTITY. NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S CHRISTOPHER BOOKER HAS THE STORY. >>

Reporter

THE SPICES FROM SYRIA, THE SWEETS FROM LEBANON AND THE NUTS FROM TURKEY CAN TRANSPORT ANYONE WALKING THROUGH THE DOORS OF HASHEM'S ROASTERY AND MARKET-- SIGHTS AND SMELLS COMMONLY FOUND IN MARKETS OF ISTANBUL, DOHA OR TEHRAN, ALL COMING FROM A SHOP IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN. THIS IS ONE OF THREE LOCATIONS IN THE DETROIT SUBURBS. THE ORIGINAL, STARTED IN 1959, IS IN LEBANON. AND WHILE THE STORY OF THIS FAMILY-OWNED MARKET HAS SIMILAR BEGINNINGS TO OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES, IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, IT'S TAKEN ON A GREATER MEANING FOR C.O.O. ADAM HASHEM. >> I'M SURE MY BROTHERS PROBABLY FEEL THE SAME WAY. WE JUST THOUGHT THIS WAS A BUSINESS. WHEN 9/11 HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING GREW INSIDE OF ME THAT SAID, "HEY, WE HAVE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL HERE, AND WE CAN DO A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS WITH THIS." >> HASHEM'S PARENTS IMMIGRATED TO MICHIGAN FROM LEBANON IN 1977. BORN IN 1983, HE WAS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE ON 9/11. >> SO, BEFORE 9/11, I WAS JUST A, YOU KNOW, A NORMAL STUDENT, YOU KNOW, LIVING A NORMAL LIFE. WHEN 9/11 HAPPENED, IT WAS IMMEDIATE PREJUDICE AND IMMEDIATE JUDGMENT. >> FROM STARES ON THE STREET, TO STOPS AT THE AIRPORT, HASHEM'S AMERICA HAS BEEN DIFFERENT SINCE 9/11. HE SAYS IT'S A COUNTRY WHERE HE'S REGULARLY SCRUTINIZED, QUESTIONED AND SUSPECTED. BUT, HASHEM SAYS SOMETHING ELSE HAS ALSO HAPPENED. >> WITH EVERY DESTRUCTION COMES A REVITALIZATION OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL AND NEW. AND SO, THAT EVENT BROUGHT US ALL CLOSER TOGETHER FOR FEAR OF BEING DE-- DEPORTED, FEAR OF, YOU KNOW, BEING JUDGED OR ATTACKED. MY MOM WEARS A SCARF ON HER HEAD, SO, LIKE, FEAR OF HER GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE, BEING MUGGED BECAUSE SHE'S IDENTIFIED AS A MUSLIM-- THESE THINGS HAVE UNIFIED US. >> FOR HASHEM, THIS UNITY IS COMING THROUGH FOOD, THE MARKET BECOMING A PLACE WHERE DEARBORN'S DISPARATE YET GROWING ARAB POPULATION CAN NOT ONLY FIND STAPLES FROM WHERE THEY CAME, BUT NEW CONNECTIONS TO WHERE THEY ARE. >> WE'RE NOT JUST SHOWCASING FOOD; WE'RE USING FOOD TO SHOWCASE CULTURE. AND CONNECTING THOSE CULTURES IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AFGHANI PINE NUTS, BUT I BET YOU WILL NOT FIND THEM IN THE COUNTRY. IT TOOK ME SIX MONTHS TO FLY THEM IN HERE, AND, LIKE, THEY HAD TO PAY OFF POLITICIANS, AND MILITARY CHECKPOINTS. AND THEY-- THEY DIDN'T KNOW-- THEY ALMOST DIDN'T WANT TO DO THE DEAL ANYMORE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IRANIAN PISTACHIOS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S-- THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT YOU HAVE IN THIS STORE THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE AND PROVIDES AN EXPERIENCE. GUESS WHAT THAT IS? RED VELVET! >> WHAT! >> RED VELVET, YEAH! >> I'LL TAKE A BIRTHDAY CAKE. >> IT'S NOT JUST IN THE MARKET; IT'S ALSO THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. EARLIER THIS SUMMER, HASHEM TEAMED UP WITH ABE OBEID ON HIS PROJECT, HALAL FOOD JUNKIE, AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT THAT REVIEWS AND PROMOTES HALAL FOOD. SO, YOU GUYS GO TO CITIES AND BASICALLY KIND OF GO AND TEST OUT THE FOOD, THE HALAL FOOD, AND KIND OF CREATE A BIT OF A TRAVEL GUIDE TO HALAL EATING IN THE U.S. >> AND THAT'S IT. SO, WE STARTED IN DEARBORN, RIGHT, BUT BECAUSE MOST OF DEARBORN IS ALREADY OUR-- OUR BASE AND ALREADY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND KNOW US MAYBE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, WE DECIDED TO START A TOUR AND GO OUT TO DO IT. AND SO, BECAUSE NOW WE GO OUT TO DO IT, WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENT CULTURES AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES, INCLUDING WHITE AMERICANS, THAT COME UP TO US AND SAY, "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU EATING?" >> THE HALAL FOOD JUNKIE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT HAS OVER 34,000 FOLLOWERS, AND EACH POST GET TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWS. >>...RASHIDA TALIB. >> HI! >> WE'RE AT THE TERRYMELT. >> DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE IN THIS PLACE HAD THE EVENTS OF 20 YEARS AGO NOT HAPPENED? >> PROBABLY NOT. I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND MY DUTY BECAUSE WE'RE ALL BROTHERS, AND WE'RE ALL ONE. WE'RE BUILDING THIS NETWORK OF PEOPLE, TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL ARABS, THAT ARE HELPING UNIFY AGAIN. SO, IT ALL GOES BACK TO THE SAME THEME. AND SO, BECAUSE ME AND HALAL FOOD JUNKIE ARE ABLE TO REACH SO MANY PEOPLE AND DO THESE TOURS, WE'RE GOING TO REACH A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS UNIFYING IDEA, AND WE'RE USING GOOD FOOD TO DO IT. THIS IS-- THIS IS PART OF JOURNEY. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. >> LET'S GO! THIS GUY JUST SKULKED IT! >> IT'S GOOD.