Arab Detroit 9/11: Life in the Terror Decade by Nabeel Abraham, Sally Howell, and Andrew Shryock, eds. (review)

Book Reviews 133 Book Reviews Nabeel Abraham, Sally Howell, and Andrew Shryock, eds. Arab Detroit 9/11: Life in the Terror Decade. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2011. Pp. 413. Illustrations. Index. Notes. Paper, $24.95. This volume is a rich and unique addition to the scholarly books and articles on Arab Detroit, particularly because these communities find themselves in a unique position since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, in New York City and Washington, D.C. In a valuable introduction to the book, the editors discuss how these communities have changed over the years, as the original, mainly working class, immigrant population has increased in size, education, diversity, social and political visibility, economic diversity, institutional growth, and generational inclusiveness. The editors even maintain that residents from the 1990s would not recognize these communities today (p. 2). The articles in this work aim not so much to describe but to analyze how 9/11 affected the organization, experiences, and personal emotions of community members who increasingly came under national scrutiny, as well as increased efforts by others to understand the cultures and political strains that affected Arab Detroit. Part of the challenge faced by the authors of these essays is rooted in the religio-ethnic complexity of Arab Detroit, and the fact that many outsiders feel there is a connection between Arab Detroit and the Arab/Muslim threat orchestrated by the U.S. government. As the editors remind readers, however, 58 percent of Detroit’s Arab/Chaldeans are Christians, and in the greater Detroit area 80 percent are naturalized or native-born U.S. citizens (p. 3). In this era of Islamophobia, some articles focus on forces of representation; how leaders have had to protect their communities through institutions like the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committed (ADC), the Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS), the Arab American National Museum, and the Islamic Center of America. Other articles address the difficulties experienced by ordinary people. The editors have included scholarly, artistic, and lay voices. All contributors have lived and/or studied in Detroit’s Arab communities. 134 The Michigan Historical Review The book is divided into six parts. Initially Kim Schopmeyer uses the U.S. census and the Detroit Arab American Study to provide a detailed discussion of demographics, placing communities in a regional context. Section 2 includes two extremely important articles by Andrew Shryock and Sally Howell, and Howell and Amaney Jamal, about the impact of federal laws before the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, compared to their impact after 9/11, especially during the Bush administration. The authors in the third section reflect on the different effects U.S./Middle Eastern politics have had on various Arab communities. Muslim Dearborn is often seen as the symbol of Arab Detroit and has borne the most scrutiny. Howell details this intrusion on Muslim institutions, leaders, and organizations. Matthew Stiffler provides an overview of the history and culture of the Christian Antiochian community, which proudly maintains its “Arabness.” Yasmeen Hanoosh writes of the Iraqi Catholic Syriac and Arabic-speaking Chaldeans’ support for the U.S. war in Iraq and their efforts to bring their relatives to the U.S. Most strongly distinguish themselves from Muslim Arabs. Using her own experiences as well as research, Kristine Ajrouch discusses the importance of transnational lifestyles among Detroit’s Lebanese, including the impact of the Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanon on this community. Section 4 deals with the diversity of personal experiences. Mujan Seif, who is of Chaldean/Palestinian heritage, lived in an affluent suburb (not an Arab community), felt comfortable with both identities, and was not alienated by the 9/11 attacks. Her experience is contrasted with that of Khadigah Alasry, a young Yemeni Muslim woman living in Dearborn, who was deeply affected by the 9/11 attacks and became an activist. Two acclaimed writers and poets, Hayan Charara and Lawrence Joseph, describe their vivid memories of an earlier period in Arab Detroit, contrasting these recollections with present-day experiences. Section 5, titled “Protective Shield and Glass Ceiling,” addresses the important issue of representing “Arabness.” The new Arab American National Museum in Dearborn is a major institution whose...