HassanAhmad

ProfessorBethFowler
Honors1000:TheCity
25October2014
WhereWeWent
Americawasadvertisedasthelandoftheworker,thelandofendlessopportunity,the
landoftheimmigrantsQaysNajjars1dreamsfortheothersideoftheAtlanticwereblindingly
bright.Thereweredayswhenhewoulddrooloverthethoughtofmakingthevoyagewithhis
wifeAmirah,anddaughterZeenat.October10,1914wasnotoneofthosedays.Threeweeks
prior,hisrecentlywidowedmotherhadtakentheirfamilytoKonya,Turkey,toprayforQays
journeyacrosstheoceanattheshrineandtomboftheSufi2MysticJalaladDnMuhammad
Rumi.TheirreturnwasscheduledforOctober6,butsincethejourneywaslong,Qaysdidnt
evenbataneyewhentheydidntarriveontimeeverythingwouldbefineiftheymadeitbefore
hisdeparture.
Whenthenewsoftheearthquakebroke,heworriedlittlefortheirsafety,assumingthey
werealreadywellontheirwayhome.Theywerent.AsthemainshockhittheBurdurfaultline
justpastmidnightofthatfatefulnight3,Qayslosttwelvefamilymembersandwassuddenly
orphaned.ThewayhesawLebanon,hishomeland,wasdifferentnow.Afreaknaturaldisaster
hadlefthisconnectiontohiscountryhangingbyaquicklyunravelingthread.Hisfamilyshouse

(Najjar):Carpenter,builder
Sufism:SubsectofMysticalIslam,notwidelypracticed
3
Lomnitz,Cinna."SignificantEarthquake."NGDC.UnitedStatesDepartmentofCommerceNational
OceanicandAtmosphericAdministration'sNationalGeophysicalDataCenter,n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.
2

inBeirut4wasnolongerhishome,justaghostlyvesselofpastmemories.Therewasnoturning
backnow,noonetogohometo.
Heartbroken,yetoptimistic,theNajjarslookedtothefuture.Thesevendayvoyagefelt
likeaneternity,andtherestlessnesswasvisibleinQayseyes.GettingthroughcrowdedEllis
Island,eventhoughtheywereinspectedindeepdetailfromheadtotoe5,waseasycomparedto
graspingthebustlingcityofNewYork,whereitseemedlikenoonehadthetimetohelphim
findaplacetostaythenight.ThediverseandloudcityhadsilencedAmirah,butscaredhersix
yearolddaughtertotears.AsQaysdutifulwifecalmedherdown,hesearchedforanapartment,
brisklywalkingfromplacetoplace.HeranintoaRussianimmigrantfamilythatwaslookingto
sharetheirapartmentinreturnforcoveringhalfoftherent,andheagreed.Theirnewhomewas
asmall,dingy,andslightlydividedapartment.
Inthesubsequentweeks,QayswasapproachedbyLebanesepeddlers6,andhereluctantly
agreedtoworkwiththem.Hewentdoortodoorsellingwhatevergoodstheyhadhimpeddle
around,sharpeninghispeopleskills.Hisfamilywascontentandlearningtolovetheirnewlives.
Soonafter,QayssuccessledtotheNajjarshadleavingtheirroommatesbehindandmovinginto
asmaller,butsinglefamily,apartment.Followingtheirfirstnightaloneinalongtime,Qaysand
Amirahfoundthemselvesexpectingasecondchild.
ThoughhelovedthemagnificenceofNewYorkandhisnewfoundfamilialecstasy,he
couldntseehimselfsettlingthere.ThesocialstigmaandhecklingassociatedwithLebanese

Hajar,Paula,andJ.S.Jones."LebaneseAmericans."CountriesandTheirCultures.Advmeg,n.d.Web.
25Oct.2014.
5
Clark,FrancisE.OurImmigrantsatEllisIsland.Boston:UnitedSocietyofChristianEndeavor,Libraryof
Congress,1912.PrintPamphlet.
6
Peddler:DoortodoorSalesman

Americansalreadyfeltlikeaburden.7TherewasnowaythiswasTheAmericanDream.
Everythingdifficultinhislifedidntleadhimtopracticallythesameprofessionhehadin
Lebanonheneededmore,extremechanges.HehadleftLebanonanditspainfulmemories
behind,hewoulddothesametoLebaneseAmericans.Tothesilentdisdainofhiswife,Qays
madeithisgoaltobefullyAmerican.Distressingthenewnormalhehadcreatedforhisfamily,
heannouncedthattheywouldmovewestward,intotheheartoftheAmericanIndustry,to
Detroit,Michigan.
LebaneseimmigrationtotheUnitedStateshadslowlyincreasedyearoveryearsincethe
latenineteenthcentury8,andtheNajjarssawvisualproofastheymadetheirjourneyintothe
midwest.ThemoreQaystriedtoleavethembehind,themoreitseemedliketheLebanesecaught
uptohim.9Throughouttheirmigration,AmirahnoticedthatQayshadacquiredandperfectedat
leastoneAmericanattribute:impatience.Hepushedtheirfamilyforward,practicallyviewing
themasbaggageZeenatwasbarelyanafterthought,hereducationfaltered.Theirarrivalin
DetroitfurtherputQaysthroughhispacesashetriedtoavoidtheeverlargerArabAmerican
communityinDearborn.10
Hewasincompleteaweofalltheautomobilesinthecity,finallyseeingsomethinghe
couldclassifyasoutlandishandAmerican.DetroitmaintainedthebustlingcitylifeofNewYork,
ataslightlysmallerscale,butinamuchmorefocusedway.Centralizingthecityaroundthe

Nasr,NajwaS."EarlyLebaneseImmigrantstotheUSA."AmericanStudiesResourcesCentre.ARNet,
2010.Web.25Oct.2014.
8
Hajar,Paula,andJ.S.Jones."LebaneseAmericans."CountriesandTheirCultures.Advmeg,n.d.Web.
25Oct.2014.
9
Abdelhady,Dalia.TheLebaneseDiaspora:TheArabImmigrantExperienceinMontreal,NewYork,and
Paris.NewYork:NewYorkUP,2011.Print.
10
Rowe,AmyE."ATraceofArabicinGranite:LebaneseMigrationtotheGreenMountains,18901940."
VermontHistoricalSociety.SchultzBlackwellTrust,n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.

automobileindustrymadeitseemsmoothandwellmeshed.Factoryjobsseemedmenialtohim,
buttheattractionofanalmostguaranteedFiveDollarDay,avoidanceofpeddlers,andprogress
intocompleteassimilationdrewhimin.Heslowlybecameabetterworker,moreAmericanby
theday.IfAmericanscelebratedPresidentWoodrowWilsonswaravoidanceplatform,hedid
too.Heworewhattheywore,actedliketheyacted,andseemedalmostcontent.
Asaneducatedman,QaysalreadyknewEnglish,butwasinternallyashamedoftheslow
progresshisownfamilywasmaking,andbegantoforcefullyassimilatethem.HetoldAmirah
thattherewasnoneedforhertomaintainherheadscarfintheirnewcountry,andmadesurethat
shespokeinEnglisharoundthehouseasmuchaspossible.Hethrewoutalmosteverythingthey
hadbroughtwiththem,buyingnewclothestoAmericanizethem.AlthoughAmirahviewed
Americanwomenasrolemodelsinpersonalstrength,shewasntabletoembodytheir
characteristicsunderstress.Inthesixthmonthofherpregnancy,anoverworkedanddehydrated
Amirahcollapsed.ShewasrushedtothenewlyopenedDetroitReceivingHospital11,butno
matterwhattheydid,shelostthebaby.
Ifhispastwasanyindication,tragedywasQaystriggerforabruptlifechanges.The
earthquakeledtohisavoidanceofhispeople,andrejectionofhishomeland,insearchofhisnew
identity.TheconstantabuseandhecklingofLebaneseAmericanpeddlersinNewYorkledto
himmakingthemovetoDetroit,andfurtheravoidinghisethniccommunity,whilealsopushing
himselfandhisfamilyintoacceleratedacculturation.Andthistime,hehadlosthisunbornchild,
forcingthroughhismindtherealizationthathehadneglectedhisdaughter,overworkedhiswife,

11

"DRHHistoryofDetroitReceivingHospital."DRHHistoryofDetroitReceivingHospital.DMC,n.d.
Web.25Oct.2014.

andblockedhisfamilyofffromtheirownculture.InsearchfortheperfectAmericanidentity,he
losteverybitofhisculture,hisprogressasagoodfatherandhusband,andhisreligion.
Intheyearsfollowing,theGreatWarragedoninthebackground 12,ArabAmerican
immigrationslowed13,andtheNajjarsmadetheirfinalmigration,tothecityjustoutsideDetroit,
Dearborn,Michigan.ContrarytowhatQaysoriginallythought,beingapartofadifferentculture
iswhatmadehimmoreAmerican.AtthetimeofhisimmigrationwithAmirahandZeenat,
multiculturalawarenesswasbarelyconceivableforthemasses.Hefoundthatforcing
assimilationonlymadethingsworse,andforcefullyforgettingyourpastwasanavoidance
strategythatwouldntgethimfar.ThegoalofbecominganAmericanwasunityindiversity,not
uniformity.Apologetically,QaysworkedwithAmirahtorebuildtheirweakeningmarriage,and
togethermournedthelossofwhatwouldvebeentheirfirstson.Theneighborhoodsand
communitiesofLebaneseAmericanswelcomedthemwithopenarms,bringingbacksome
traditionintotheirlives.Qayssteppedbackfromfactoryworkandbegantoworkasapeddler
again.
Knowingwhattypesofsituationscancauseharmtonewimmigrants,theNajjarsmadeit
theirgoaltoworkwiththeircommunityinestablishingamosquetogroundeveryoneintheir
culturalandreligiousvalues.In1937,theirventureprovedfruitful,withtheestablishmentofthe
AmericanMuslimSocietyandtheDearbornMosque.14Theirworktosolidifytheintegrityof
theirculture,individuality,andAmericanpatriotismallowedfortheirfamily,andtheircity,to
flourish,movingforwardafterthetwoyearsoftragedythatmarredtheirimmigration.

12

"TheGreatWar:WWITimeline:1915."PBS.PBS,n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.
ImmigrationRestrictionLeague(U.S.)Records,18931921.SeriesI,Correspondencetoandfromthe
IRLB,19151919.HarvardUniversity,Cambridge,Mass.
14
"IntheWayoftheProphet:IdeologiesandInstitutionsinDearborn,Michigan,America'sMuslimCapitol",
TheNextAmericanCitymagazine,October2003.RetrievedMarch23,2010
13

WorksCited
Abdelhady,Dalia.TheLebaneseDiaspora:TheArabImmigrantExperienceinMontreal,New
York,andParis.NewYork:NewYorkUP,2011.Print.
Clark,FrancisE.OurImmigrantsatEllisIsland.Boston:UnitedSocietyofChristianEndeavor,
1912.PrintPamphlet.
"DRHHistoryofDetroitReceivingHospital."DRHHistoryofDetroitReceivingHospital.
DMC,n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.
"TheGreatWar:WWITimeline:1915."PBS.PBS,n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.
Hajar,Paula,andJ.S.Jones."LebaneseAmericans."CountriesandTheirCultures.Advmeg,
n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.
Lomnitz,Cinna."SignificantEarthquake."NGDC.UnitedStatesDepartmentofCommerce
NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration'sNationalGeophysicalData
Center,n.d.Web.25Oct.2014.
Nasr,NajwaS."EarlyLebaneseImmigrantstotheUSA."AmericanStudiesResourcesCentre.
ARNet,2010.Web.25Oct.2014.
Rowe,AmyE."ATraceofArabicinGranite:LebaneseMigrationtotheGreenMountains,
18901940."VermontHistoricalSociety.SchultzBlackwellTrust,n.d.Web.25Oct.
2014.
ImmigrationRestrictionLeague(U.S.)Records,18931921.SeriesI,Correspondencetoand
fromtheIRLB,19151919.HarvardUniversity,Cambridge,Mass.
"IntheWayoftheProphet:IdeologiesandInstitutionsinDearborn,Michigan,America's
MuslimCapitol",TheNextAmericanCitymagazine,October2003.