Newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed on Friday declared Michigan “the capital of Arab America,” causing a viral reaction on social media ranging from criticism to others offering data to support his claim.
\n\nSpeaking at the Connect Arab America Empowerment Summit in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Chantilly, Virginia, El-Sayed opened his remarks speaking his name in Arabic fashion and went on to make the claim.
\n\n“I’m honored to be the next United States senator from the great state of Michigan, which of course I know we’re here in D.C. which of course is the capital of the United States of America,” he said. “But Michigan is the capital of Arab America.”
\n\nThe term “Capital of Arab America” has historically been used to describe the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, the city that has the largest Arab population in the United States, many of them descendants of families that came in the early 20th century seeking jobs in Henry Ford’s auto assembly plants. It also has the largest Lebanese-American population in the U.S.
\n\nDearborn aside, statewide, California reportedly has more Arab Americans than Michigan.
\n\nDespite El-Sayed’s boast, the Arab American community in Michigan is still predominantly Christian, starting with the Lebanese…
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/sports/
