>>> ABOUT HALF MILLION ARAB
AMERICANS LIVE IN OUR STATE.
MAJORITY IN SOUTH EAST MICHIGAN
WHICH IS HOME TO ONE OF THE
LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE
COMMUNITIES REALLY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
DEARBORN IS ONE OF THE
COMMUNITIES AND THAT IS WHY WE
SPENT A WEEK THERE TALKING TO
BUSINESS OWNERS AND COLLEGE
STUDENTS, HAIR DRESSERS.
WE WANTED TO HEAR THEIR STORIES
AND THIS TIME WE TOOK AN
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH.
INSTEAD OF USING OUR TYPICAL
NEWS CAMERA WE BROUGHT OUR
I-PHONE HOPING PEOPLE WOULD
FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING
ABOUT SOMETIMES A DIFFICULT
SUBJEC
THE ♪
>> JUST BECAUSE I HAVE
SOMETHING ON MY HEAD AND YOU
DON'T DOESN'T MEAN I'M ANY
DIFFERENT THAN YOU.
>> I'M AFRAID SOMEBODY WILL
ASSAULT ME OR SOMEBODY WILL
VERBALLY ASSAULT ME OR PUT ME
DOWN IN A WAY I CAN'T HANDLE.
IT'S IT REPRESENTS WHO I AM.
YES.
INSIDE.
I AM A PERSON JUST LIKE YOU AND
I
>>Reporter: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO
BE MUSLIM IN AMERICA.
ARAB IN AMERICA.
RELIGION.
WHEN I COME TO THIS COUNTRY
RELIGION.
WHEN I PRAY, I PRAY AT HOME.
>>Reporter: WHEN YOU HEAR SOME
ONE SAY MUSLIM IN AMERICA WHAT
DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
>> THAT'S WHY WE CAME TO
WHY.
WHY YOU ASK.
>>Reporter: IT DOESN'T MATTER
RIGHT.
MATTER.
>> LISTEN, LET ME TELL YOU ONE
THING.
WE BELIEVE JESUS IS A PROPHET
100 PERCENT LIKE MOHAMMAD.
SAME THING.
WE BELIEVE.
WHEN NAIB ANYBODY MENTION JESUS
WE SAY ALLAH.
>> MUSLIM LIKE EVERYBODY.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
RELIGION.
>> MANY, MANY RELIGION HERE.
RELIGION.
NOBODY.
>>Reporter: IT'S PERSONAL.
>> THEY ASK YOU HOW YOU PERSON.
YOU.
5 MINUTE AGO.
DO I ASK YOU WHAT YOUR RELIMB.
>>Reporter: NO PEOPLE DO ASK
ME.
>> THEY ARE STUPID.
I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT BUT THEY
ARE NOT NORMAL.
>>Reporter: FASCINATING THAT A
LOT OF LIKE OUR PARENTS I FEEL
LIKE THAT GENERATION THEY CAME
OVER IN SEARCH OF A BET LIFE
AND NOW YOU HAVE ALL THESE
YOUNG WOMEN DOING THE SAME
THING.
LIFE.
YES IT STARTED LIKE I SAID BACK
IN THE 60'S PEOPLE WERE FLEEING
HERE BUT THEN IT IS STILL
HAPPENING TODAY WHERE PEOPLE
WILL COME HERE JUST FOR A
BETTER EDUCATION.
A LOT OF THE TIMES THEY STAY
HERE.
EVEN THOUGH THEY PICK UP MORE
THAN THEY HAVE OVER THERE THEY
JUST FEEL THAT I CAN BE AN ARAB
AMERICAN IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN
AND NOT FEEL LIKE I HAVE
BRANCHED TOTALLY AWAY FROM MY
ROOTS.WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU GO
INTO OTHER AREAS OUTSIDE HERE.
>> FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I
HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.
MY MOM WIRS A SCARF.
I FEEL LIKE SHE'S LOOK AT
DIFFERENTLY WHEN OUTSIDE.
>>Reporter: IN WHAT WAY WHAT
HAVE YOU SEEN.
>> JUST STARES.
LIKE FEEL LIKE MAYBE SHE
DOESN'T BELONG THERE.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
LITTLE THINGS.
UNCOMFORTABLE.
>>Reporter: DOES IT UP SIT.
>> YES.
THE BECAUSE IT'S JUST A
EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING THEY
BELIEVE IN.
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE JUDGE US
BY THAT IS PRETTY IT IS PRETTY
>>.
>>Reporter: WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO YOU WHEN I SAY BEING MUSLIM
IN AMERICA.
>> EVERYTHING IN YOUR HEART.
>>Reporter: YOU THINK PEOPLE
MISUNDERSTAND WHAT IT REALLY I
IS.
>> MISUNDERSTAND THE WHOLE
SITUATION.
>> BEING A MUSLIM IS YOU
TONIGHT HAVE TO BE 100 PERCENT
ALL RELIGION.
SCARF.
DON'T HAVE TO COVER UP ALL YOUR
SKIN TO BE CONSIDERED A MUSLIM.
YOU HAVE TO BE MODEST.
RESPECT YOURSELF AND RESPECT
YOUR BODY.
RESPECT LIKE WHO IS AROUND YOU.
LIKE YOU GIVE RESPECT TO PEOPLE
AND THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE IT
BACK TO YOU.
>> ABOUT HUMANITY AND LOVE AND
PEACE.
EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
EARTH.
BELIEVE WHOEVER YOU BELIEVE AS
LONG AS YOU RESPECT.
>>Reporter: LOOK WE KNOW THERE
IS SO MUCH GROUND TO COVER HERE
AND REALLY THIS IS JUST THE
BEGINNING OF A SERIES OF
STORIES WE ARE WORK TO GO BRING
YOU THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
IN DEARBORN.
>> THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING.
WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO BE
SPENDING TIME IN STERLING
HEIGHTS AND WEST BLOOM FEECHLTD
A LOT OF AREAS WE WANT TO COVE
COVER.
WE SHOULD POINT OUT TOO ALL OF
THE INTERVIEWS THAT YOU JUST
SAW NONE OF THOSE WERE SET UP.
IT WAS ALL WE JUST WALKED RIGHT
UP TO PEOPLE AND HAD CASUAL
RESPONSE.
>> THEY TALKED ABOUT RESPECT.
COMMUNITY.