Michigan’s Arab Americans and the 2008 polls

In the lead-up to the two national conven-     tions - marking the formal opening of     the presidential campaign season - I travelled to Michigan to see how Arab Americans in that important state are assessing the contest.

While there, I taped a special edition of Viewpoint, my weekly television programme (which will be aired on Abu Dhabi Television on August 28 at 6pm Eastern Standard Time).

Set in the courtyard of Dearborn’s marvellous Arab American Museum, the show brought together an audience of Arab Americans from across the state with a number of policy experts to discuss the issues that are of concern to Arab Americans in 2008.

We divided the discussion into three parts, giving equal time to: the economy and related social issues; civil liberties and immigrant rights; and foreign policy challenges.

Ish Ahmed, Director of Human Services for the State of Michigan and a member of the governor’s cabinet, led the first part of the discussion. His state, he noted, had been especially hard hit by the country’s economic downturn, resulting in a loss of jobs and a dramatic increase in the need for expanded social services. Because the state was hard-pressed to meet these growing needs, the situation required an expended federal role.

This assessment was shared by Suzanne Sareini, a five-term Dearborn City Councilperson, and Abdul Haidous, Mayor of Wayne Michigan. They both spoke of the impact that job losses have had on young people who face shrinking employment opportunities, and on the need for mid-career training programmes that could help those out of work secure the skills necessary to pursue 21st century jobs.