US riots take severe toll on Arab-American small businesses

Sirris

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CHICAGO: Stores owned by immigrants of Arab and Muslim origin are among the many businesses that were pillaged and destroyed during the protests triggered by the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, while in police custody.

US media has focused almost exclusively on the continued anger over the circumstances of Floyd’s death on May 25, while choosing to ignore an inconvenient truth: the economic setback and mental anguish suffered by hard-working Arab American and Muslim immigrant communities.

Protesters burned vehicles, smashed windows, defaced buildings and clashed with police as civil unrest erupted in cities across the country. Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Denver, Salt Lake City, Nashville and Minneapolis imposed curfews while the governors of Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, Washington and Kentucky mobilized their states’ National Guards.

Although there are Arab chambers of commerce in many of the cities heavily affected by the rioting and looting, none of the business bodies — except one in Chicago — have been able to collect accurate information on the losses suffered by the community.

Through tears, Ekhlas Salamy described how she and her sons, Steve and John, watched helplessly from across a main street as their store was ransacked by looters.

“I am so frustrated by what happened to our store. My husband bought the business in 1988 and it is located in a mixed community of African Americans and Hispanics,” said Salamy, whose family emigrated to the US from the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

We have never had any problems before with the African American community. In fact, five of our employees are black and three others are Hispanic.

“We never treated them badly and never let them feel that they were any different from us. We have always treated them with respect.

“We attended the funerals of our longtime customers and supported their families.”

Salamy said treating others equally and fairly was something her husband, the late Peter John Salamy, always advocated.

She and her two sons took over the family’s Chicago business, Pete & Jack’s Liquor, at 4156 W Division Street when her husband died in August 2018.

“This is our livelihood. All my family has survived off this business,” Salamy told Arab News.

“The looters just destroyed all our hard work. I have tears in my eyes because we never did any harm to anyone. They stole everything and destroyed the entire store.”

Floyd was arrested for trying to cash an alleged counterfeit $20 bill at an Arab American-owned store, Cup Foods, located just south of downtown Minneapolis.

Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Along with him, three other officers have been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department plus charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Rioting and looting began immediately after news spread of Floyd’s death, despite pleas from the deceased’s family urging protesters to go out and vote rather than turn to violence.

Demanding justice for his brother, Terrence Floyd told a gathering at a memorial in Minneapolis that the lawlessness sweeping across America would “not bring (his) brother back.”

Many Americans view the destruction of public and private property as a dishonor to Floyd’s memory and a setback to the common cause of ending anti-black racism and police brutality.

Although the Arab American operators of the Minneapolis store that reported the counterfeit money denounced Floyd’s death, the owner and his three sons were allegedly forced into hiding because of death threats.

Activists associated with the Black Lives Matter movement have not publicly targeted Arab American or Muslim-owned stores. However, many such stores are located in the heart of the African American community, where much of the violence over Floyd’s death has been centered.

Arab American and Muslim immigrants began opening businesses in economically depressed African American communities in the 1950s.

This was in part because they were welcomed by the black community, but also because Arabs themselves have often been at the receiving end of discrimination in America’s racially charged mainstream society.

Poorer communities often lack retail stores owing to the higher risks associated with crime in lower-income areas. In this sense, Arab Americans have filled a void many others have been hesitant to fill.

Over the years, many Arab American store owners became victims of violent crime, but that has not discouraged them from opening stores in areas with large minority communities, areas that big-name national outlets often avoided because of the economic risks associated.

In the wake of Floyd’s death, at another location in Chicago, rioters looted a Quick Stop grocery store at 71st and Artesian Street in Marquette Park that was also founded by Arab Americans in 1987.

“We have always stood with our community, but this was absolutely terrible,” said Naim Matariyeh who worked at the store with his 88-year-old father Jamil and another brother.

“Ours is a family business, owned by two brothers who built this store from absolutely nothing. This is our only source of income, and it was already drastically affected by COVID-19.”

Matariyeh said the looting in Chicago — a city more than 410 miles away from Minneapolis — began on May 31.

“We are active members of the community. We pray in a mosque nearby. At the beginning of the school year, we donate backpacks, pencils and crayons to the children here,” Matariyeh said.

“Sadly, we have lost a store that we spent many years building up, and now we have no income.”

But that was not the worst of it, Matariyeh said.

“Our store was looted at first, which hurt us deeply. But my brother and I accepted it, and we were willing to come back the next day to start the cleanup,” Matariyeh said.

“Approximately an hour after we left the store, however, we learned that it was on fire. We returned to the scene, and it devastated us to see what had happened.

The Matariyeh family has set up a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $11,000 so far to help rebuild their business.

Down the street from the family, another store owned by an American of Yemeni heritage was looted and destroyed. The owner, Matariyeh said, was beaten so badly that he had to be taken to hospital.

“This is going to end up hurting the African American community and discouraging others from reopening their stores in these neighborhoods,” he said.

Hassan Nijem, president of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce based in Chicago, said his organization is actively monitoring the violence against Arab American-owned businesses.

Noting that many Arab stores have been damaged and several completely destroyed, he said: “The real tragedy is that Arab Americans are not the problem in this political and racial war. We are caught in the middle, following the law, being respectful and trying to work with everyone.

“Paradoxically, when the anger reaches a boiling point, we often become the target.”

Nijem said Arab store owners have opened stores in neighborhoods that others have refused to enter because of fear and racism.

“Arab Americans have great respect for the concerns of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and all ethnic and racial minority groups,” Nijem said. “We contribute to the communities where we work.

“I feel sorrow for the plight of the Salamy family and the Matariyeh family.

“They symbolize the hard work Arab American immigrants have strived for only to suffer because of the anger and turmoil in other communities.”

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1686276/world

The next time an Arab decides not to open a store in an Afro-American dominant neighborhood, is he being racist?
 
The next time an Arab decides not to open a store in an Afro-American dominant neighborhood, is he being racist?

I don't think that will be racist. Everyone has the right to open business anywhere he/she wants.
 
I don't think that will be racist. Everyone has the right to open business anywhere he/she wants.

Yes, you should be able to open a neighborhood where ever you want but this person is intentionally avoiding Afro-American neighborhood. For instance there is a cheap place he could rent but he lets the opportunity pass by him and intentionally looks for non-Afro-American neighborhoods.

Is that racism?
 
Yes, you should be able to open a neighborhood where ever you want but this person is intentionally avoiding Afro-American neighborhood. For instance there is a cheap place he could rent but he lets the opportunity pass by him and intentionally looks for non-Afro-American neighborhoods.

Is that racism?

Absolutely not! We all have our preferences.

For example, if I want to open a business, I want to open it in a desi neighborhood.

Arabs have as much as rights as anyone else.
 
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Arabs in North America are generally quite friendly and hard working. It is sad to see them getting caught up in this mess.

Arabs have as much as rights as anyone else.

Arabs have as much rights as anyone else*.
 
Hasan Minhaj is the one that made sure it came to attention that was an arab shop, I didn't even know that before his rant.

While I do find him funny and great at writing,hosting, he is probably joining politics in future.
 
Absolutely not! We all have our preferences.

For example, if I want to open a business, I want to open it in a desi neighborhood.

Arabs have as much as rights as anyone else.

This is not a matter of preference.

Let me make it as clear as possible.

An Arab guy has first-hand witnessed the events of past few days and is effected by the rioting as described in the post above. He decides to not open any shop in an Afro-American neighborhood in the future.

Ideally he would prefer an Arab neighborhood, yes.

Still, if he finds a good opportunity:

He may open it in a White neighborhood.
He may open it in an Asian neighborhood.
He may open it in an Indian neighborhood.
He may open it in an Hispanic neighborhood.

BUT

Under no circumstance and regardless of how promising the monetary opportunity may be, he would never consider opening a shop in an Afro-American neighborhood again. He gives the same advice to his other business-minded friends.

Is he being a racist?
 
This is not a matter of preference.

Let me make it as clear as possible.

An Arab guy has first-hand witnessed the events of past few days and is effected by the rioting as described in the post above. He decides to not open any shop in an Afro-American neighborhood in the future.

Ideally he would prefer an Arab neighborhood, yes.

Still, if he finds a good opportunity:

He may open it in a White neighborhood.
He may open it in an Asian neighborhood.
He may open it in an Indian neighborhood.
He may open it in an Hispanic neighborhood.

BUT

Under no circumstance and regardless of how promising the monetary opportunity may be, he would never consider opening a shop in an Afro-American neighborhood again. He gives the same advice to his other business-minded friends.

Is he being a racist?
They can't run thier business without AAs it's mostly small bodegas and those businesses do not survive in middle class neighborhoods
 
This is not a matter of preference.

Let me make it as clear as possible.

An Arab guy has first-hand witnessed the events of past few days and is effected by the rioting as described in the post above. He decides to not open any shop in an Afro-American neighborhood in the future.

Ideally he would prefer an Arab neighborhood, yes.

Still, if he finds a good opportunity:

He may open it in a White neighborhood.
He may open it in an Asian neighborhood.
He may open it in an Indian neighborhood.
He may open it in an Hispanic neighborhood.

BUT

Under no circumstance and regardless of how promising the monetary opportunity may be, he would never consider opening a shop in an Afro-American neighborhood again. He gives the same advice to his other business-minded friends.

Is he being a racist?

I can't blame the person if he changes business location after getting attacked. It is human nature and not racism.

So, to answer your question, it is not racism in my book. It is simply about risk management.
 
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If I’m not mistaken these are shops owned by Arabs in Black communities. A large portion of their revenue comes from liquor sales.

I say good riddance.
 
I can't blame the person if he changes business location after getting attacked. It is human nature and not racism.

So, to answer your question, it is not racism in my book. It is simply about risk management.

Good, at least you are not the extremely politically correct type who is afraid of using the common sense.

Now do I have to try out drugs to understand they are harmful or can I learn from the experience of other people and recognize they are bad and avoid them?

In other words is it okay for someone, who didn't experience the bad things first hand but decides to be vary of Afro-American neighborhood? Or is that person a racist too?

If I know that an Afro-American neighborhood in the USA is most likely to be have a higher crime rate, am I being racist for not wanting to live there?
 
If I’m not mistaken these are shops owned by Arabs in Black communities. A large portion of their revenue comes from liquor sales.

I say good riddance.

Read the article, the shop owners seem to be non-Muslim Arabs going by their name.

Unlawful damage to private property is bad irrespective of whether you agree with owners worldview or not.

There are people who are vegetarian and hate meat consumers. I am sure you wouldn't consider it right, if they go around vandalizing and burning halal restaurants.

Why wish for others what you don't want for yourself?
 
They can't run thier business without AAs it's mostly small bodegas and those businesses do not survive in middle class neighborhoods

It doesn't matter if their business plan is viable in other neighborhood or not. This is a thought experiment to expand on our understanding of the issue:

Is the hypothetical person I came up with being racist in his decision?
 
It doesn't matter if their business plan is viable in other neighborhood or not. This is a thought experiment to expand on our understanding of the issue:

Is the hypothetical person I came up with being racist in his decision?
No he is not simple
 
Good, at least you are not the extremely politically correct type who is afraid of using the common sense.

Now do I have to try out drugs to understand they are harmful or can I learn from the experience of other people and recognize they are bad and avoid them?

In other words is it okay for someone, who didn't experience the bad things first hand but decides to be vary of Afro-American neighborhood? Or is that person a racist too?

If I know that an Afro-American neighborhood in the USA is most likely to be have a higher crime rate, am I being racist for not wanting to live there?

Nope. It is perfectly normal and logical to avoid risky neighborhoods. Nothing racist about it.

It is not just valid for blacks. It is also valid for other races. If neighborhood is not safe, it makes no sense to live or do business there.
 
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