In south Paterson, New Jersey, immigrants have created a sense of optimism, helping renew a city beleaguered by crime and corruption, and long in decline.
Although the claim has been widely debunked, Orfalea said fear stirred up by Trump, social media and sensationalized political discourse make some Americans even more fearful today of Arab immigrants. Paterson’s unique vibe of “holding on to home may be larger today due to the fear,” Orfalea said.
Some of south Paterson’s earliest family establishments set up shop in the 1950s and 1960s. Fattal and Noury, entrepreneurial families from Aleppo, Syria, are household names. Over the decades, they have been joined by dozens of others. Mohammed Al-Awdeh, a Yemeni American bodega owner from New York, was at Fattal’s on his monthly trip with his wife and daughter, stocking up on Laziza non-alcoholic beer and halal meat. But they also come to south Paterson because the doctors are Muslims and because the restaurant prices are reasonable. “Here in south Paterson, I’m among friends,” he said.
Just steps from Nouri Bros., Palestinian Americans Nouridin Darwish and his mother, Fatima, were enjoying the halal grilled meat at Toros, a Turkish restaurant. “If you want to get the flavor that you’re used to, that’s Middle Eastern, you come here: It’s convenient, it’s close to New York, it’s delicious,” said Darwish, who had traveled from Buffalo.
“I’m trying to create a city of gastronomy: We want to leverage the culinary culture that exists here and become even more of a destination for foodies,” he said.
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