The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

I met Hazem while he was working at Ali Baba, a restaurant in Ann Arbor owned by a Palestinian family. The dynamic was interesting between the non-Levant Arabs [Tunisians, Yemenis, etc.] and the Palestinians. Many of the non-levant Arabs worked in the greater Detroit area, from Dearborn to Ann Arbor, sometimes at the whim of fellow Arab employers who would pay them low wages, often working for days on end with little to no time off and no worker’s rights. Dearborn especially had a visible caste system with the Yemeni Arabs working low-end jobs and the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese being the more affluent.

As for Hazem, I cannot say that his experience was wholly unpleasant. He seemed to get along well with the owners. I had the opportunity to get to know them all quite well myself as I spent a lot of time hanging out in the kitchen with the staff and family. I also taught the owner’s children at a weekend Islamic school. I have fond memories of the times there and when they would allow, I’d even occasionally pitch in [for a free bowl of delicious lentil soup, of course!] and help with cooking, cleaning and deliveries. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Fuji Neopan 400 ISO. Hand-held, available light.

Retrospective?

When I first caught the camera bug, I began photographing in and around the Detroit area. Every weekend I would go out shooting with my friends Titus and Marjorie. On this trip, Marjorie and I wandered into Arabian Village, a part of Dearborn, Michigan, that is home to a large Arab population. Once home to perhaps the Lebanese, the predominant group is now composed of Yemeni people. They are mostly low-income, transient workers. I used to stop and eat Yemeni fried chicken and lentil soup. Marjorie and I photographed this man sitting on his stoop, taking a smoke break. I believe his name was Muhammad. Hasselblad 501 C/M. Ilford Delta 3200 ISO. Hand-held, available light.

Retrospective?