Sarah Boumedda In Anaheim
Published yesterday at 6:00 AM
- United States
Among Middle Eastern diasporas in the United States, there is growing discontent with the mainstream parties, fueled by the U.S. response to the unrest in their home countries. How do these communities view the presidential race? ? First stop: Little Arabia in Anaheim, the heart of the Arab community.
“Little Arabia has the atmosphere, the smells and the flavors of home.” Hani Haidar, administrative specialist for the Arab American Civic Council (AACC), describes with a peaceful smile this Anaheim neighborhood where the language, tastes and colors of his native Lebanon mingle with those of other communities present in the area: Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq…
In Anaheim, a city located about forty kilometers southeast of Los Angeles, Brookhurst Street has been the cradle of the Arab community in California since the 1980s. The signs that you see while walking along the artery are almost all bilingual, in Arabic and English. One of the many strip malls (linear shopping centers) on the street is decorated with a multitude of flags on the roof, ranging from Morocco to Jordan.
“Little Arabia makes us visible,” says Rashad Al-Dabbagh, executive director of the AACC. The nonpartisan organization, which has a strong presence in the neighborhood, has long campaigned for its designation within the city of Anaheim (which it did in 2022).
The AACC has also been at the heart of the mobilization for the Palestinian cause following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that followed. “It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation, the destruction of the people of Gaza,” says Mr. Al-Dabbagh, who grew up in Palestine. “And to see that Israel has received support, funding and weapons from our government to do absolutely whatever it wants with them, without worry.” »
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“We have lost our importance,” says Mirvette Judeh. Of Palestinian origin, she has been a Democratic Party delegate in California for more than a decade. But she feels betrayed by her camp since October 7. She cannot stomach the exhortations to vote for an administration that supports Israel, in the name of the need to block Donald Trump’s path. “You talk to me about electing someone, while you commit war crimes against our people ? And you dare to put the weight of everything that happens, the whole future of this country, on us ?”
Photo: Julien Forest Le Devoir The Arab American Civic Council team, in their offices. From left to right: Mirvette Judeh, Democratic Party delegate and Arab community leader in Anaheim; Ayah Shiadah, project manager at AACC; Hani Haidar, AACC administrative specialist; Rashad Al-Dabbagh, Director General of the AACC; Amin Nash, AACC Policy and Research Coordinator
A feeling of abandonment
This loss of trust in the American government and democratic institutions since the start of Israel’s offensive on Gaza is reflected in voting intentions. A poll conducted in October 2023, just weeks after October 7, showed a drop in support for the Democratic camp among Arab-American voters. The poll, conducted by the Washington-based Arab American Institute, indicated that support for Joe Biden had fallen from 74% in 2020 to 29% in 2023.
In another poll conducted in May by the same institute, this time looking at Arab voters in four key states, half of respondents said they were undecided or considering voting for a third party. Only 10% of them had this position in 2020.
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This text is published via our Perspectives section.
“Of course we don’t trust anymore,” says Amin Nash, a coordinator at the AACC. Of Iraqi origin, he is concerned about the rise in hatred towards the country’s Arabs and Muslims, and the indifference he perceives from authorities, both local and national. “How can we continue to trust this government that is supposed to represent us? ? Who do you want us to vote for right now? ? There is a certain apathy [in the community]. And it is legitimate.”
He emphasizes, however, that on the ground, this loss of trust has also translated into an even more vigorous mobilization for the Palestinian cause than before. “It has been a real source of encouragement to see people advocating for this cause and joining us.” »
A renewed commitment
In Little Arabia, the echo of Palestine within the community leaves its mark everywhere. On both sides of Brookhurst Street, the various restaurants, shops and service centres in the neighbourhood proudly display the Palestinian flag in their windows. Calls for demonstrations, rallies and mobilisation are posted on the doors of establishments or on lampposts.
When the Devoir visited in early summer, Ayah Shiadah, a project manager at the AACC, was busy putting up stickers calling for a ceasefire in Gaza all over the neighbourhood. “One thing I notice now is that the world seems to be waking up, standing with us, even if their governments aren’t,” the young Palestinian-Mexican woman emphasizes.
Even though the feeling of abandonment by authorities and politicians persists, the AACC continues to advocate for people to show up to vote in November. Mirvette Judeh notes that in recent months, some community members have entered local politics to better represent their people.
“I think our community is showing its strength,” she notes. “A lot of us, we took for granted what it meant to be an American. Now we have to use this system, put our candidates forward, create a space where we can be a force to be reckoned with.”
“We’re doing our best to educate the public, we mustn’t lose hope,” summarizes Rashad Al-Dabbagh. Voting isn’t the answer to everything or the solution to everything. But it’s a piece of the puzzle, it’s part of the process.”
With Julien Forest
This report was funded with support from the Transat International Journalism Fund-Le Devoir.