Discover Detroit's Diversity by Various Travel Authors on Creators.com

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Discover Detroit's Diversity

By Sandra Scott

True or false? Detroit makes cars. False. Detroit does not make cars — people do. The people who came from all over the United States and from around the world in search of the American dream by working in the automobile industry have made Detroit a fascinating tourist destination.

Founded in 1701, Detroit is one of the Midwest's oldest cities. Originally a strategic Native American and French trading post, by the mid-19th century Detroit had grown into a thriving hub of industry in need of workers.

African-Americans in the South knew of Detroit as part of the Underground Railroad that transported runaway slaves to freedom. At the historic First Congregational Church the Underground Railroad Living Museum the basement has been transformed into a walk that takes visitors from a plantation in Louisiana to freedom in Canada. Visitors can experience what it was like to move stealthily at night with the sound of the yelping dogs hot on their trail.

While Detroit before the Civil War brought hope for personal freedom, Henry Ford offered hope of economic freedom. In 1914, by order of Ford himself, the Ford Motor Co. hired its first African-American employee, and Ford became the largest employer of African-Americans in Detroit. Between 1910 and 1930, nearly 2 million African-Americans left the South for Detroit and other northern locations during what was called the Great Migration.

At the Charles H. Wright Museum the 20 galleries of the "And Still We Rise" exhibit takes visitors on a journey from prehistoric Africa to Detroit. Here they learn about life in an African village, experience the tragedy of the middle passage, encounter those who resisted the horrors of bondage and learn about the people who ended up calling Detroit home.

During the late 1800s and well into the 1900s Polish immigrants arriving in Detroit settled in Hamtramck. A walking tour led by Big Daddy playing "Doing the La De Da" on his accordion is just one way to experience Polish culture in Hamtramck. The group tour starts at New Palace Bakery, where the smell of freshly made Polish favorites, angel wings and cream-filled paczkis, fills the air. The Polish Market offers a plethora of items from Poland plus a large selection of delicious sausages and pierogies, a popular Polish specialty.

The Polish Art Center not only displays Polish artworks and classic souvenirs but also offers classes that range from making Polish foods to classic Easter egg decorating to creating wycinankis. Wycinankis are a uniquely Polish artwork made by intricately cutting a single piece of folded colored paper that is then used to add a festive look to their homes. In Pope Park, dedicated in 1982 to celebrate the first Polish pope, John Paul II, a wall mural depicts a town square in Krakow, Poland. The Wawel Folk Ensemble, dedicated to preserving Polish folk traditions, performs in the park during festivals and at other locations in the Detroit area.

Food is a key component of every culture, and the Polish are no exception. One popular gathering place for dinner is the Polonia Restaurant, where the aroma of stuffed cabbage and other mouth-watering foods fills the air along with Polish music.

It is the restaurant that hosted Anthony Bourdain of the Travel Channel's "No Reservations."

The focal point of the community is the cathedral-like St. Florian Roman Catholic Church. The stained-glass windows dominated by the rose window are outstanding. The altar windows depict five famous Polish saints, while the others illustrate the life and teachings of Christ.

"No Polish person built a house in Hamtramck unless they could see the steeple of the church," our guide told us.

Even today the steeple is visible from most points in Hamtramck, helping it to retain its small-town ambiance.

Detroit is home to one of the largest, oldest and most diverse Arab-American communities in the United States. The first Arab-Americans immigrated to Detroit from Syria and Lebanon in the late I880's. They peddled goods from door-to-door while waiting to land a job in the auto factories that were offering an unheard of $5 a day. The Arab-American Museum in Dearborn, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the first museum in the world devoted to Arab-American history and culture. Themed tours include "Arab-American Women: Their Journeys and Contributions." Tours of the mosque at the Islamic Center of America are available, and staff is on hand to answer questions about Islam. The famed Detroit Institute of Arts, noted for Diego Rivera's mural "Detroit Industry," recently unveiled their new Gallery of Islamic Art, where one thematic presentation focuses on sacred writings from the Islamic world.

Since Henry Ford and the auto industry created the ethnic mosaic of Detroit, a visit to the Henry Ford Museum is a must. The exhibits are as diverse as the population of Detroit. In the "With Liberty and Justice for All" gallery visitors can sit in the very seat Rosa Parks, exhausted from a hard day's work, refused to relinquish. In adjacent Greenfield Village, they can ride in Henry Ford's Model T to his childhood home, visit a replica of the factory where he built his first automobiles and continue on to the other six historic districts.

For generations, Detroit has been a destination for immigrants seeking a better life. The Greeks settled on the eastside of downtown, where today their restaurants dominate the Greektown Historic District. With newer immigrants from Mexico and Asia, Detroit is truly a global city with fascinating neighborhoods, a plethora of ethnic dining options and cultural festivals galore. During July the largest Arab and Chaldean Festival of its kind in North America is held in Hart Square. In August the family-orientated Africa World Festival celebrates the diversity of African culture, and the Polish celebrate during the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival.

IF YOU GO

For more information: www.visitdetroit.com or 800-DETROIT.

Sandra Scott is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.