America's Muslim Town

Available for over a year

Right next to the city of Detroit, Michigan is Hamtramck, the first Muslim majority city in the United States. Just over 50% of the residents are immigrants from Bangladesh, Yemen and Bosnia. There are ten mosques in just over 2 square miles, as well as Islamic private schools. But only a few decades ago, the city was dominated by Polish immigrants with their Catholic churches and schools. Long before Donald Trump made Muslim immigration a focus of his election campaign, Hamtramck made international headlines as the two groups occasionally clashed over issues of faith. In this episode of Heart & Soul Jennifer Chevalier explores the streets of Hamtramck, visiting its mosques and churches, meeting local residents and asking: can faith now help bring this city together? (Photo: The Islamic Center of Hamtramck. Credit: Scott Olson)