Guest Editorial: The Power of Diversity; How Hamtramck stands out in a crowd

By Aida Mandic
I grew up in Hamtramck. I spent my childhood pitching balls in Pulaski Park. I loved to haphazardly rollerblade down the streets of Joseph Campau, Norwalk, Edwin, Conant, and Commor.
My friends hailed from all over the entire world. One moment, I would talk to my girls from Bangladesh, Yemen, Poland, Albania, and Macedonia and the next moment I would find myself conversing with my boys from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Senegal, Pakistan, India, and Mozambique. I would eat bits of ćevapi, samosas, pączki, Polish kielbasas, curry, French fries, turmeric, and tacos over the course of a day.
The entire planet seemed to be packed into two square miles. Every single day felt like a walk through an airport. A multitude of nations, cultures, religions, and ethnicities surrounded me at every corner. It was a truly magical upbringing and I treasure it dearly.
I was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. My family escaped the Bosnian Genocide in order to find a place that would accept us and provide us with the opportunity to live in peace among our neighbors.
Before we relocated to Hamtramck, Michigan, my mother and I lived in Croatia, a refugee camp in the Czech Republic, and in Paris, France. I was reunited with my father at the age of four in Malaysia.

He was shot in his leg by a Serbian Chetnik sniper and narrowly evaded death. Since my father had to have extensive surgical operations performed on his leg, he stayed behind in Bosnia. He helped to arrange an emergency escape through the Children’s Embassy in Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina) convoy for my mother and I. There were only women and children onboard. The convoy was not shot at by the Serbian Chetnik snipers. We did not have any direct contact with them. We were exceptionally lucky.
It’s important to have access to different ideas, attitudes, lifestyles, and perspectives. They are valuable assets that can effectively guide one through their life journey.

Formidable and clever problem-solving techniques can be learned when one has awareness of multiple possibilities. Hamtramck is truly a unique city.
It is the only Muslim-majority city in the United States of America. It is the first city to have a Muslim-majority city council in the history of the United States. It is also the first city in the USA with an all-Muslim city council.
Hamtramck has represented every religion.

In two square miles, you can see a mosque, church, and Buddhist temple. You can pay your respects at the Beth Olem Cemetery (the oldest Jewish cemetery in Michigan). Hamtramck is multicultural, multi-religious, and multinational. It has a rich history that deserves to be celebrated. It accepts anyone from anywhere with open arms.
Chances are that, no matter where you are from, you will find at least one person in Hamtramck that has your nationality and cultural background.

I think that Hamtramck is a crucial testament to the incalculable resilience of immigrants and refugees. It represents their indomitable spirit and unrelenting desire to conquer whichever obstacles life may send their way. Hamtramck is a hidden gem that makes the leaders of tomorrow!
(Aida Mandic is a Detroit-area author.)
Posted March 13, 2026