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Unlikely Union Builds Political Win for Rashida Tlaib Arab American to Lead 12th District
When Rashida Tlaib declared her candidacy in May for state representative, she heard grumblings from opponents who said the heavily Latino and black district in southwest Detroit wouldn’t vote for an Arab American with a name they couldn’t pronounce.
But Tlaib, a Palestinian American, won the seat with the strong backing of the district’s term-limited incumbent, who happens to be Jewish. And on Jan. 1, she will become the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature.
It’s a story of ethnic cooperation that reveals the complexities of racial and religious relationships in one of the most diverse districts in the region.
“They saw my work ethic, how I reached out” said the 32-year-old Tlaib (pronounced “ta-LEEB”). “I’m a product of southwest Detroit. … I grew up in the community.”
Her election also offers a glimpse into how politics may play out in an increasingly diverse metro Detroit and nation, where minority and immigrant groups typically have pushed for political power by demanding candidates of their particular ethnicity or race. The victories of Tlaib and President-elect Barack Obama show that model may be outdated as people increasingly mix and cross ethnic boundaries.
“We’re more than our own race or ethnicity,” said Gloria Rivera, 65, a Latina who supported Tlaib and her predecessor in the Legislature, Steve Tobocman. “We need people who are inclusive, rather than a person who is so focused on their own race.”
More than 40% of Tlaib’s district is Latino — the highest concentration in the state. About 25% is African American; the rest is mostly white, with Arab Americans making up less than 2%. But she still was able to win most precincts in the 12th District by hard work, years of public service and a compelling life story that cut across lines, say her supporters.
Tyrone Carter, a 46-year-old retired police lieutenant who is African American, was among her backers. He said some dubbed him a Benedict Arnold for not supporting a black candidate.
“I think people now want the best player to play, regardless of their background,” Carter said. “Rashida outworked everybody. Some people were saying, ‘She’s an Arab, she’s this, she’s that,’ but she was never negative, always positive.”
Tlaib and Tobocman’s victories continued a long history of residents in southwest Detroit crossing racial lines with their votes. Matthew McNeely, an African American, was first elected to the district in 1964 when it was majority white.
When he stepped down in 1986, he tapped a Hungarian immigrant woman, Illona Varga, to be his successor in an increasingly minority district, and she won.
But not everyone was pleased by Tlaib’s success — one criticized the native of southwest Detroit for once living in Dearborn.
“She’s a carpetbagger,” said Carl Ramsey, an African American who works for the City of Detroit and finished second to Tlaib in the Democratic primary in August.
Because of the district’s large number of Democrats, that primary usually determines who gets the seat. Tlaib — who took 44% of the August vote — defeated several challengers, including Ramsey and four Latinos.
“She was the one who took the time to listen, to study the issues,” said Juan Escareno, a Mexican-American community activist who backed Tlaib. “I’m not going to support someone just because they have a Spanish surname or because our ancestors came from the same place.”
Tlaib’s personal history helped shape her candidacy.
The oldest of 14 children born to Palestinian immigrants, Tlaib grew up in a working-class home where her parents struggled at times to get by. She often acted as a third parent, changing diapers while juggling homework and school activities.
Tlaib graduated from Southwestern High School, where the student body was predominantly African American with a sizable number of Latinos.
“Because I’m a person who really didn’t fit into any group in school or the community, I fit in with everybody,” said Tlaib.
After graduating from law school, she worked on immigration issues with the Dearborn-based Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, establishing a close relationship with Latino communities.
Through that, Tlaib met Tobocman, who had unseated Latino incumbent Belda Garza in 2002.
After he became House floor leader, Tobocman hired Tlaib to work for his office in 2007. And he asked her to replace him when term limits kept him from running again this year.
Tlaib then ran a campaign that hewed closely to Tobocman’s 2002 strategy of aggressive outreach.
During the race, Tlaib said, voters almost never asked about her ethnicity, but she said some opponents and voters said they wouldn’t vote for someone whose name they couldn’t pronounce. One even suggested she was a Muslim extremist, Tlaib said. It was familiar to Tobocman, who said when he ran in 2002, some said they wouldn’t vote for “that Jewish guy.”
But “there’s something about looking a voter in the eye and going to their house that breaks through all these racial, ethnic and religious stereotypes,” Tobocman said.
Soon, Tlaib will be the first Muslim in Michigan’s Legislature since the 1960s when James Karoub, the son of a Lebanese imam, served three terms as a Democrat from Highland Park and later became a noted Lansing lobbyist.
On a recent Wednesday, Tlaib introduced herself to business owners along Vernor, the main strip of Mexicantown.
“If you ever need anything, you can call me,” Tlaib told Rita Briseno, the Latina owner of the newly opened Tropical Day Spa.
Briseno studied Tlaib’s business card and asked:
“Are you Latino?”
“No, I’m actually Arab American,” Tlaib replied.
“It really doesn’t matter what you are as long as you’re doing the job right,” Briseno said. “That’s why America is America.”
Niraj Warikoo
Detroit Free Press
Picture caption:
On Jan. 1, Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American, will become the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature. She won with the backing of Steve Tobocman, who is Jewish and the term-limited state representative for the 12 District in southwest Detroit, which is largely Latino and black.
Photo, Patricia Beck, Detroit Free Press