AMENA Civil Rights Center teamed up with APIA Vote to host a Voter Education Town Hall on Saturday in Hamtramck, Michigan, a city situated within the City of Detroit.
Hamtramck and surrounding neighborhoods have become home to significant populations with roots in Yemen and Bangladesh. Hamtramck recently became the first American city to have a Muslim majority population, with a Muslim Mayor and an entirely Muslim City Council. Extending across Hamtramck’s northern boundary and into Detroit is the area of “Banglatown,” which is home to more than 5,000 people, a majority of whom are Bengali-speaking. Indeed, the Hamtramck area includes the first districts in Michigan to issue ballots in English, Arabic, and Bengali.
The Hamtramck Mayor, several City Council members, and all of the incumbent state Senators and Representatives were in attendance and addressed the recent redistricting in Michigan as well as voter registration and voter protection. Promote the Vote also attended and addressed an upcoming ballot measure to further expand voting rights and election security in Michigan.