COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Coldwater’s Arab-Yemini population has increased greatly over the past two decades and while the Trump administration’s immigration policies have basically put the growth on hold, efforts continue to educate the community about Yemini culture.
More than 50 people attended an informal luncheon discussion last week on the culture topic at the Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater. The program was presented by Salwa Alsuraimi, an American citizen who moved to Coldwater from Yemen at the age of 2 in 1995.
She told the audience that she is the oldest of 7 children in her family and when she arrived in Coldwater, there were just 3 other Yemini families in town. Now, Coldwater has the second largest Arab community in Michigan, only trailing Dearborn, with 2,000 Yemini people part of the local population, including up to at least 300 families.
Alsuraimi is the founder of Aira, Inc., with Aira meaning “a new beginning”. The company offers translation services, and according to Alsuraimi, the learning provides empowerment by teaching English as a second language in collaboration with the Branch County Literacy Council and the Lincoln Learning Center.
Two more programs designed to celebrate Coldwater’s many cultural groups are set for this weekend at the Tibbits Friday night and mid-day Saturday, with the Saturday focus on kids with a hands on exploration of cultural art forms from around the world.
