In the shadow of Manhattan’s Financial District, a remarkable history of Muslim settlers unfolds, beginning with Anthony Jansen Van Salee, the first free Muslim settler in Manhattan who arrived in 1633.
Van Salee, known for his colorful misdeeds and controversy, became one of the largest landowners in New Amsterdam after his arrival.
Banished to Brooklyn for his antics, including paying wages in dead goats and other dubious actions, his story is merely the beginning of many fascinating tales that resonate within the iconic streets of New York City.
This narrated history is brought to life by Asad Dandia, a historian and Southern Brooklyn native, whose walking tours explore the area once known as Little Syria, which thrived between 1880 and 1940.
Dandia, an advocate for Muslim rights and a prominent supporter of Zohran Mamdani—who aspires to be the city’s first Muslim mayor—has established a platform through New York Narratives, his walking tour company.
On a recent Tuesday, Dandia guided a group of Columbia and Barnard students through lower Manhattan, illustrating how these streets were once home to a vibrant immigrant community.
The former tenement neighborhood dubbed Little Syria blossomed between Washington Street and Greenwich Street until the 1940s when Robert Moses used eminent domain to pave the way for the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, effectively erasing a significant chapter of immigrant life in New York.
Dandia introduces the tour by recounting Van Salee’s life. Despite being a Muslim, Van Salee was no pillar of religious observance, labeled a troublemaker for his numerous infractions.
He compiled a lengthy rap sheet, including stealing wood and threatening neighbors, which led to his eventual banishment to Brooklyn.
“They banished him to a far away land called Brooklyn,” Dandia quipped, eliciting laughter from the students as they learned of the settler’s escapades.
Dandia drew parallels between Van Salee and today’s cosmopolitan figures like Mamdani, emphasizing their shared backgrounds as quintessential New Yorkers.
The historical backdrop begins as Dandia showcases a map of New Amsterdam, established in 1624 after the Dutch seized control from the Lenape tribes.
He explains how the colony—home to around 1,500 residents—was fortified by a wall to keep out competing European powers and Indigenous peoples, a structure that would eventually lead to what we now recognize as Wall Street.
Throughout the tour, highlights include notable landmarks such as Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington strategized for the American Revolution, and the Bowling Green, the backyard of Little Syria.
Dandia details the immigration patterns that transformed Manhattan, noting how the first wave of Arabs arrived in the 1880s, coming largely from the Levant due to economic decline and opportunistic recruitment by U.S. missionary schools.
While many immigrants of the time were Irish or German, the Arab immigrants carved out their businesses along Washington Street, opening shops and integrating into the community.
The merchants of Little Syria, primarily dealing in textiles and other trades, were pioneering figures in establishing their roots in New York.
Highlighting the significance of these early business endeavors, Dandia mentions Abraham Sahadi, who founded the famed Middle Eastern grocery and eatery Sahadi’s in 1895 following the neighborhood’s decline.
Another notable figure, Najeeb Arbeely, started the Star of America in 1892, the first Arabic-language newspaper in the United States, marking a key development in the dissemination of cultural and political ideas.
Dandia provides insights into the lived realities of Little Syria’s residents, many of whom struggled in inadequate housing while engaging in various occupations to sustain their families.
He notes that residents often wore multiple layers of clothing due to the lack of heating in their homes, illustrating the harsh conditions they endured during cold winters.
However, the vibrancy of Little Syria faced an abrupt end in 1942 when it was demolished to make way for new infrastructure, including the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel.
Dandia shares how the community was uprooted, with some families given mere 24-hour notices to vacate their homes, resulting in a diaspora that saw many Arab New Yorkers relocate to places like Atlantic Avenue.
“Now think about the major Arab communities in New York City. So, the two that come to my mind are Astoria and Bay Ridge, right? What trains take you there?” he questions, guiding students to reflect on the transit links that facilitated this movement.
Arab residents also used ferries to reach their new neighborhoods, reinforcing the interconnections within the city’s diverse fabric.
As Dandia emphasizes the importance of remembering history, he draws parallels to other transformative moments in American history, such as George Washington’s iconic act of tearing down a statue of King George.
He suggests that the act of removing monuments can serve as a reflection of contemporary values and ideals, further imbuing his tour with a sense of purpose.
“Taking down statues might be the most American thing,” he states, proposing that re-evaluating who and what represents society leads to necessary change.
In further discussions of legacy, Dandia highlights the contradictions found in America’s history and the continuous journey towards a more inclusive narrative of who gets remembered.
The stories of Van Salee, Little Syria, and the subsequent immigrant communities underscore the rich tapestry of New York’s history,
and through tours like those of Dandia, there is a renewed effort to bring these narratives to light.
“The past informs the present in ways worth remembering,” Dandia concludes, as the students reflect on the layered histories of the neighborhoods they traverse.
As the tour wraps up, the weight of history blends seamlessly with aspirations for the future, leaving participants to consider their place within New York’s ongoing story.
image source from：https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/05/27/anthony-jansen-van-salee-asad-dandia-little-syria/
