Troy is one of most diverse communities in Michigan

When the city of Troy posted recently on its Facebook page about a groundbreaking ceremony for a cricket field, a small minority expressed displeasure.

"Plays to a small audience but that is politics these days," one commenter said. Another said it was a waste of money.

Asians and South Asians in Troy are not such a small audience. Together, they make up about 30% of Troy's residents. South Asia includes countries like India and Pakistan, where cricket is popular.

For years, the South Asian community asked city officials for a cricket facility, but funds were lacking. So the group pursued a state grant, which will pay for most of the project.

Cricket is similar to baseball, but is played on a field that is much larger and is round rather than diamond-shaped. Cricket fans in the Detroit area lack fields designed for the sport and have improvised by using soccer fields and other facilities.

"There are always going to be a few hurtful comments," said Hirak Chanda, the first Indian-American on the City Council. He believes he is also the first naturalized citizen to serve.

Most Troy residents – South Asian and otherwise – were supportive of the field at Boulan Park, he said.

And most residents embrace the city's large immigrant population, according to Chanda and others.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 29.3% of Troy's 87,000 residents were born elsewhere, placing it second among Michigan communities for its share of foreign-born residents.

Only Hamtramck tops Troy, with an estimated 42.4% of its residents born in other countries.

In addition to South Asia, Troy residents come from the Middle East, China and other areas, totaling up to as many as 90 countries, Chanda said.

"It's not just tolerant, it's a welcoming city," Chanda said of the community he has called home for 25 years.

"I think our diversity is a strength of our city," Troy Mayor Ethan Baker said. "Islamophobia, racism – it exists in our community. I think it's not as bad here as some other places."

It's not just the people in Troy who are welcoming, said Muhammad Ahmad, outreach director at Masjid Mahmood, a mosque on Auburn Road in Rochester Hills, which has many Troy residents as members.

"To me, Troy is a welcoming city where everyone is comfortable – policing and government in general have good policies," he said.

"Individual events happen. I think if we look at the larger picture, it's pretty accepting," he said.

Other Michigan communities with more than 20% foreign-born residents include:

– Dearborn, 28.9%

– Sterling Heights, 27.8%

– Novi, 27.1%

– Dearborn Heights, 22.7%

– Auburn Hills, 21.2%

– West Bloomfield Township, 20.9%

– Farmington Hills, 20.5%.

As a whole, 13.7% of Oakland County residents were born overseas, just slightly higher than the national figure of 13.1%

Immigration has been a major issue of this year's presidential election. Supporters of both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris rank the economy as the top issue that is very important to their voters, according to early September polling by the Pew Research Center.

But Trump's supporters rank immigration second, with more than 80% saying it's a very important issue. About 40% of Harris' supporters rank immigration as very important.

Baker and Chanda said most foreign-born Troy residents came here legally and are highly educated; the national debate on immigration centers on the undocumented and on immigrants who commit crimes.

"Our residents still do suffer from a broken system," Baker said. "They work for years to become citizens. It's a difficult path to citizenship even if you're a top engineer or a top doctor or a top scientist."

Both Baker and Chanda say immigration reform needs to focus on better criminal vetting.

Even though foreign-born Troy residents are educated and often come here to take prestigious jobs, acceptance isn't universal.

"It is a general human tendency to dislike someone who doesn't look like you, talk like you," said Chanda.

An automotive engineer, he left India in 1989 to attend college in Minnesota. He later moved to Michigan, becoming a citizen in 2006.

He was appointed to the council last year to fill a vacancy, and was elected to the seat in the August primary.

Though he is proud to be an Indian-American, he doesn't wear traditional Indian clothing to council meetings.

"That wouldn't be appropriate," he said "I represent everyone. That City Council is for everyone, not just Indians.

"I am proud to be from India. But this is essentially my home. First and foremost, I am an American," he said, noting that his son was born and raised in Troy and attended Troy schools.

Still, he acknowledges the Indian-American community is pleased to have a voice on the council.

But to be elected, he needed support in his election bid from residents who are not of Indian heritage, he said.

BATTLE OVER MOSQUE

City officials and others acknowledge that the acceptance of diverse religions and ethnic backgrounds is not always harmonious. A Muslim group waged a four-year battle to open a mosque.

In 2018, the Adam Community Center filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging the city unfairly applied zoning requirements to keep the place of worship out. A federal judge agreed.

The city paid an undisclosed monetary settlement to the Muslim group. While the amount hasn't been disclosed, the group asked in a court filing for $1.95 million in attorney fees and actual and punitive damages, according to Amy Doukoure, staff attorney for the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan (CAIR-MI) which represented the group.

The mosque, Jamiah Masjid, opened in fall 2022 in a former restaurant and banquet hall on Rochester Road, south of Wattles Road. Baker attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The Troy City Council embraces the multicultural fabric of our city, where there are many varied locations for our diverse community members to worship, including the Jamiah Masjid of Troy," Baker said in a statement at the time. "We are grateful that we were able to amicably resolve the pending case and look forward to continuing a positive relationship."

The mosque is the city's first Muslim place of worship. Shortly after it opened, Doukoure said it had not experienced any further issues with acceptance in the city.