HAMTRAMCK—Saad Almasmari, a
28-year-old Yemeni American, is running for a seat on the City Council.

Hamtramck is home to one of the
largest concentration of Yemeni Americans in metro Detroit and is also known
for being one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in the
country. According to the 2010 Census, 41 percent of the city’s 22,000
residents are foreign-born.

 “There are so many cultures in Hamtramck,”
said Almasmari, who was born in Yemen. “We should all work together
because we have good things to offer the community.”

In addition to the Yemeni community, Hamtramck is also
home to large populations of Poles, African Americans and Bangladeshis. Almasmari said Yemeni Americans comprise 22 percent of
the city’s population.

“I think city government should
reflect the city’s diversity,” he said. “We need somebody on the city council who
understands the large Yemeni American community. I want to help my people and
give them a voice.”

Almasmari is the owner of the Hamtramck-based
King’s Ice Cream.  The company opened
in 2011 and supplies more than 70 ice cream trucks in metro Detroit.

“I am a
small business owner, so I understand the needs of small businesses in the city,”
he said. “As a member of the city council, I would push to make doing business
in the city easier for small business owners.”

He is
also majoring in business administration at Wayne State University.

Almasmari, who is married with three children—one boy and two girls— ran for a
seat on the
Hamtramck Board of Education last year, but was unsuccessful in that bid.

As a candidate for the board, his
goals included addressing bilingual options and improving both the school district’s
transportation system and the quality of the public education.

If
elected to the council, Almasmari said he would work hard to
address Hamtramck’s financial crisis.

In 2013, Gov. Snyder appointed Cathy Square as Hamtramck’s emergency manager. Last year, the
state announced the financial emergency in Hamtramck was resolved and would be
placed under the guidance of a transition board.

“The
city has a lot of financial issues that need to be addressed in order to improve
the quality of life for residents,” Almasmari said.

There
are nine candidates in the race for three seats on the Hamtramck City Council. Six
will be chosen during the primary in August and three in the November general
election.

In
addition to Almasmari, the candidates are councilmembers Anam Miah, Abu Musa
and Robert Zwolak, who are seeking reelection; former city councilwoman Cathie
Gordon, Susan Dunn, Frank Woodman, Monzurul Karim and Mohamed Alsomiri.

Almasmari
said about 40 of his campaign signs placed around the city were vandalized with
a large, spray painted letter “X.”

“I
think the person who is spray painting over my signs is a hiding enemy and
stupid,” he said. “They don’t know how to play politics.”