DEARBORN — Dearborn native Mariam Dabaja has been selected as one of the 20 finalists in Miss Arab USA. Representing Lebanon, Dabaja joins contestants across the nation in showcasing advocacy, intellect and cultural heritage. The pageant will take place in Arizona on July 19.

Miss Arab USA’s mission stated on its website, is to “empower young Arab women by celebrating their rich cultural heritage and providing them with a platform to express their individuality, intelligence and leadership.”

It’s a mission Dabaja said she deeply aligned with: “Beauty is a tiny portion, this is really about intelligence, what you do for the community, it’s you as a person.”

At just 23, Dabaja holds two master’s degrees — one in digital analytics and the other in marketing technology system management — and a bachelor’s degree in advertising, all from Wayne State University. She works as a marketing specialist and analyst for the company Whisker. Outside of her 9-5 job, she manages her own business — Acudetox Me, a supplementary acupuncture service aimed at helping individuals with their mental health.

She said she dealt with her own mental health struggles — challenges that prevented her from getting out of bed some days and hindered her ability to talk to others. She began taking medication to help, but soon after felt like she was wearing a mask. Seeking a different path for support, she turned to auricular acupuncture — a component of traditional Chinese medicine her mother had been certified in and offering for a decade. This form of acupuncture, following the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol, targets five points in the ear that hit the entire body including the sympathetic nervous system, shen men (spirit gate) kidneys, liver and lungs. Dabaja said the names of each point reflect the traditional Chinese medicine interpretation of the body.

She told The Arab American News that this form of treatment had a profound impact on her mental health. Feeling inspired to help others and make the service more accessible, she became certified herself and ventured to start her own business. Through Acudetox Me, Dabaja said she helps many individuals dealing with mental health struggles such as anxiety, addiction, depression, stress and more. She shared that one of her clients felt comfortable enough to stop the treatments altogether, having reached a healthier mental state.

Dabaja provides these treatments from her home, but is willing to travel to other safe environments to accommodate clients who need sessions elsewhere. Those interested can contact Acudetox Me at 313-265-0970 or via email at acudetoxme@gmail.com.

Reflecting on her upbringing in Dearborn, she said culture surrounded her. She said she admired the tight-knit community- where calling older women “Tata” (“grandma” in Arabic) was normal used as a term of endearment and speaking Arabic was embraced.

Combating the stigma and breaking the silence against mental health — especially within the Arab American community — remains at the heart of her mission. Driven by a deep passion for helping others, she frequently visits schools and various workplaces to provide her services. She shared that she recently did a workshop for women veterans alongside a group of women who work in domestic violence and counseling.

“I want to make my support service as reachable as possible, so even though I have a set amount for my services, I actually do a lot of services for free because I want to make sure that the price isn’t getting in the way of getting help.”

Dabaja sits on the board of Amina Nonprofit, an organization that started as a Quran study group and has expanded into a nonprofit organization that does humanitarian work. During the holy month of Ramadan, she said that the organization was able to feed 12,500 people.

If she wins Miss Arab USA, she said she plans to donate the entire cash prize of $10,000 to Amina Nonprofit.

Alongside her efforts to fight against the mental health stigma, her work has also intersected with spaces that uplift women in cultural expression. After participating in the Disney College program at 18-years-old and living away from home for four months, she felt inspired to become more active in her culture. When she returned home, she joined a dabke group and traveled nationally to perform. Dabke, a traditional group dance from the Middle East, is a powerful form of connection and cultural expression. Inspired by this endeavor, she and several others started their own women-led dabke group.

“One thing [stereotype] I want to break is that Arab women need to step back and not do much,” Dabaja said. “I take center stage in cultural expression in a women-led group, so I’m already trying to break that stereotype and also owning my own business.”

When she’s not working or dancing with her dabke team, she said she spends much of her free-time volunteering — visiting soup kitchens, homeless shelters and assisting with clothing drives.

Q and A with Mariam

Q: What is your favorite small business in Dearborn?

A: “Jabal.” She said her and her mom meet at Jabal every Tuesday morning before work to enjoy a coffee and a croissant together.

Q: Can you describe Dearborn in three words?

A: “Generous, positive and community.”

Q: If you could showcase one part of Dearborn to the world, what would it be?

A: “Our hospitality.”