Uncovering New York’s Muslim and Arab American Roots
How a 17th-century Muslim settler and a vanished immigrant enclave illuminate the diverse, layered history of New York City
New York’s long history of religious and ethnic diversity traces back to its earliest days, when Anthony Janszoon van Salee, widely known as “Anthony the Turk,” became one of the first known Muslim settlers in what is now the United States. Nearly four centuries later, the legacy of Muslim and Arab communities continues to shape the city’s identity—now explored through the lens of Asad Dandia, a Brooklyn-born community organizer, historian, and founder of New York Narratives, whose walking tours spotlight the vanished immigrant enclave of Little Syria and the enduring influence of figures like van Salee. These stories, once overlooked, are gaining renewed attention as New Yorkers and historians seek to understand the city’s multicultural foundations and the ongoing impact of its immigrant communities.
New York’s Muslim Founding Figure
Anthony Janszoon van Salee, born in 1607, arrived in New Netherland—the Dutch colony that would become New York—around 1633. He was the son of Jan Janszoon, a Dutch privateer who converted to Islam and became a prominent leader among the Barbary corsairs, and Margarita, a woman of North African or possibly Spanish-Moorish descent. Van Salee’s unique background made him a figure of both respect and controversy in early colonial society.
Van Salee quickly became a major landowner, acquiring significant tracts in what are now Brooklyn, Gravesend, and Coney Island. His property, known as the “Turk’s Plantation,” became a landmark in the early settlement of Long Island. Despite facing legal disputes and social ostracism—partly due to his faith and heritage—van Salee played a crucial role in founding several communities, including New Utrecht, Gravesend, and Boswijck (now Bushwick).
“Anthony van Salee was a prominent landholder, merchant, and creditor in New Netherland. He may have been the first free Muslim settler in the land that would later become the United States,” .
Van Salee’s life was marked by both achievement and adversity. He faced legal challenges, including disputes over property and accusations of social impropriety, which some historians attribute to prejudice against his Muslim faith and mixed heritage. Nevertheless, his legacy endures in the fabric of New York City, with descendants who married into prominent American families, including the Vanderbilts.
America’s First Arab American Neighborhood
Centuries after van Salee’s time, New York City became home to another pioneering immigrant community: Little Syria. This neighborhood, located in Lower Manhattan along Washington Street, emerged in the late 19th century as the first Arabic-speaking community in the United States. At its peak in the 1920s, Little Syria was a vibrant hub for immigrants from the Levant—modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel, and Jordan—though it also included families from other backgrounds.
Little Syria was never exclusively Arab or Muslim. Most of its residents were Christians, but the neighborhood also featured a mosque on Rector Street, reflecting its diverse religious community. The area was a center for Arab journalism, literature, and commerce, with shops, cafes, and factories lining its narrow streets.
The neighborhood’s decline began in the mid-20th century, as residents moved to Brooklyn and other boroughs. The final blow came with the construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in the 1940s and the development of the World Trade Center in the 1960s, which displaced the remaining community and erased nearly all physical traces of Little Syria. Today, only a handful of buildings remain, including the facade of St. George’s Melkite Church and a tenement on Washington Street.
Reviving Forgotten Histories Through Storytelling
Asad Dandia, a Brooklyn-born community organizer and historian, has made it his mission to bring these forgotten stories to life. As the founder of New York Narratives, Dandia leads walking tours that explore the city’s immigrant and minority histories, including the legacy of Little Syria and the story of Anthony van Salee.
Dandia’s background as a community organizer and civil rights advocate informs his approach. He was a key plaintiff in Raza v. City of New York. This landmark ACLU-led lawsuit challenged the NYPD’s surveillance of Muslim communities and resulted in significant policy reforms. His work as a tour guide and public educator seeks to amplify voices and histories that have been marginalized or erased.
“Little Syria stood out to me because here’s a community of Arabs who were racialized as white, but who lived in the heart of the financial district and the epicenter of the global economy,” Dandia told Downtown NYC.
Dandia’s tours are notable for their depth and inclusivity, drawing on a wide range of sources and personal experiences. “The tour that I offer and the way that I offer it is new, because I draw from so many people, so many resources, including my own. It’s a new way of engaging with an old story,” he said.
The Significance of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria
The stories of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria are more than historical footnotes—they are central to understanding New York’s identity as a city of immigrants. Van Salee’s presence in 17th-century New Netherland challenges the popular narrative of early America as exclusively European and Christian, highlighting the role of Muslims and people of mixed heritage in the nation’s founding.
Little Syria, meanwhile, represents the first wave of Arab immigration to the United States and the challenges faced by newcomers in establishing a foothold in a rapidly changing city. The neighborhood’s rise and fall mirror broader patterns of urban development, displacement, and the ongoing struggle to preserve cultural heritage in the face of progress.
Displacement and Remembrance
The construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and the World Trade Center complex had a profound impact on Little Syria. As the New York Transit Museum notes, the tunnel project, completed in the 1950s, displaced residents of a vibrant international neighborhood, including many Arab families. The physical destruction of Little Syria was nearly total, with only a few buildings remaining as reminders of the community’s once-thriving presence.
Today, efforts are underway to preserve what little remains of Little Syria. Dandia’s tours stop at the last surviving tenement on Washington Street, where guests are greeted by Esther Regelson of Friends of the Lower West Side, who is working to have the building landmarked. The former Syrian church, now a rare vestige of the neighborhood, is another focal point for remembrance and education.
Linda Jacobs, a longtime scholar and descendant of Little Syria residents, calls the neighborhood “the best-kept secret in New York history”. Her walking tours aim to raise awareness of the community’s contributions and the lessons its story holds for other immigrant neighborhoods facing displacement.
“It’s a mixed blessing, because in a way, it’s a real lesson to others to try and save their communities from total destruction. And on the other side, it’s very sad to have it all be gone,” Jacobs told Arab News.
The Role of Storytelling and Public History
Asad Dandia’s work with New York Narratives is part of a broader movement to reclaim and share the stories of marginalized communities. His tours highlight not only Little Syria and Anthony van Salee but also the histories of other immigrant and minority groups that have shaped the city.
Dandia’s approach is rooted in a commitment to social justice and public education. He has worked with the Museum of the City of New York and the Center for Brooklyn History, where his activism was featured in the City of Faith exhibit. His writing has appeared in major publications, including the Washington Post and Al Jazeera English.
“Everyone has a narrative. When COVID-19 brought New York to a standstill, I found comfort in taking long walks throughout the city. After the pandemic, I traveled everywhere from Black Bedford-Stuyvesant to Hasidic Williamsburg to Arab Bay Ridge to Puerto Rican Bushwick, immersing myself into the cultures and histories of these neighborhoods,” Dandia writes on the New York Narratives website.
Dandia’s tours are designed to be accessible and engaging, offering participants a chance to see the city through the eyes of those who have too often been left out of official histories. By centering the stories of immigrants, Muslims, and other minority groups, Dandia and his collaborators are helping to create a more inclusive and accurate understanding of New York’s past and present.
The Impact of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria on Contemporary New York
The legacies of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria continue to resonate in contemporary New York. Van Salee’s descendants include prominent American families, and his story challenges assumptions about the religious and ethnic makeup of early America. Little Syria, though largely erased from the physical landscape, lives on in the memories of descendants and in the work of historians and activists like Dandia and Jacobs.
Today, New York’s Arab and Muslim communities are more visible and influential than ever. According to recent estimates, the city is home to over 750,000 Muslims and a rapidly growing Arab American population, with vibrant enclaves in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. These communities are active in politics, business, and the arts, building on the foundations laid by earlier generations.
The Future of Immigrant Histories in New York
As New York continues to evolve, the stories of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria offer important lessons about resilience, adaptation, and the power of community. The ongoing efforts to preserve and share these histories, through walking tours, public art, and advocacy, are helping to ensure that future generations understand the full diversity of the city’s past.
The work of Asad Dandia and others is also raising awareness of the need to protect vulnerable communities from displacement and erasure. As Dandia notes, “Who was telling the stories of my part of Brooklyn, where Russians, Mexicans, Pakistanis, Uzbeks, and Turks all live together? How many people know that Kensington is called ‘Little Bangladesh’ and that New York’s first Muslim woman to City Council hails from there?”
By highlighting these narratives, Dandia and his collaborators are not only preserving history but also shaping the future of public memory in New York.
“Little Syria was the first Arabic-speaking community in the United States and the first community of Middle Eastern diaspora in North America. The tour that I offer and the way that I offer it is new, because I draw from so many people, so many resources, including my own. It’s a new way of engaging with an old story.”
—Asad Dandia, founder of New York Narratives, as quoted by Downtown NYC
A City Built on Diversity and Resilience
The stories of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria reveal the deep roots of Muslim and Arab American life in New York City. From the 17th-century arrival of a Muslim landowner to the rise and fall of America’s first Arab neighborhood, these histories challenge simplistic narratives of American identity and highlight the ongoing contributions of immigrant communities.
Asad Dandia’s work as a historian, organizer, and tour guide is helping to bring these stories to light, ensuring that the voices of marginalized communities are heard and remembered. In a city that prides itself on diversity and inclusion, the legacies of Anthony van Salee and Little Syria serve as powerful reminders of the resilience, creativity, and solidarity that have shaped New York’s past and will continue to shape its future.