ANN ARBOR, MI -- Detroit Public Television premiered its 13-part series "Arab-American Stories"at the end of March. Hosted by NPR's Neda Ulaby, the series profiles Arab-Americans making an impact in their communities, professions, families and the world at large. The series is a national partnership with PBS, but its production was initiated by the Michigan Arab-American community.

Nawal Motawi, the founder and owner of Motawi Tileworks, is featured in the episode airing on Monday, April 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Filmmaker Sarah Zientarski and her crew spent a day at the Tileworks in late November 2011 filming Motawi and the production staff.

"My father is an open-minded, educated and tenacious man who happens to be Egyptian," said Motawi. "I think that American opportunity plus Arab tenacity have made it possible for me to have the successful business and life that I have. If 'Arab-American Stories' can help non-Arabs judge us by the people we are and the things we do, and not by what the extremists do, then it will have succeeded."