Is Arabic identity weak among Lebanese?

[happycow]

Since Brazil has more "Lebanese" than Lebanon itself, I think it's fun to talk about this.

If you ask any common Lebanese-Brazilian (or even Syrian-Brazilian), most of them don't deny their arabic origin. The point is: they don't want to be vinculated to other arabs like Saudis (and if Christian, at any group who has a majority muslim population, like Iraqis).

Of course, being arab in Brazil isn't so...bad as in US or Europe. We don't have a bad bias against them, and most Lebanese are seen as normal white guys here. Heck, our president is Lebanese-Brazilian, the governor of my state is Lebanese-Brazilian, the last mayor of São Paulo City was Lebanese-Brazilian...

Many levantines who migrated to South America ditched Islam which made it easier to fit in. The US is far more accepting of arabs and muslims than you are likely to believe, at least by white people. its other minorities who are not very accepting of minorities.

[Voskos]

They see themselves as christian Arabs but on the other hand they don't seem to feel a cultural connection to peninsula Arabs, unlike Egyptian Copts and Palestinian Christians. That's my opinion.

[StonyArabia]

It doesn't help that other Arabs play into it. My great grandmother was lebanese and my mother even referred to her as a "different race."

Palestinians are not that different from the Lebanese, however the Asli or noble Bedouin tribes within that area are quite genetically different from the non-Bedouin groups there. These people can be referred to us a different race. My great-great grandmother was for example from an Asli Howetiat tribe that lives in Jordan and parts of Syria, they are quite dark skinned ie brown, well my mom is mostly from the House of Al-Rashid from the Jebali clan of the Shammar tribe, they are pretty brownish nothing White about them. To be honest my mother's clan are somewhat hostile to White/Euros because of the British colonization, and the Anglo-American barbaric invasion of Iraq, they also tend to live in both Syria and Iraq. However many Bedouin tribes are quite hostile to Whites/Euros especially in Iraq and for a good reason.

Many levantines who migrated to South America ditched Islam which made it easier to fit in. The US is far more accepting of arabs and muslims than you are likely to believe, at least by white people. its other minorities who are not very accepting of minorities.

Yep that's true, the U.S has been more accepting and many MENA immigrants have integrated quite well there. In Canada it's hot and cold because it really depends on the area. I think this what makes big difference between us and Levantines, is that we are not willing to change our believes to just fit in, on the contrary we would stick to it. It's really hard for people from the Arabian peninsula to change their culture. We have very strong culture

[happycow]

Palestinians are not that different from the Lebanese, however the Asli or noble Bedouin tribes within that area are quite genetically different from the non-Bedouin groups there. These people can be referred to us a different race. My great-great grandmother was for example from an Asli Howetiat tribe that lives in Jordan and parts of Syria, they are quite dark skinned ie brown, well my mom is mostly from the House of Al-Rashid from the Jebali clan of the Shammar tribe, they are pretty brownish nothing White about them. To be honest my mother's clan are somewhat hostile to White/Euros because of the British colonization, and the Anglo-American barbaric invasion of Iraq, they also tend to live in both Syria and Iraq. However many Bedouin tribes are quite hostile to Whites/Euros especially in Iraq and for a good reason.





Yep that's true, the U.S has been more accepting and many MENA immigrants have integrated quite well there. In Canada it's hot and cold because it really depends on the area. I think this what makes big difference between us and Levantines, is that we are not willing to change our believes to just fit in, on the contrary we would stick to it. It's really hard for people from the Arabian peninsula to change their culture. We have very strong culture

Ah ok. I don't think my great grandmother was from any of those clans or tribes. She was a very light skinned woman.

Yes the US is very accepting. In South America the hostility towards islam was known, so the women would not even wear their hijabs or the arabs would just convert to catholicism or christianity. In the US women happily wear their hijabs, and those arabs who are supposedly westernized still have their culture and beliefs deeply ingrained into them. They hold onto them because of how accepting the country is. And it is highly likely for first generation. It is their children who begin to lose a sense of their culture, especially because they have very little connection to their homeworld. Not all of them, but it does happen.

[CertifiedCracker]

A lot of Lebanese want to be White and French, I have seen it, and it's very amplified with the Christian ones.



lol, Lebanese want to be Europeans more than anything lol, far more than the other groups there that's way.

So, Lebanese, who are generally light skinned and a fair lot are Christian, arent white? Never met one, nor have I met barely any Middle Easterners, except for a Palestinian, but from what Ive seen, they’re white. I dont think Middle Eastern automatically equals non-white. I have around 12.5%-25% West Asian and well, Im pale and I have green eyes.

[Dandelion]

People associate with whom they want to.

[happycow]

So, Lebanese, who are generally light skinned and a fair lot are Christian, arent white? Never met one, nor have I met barely any Middle Easterners, except for a Palestinian, but from what Ive seen, they’re white. I dont think Middle Eastern automatically equals non-white. I have around 12.5%-25% West Asian and well, Im pale and I have green eyes.

I had always considered white=european. Middle easterners are not european. lol. But the US census lumps MENA with Whites. And I grew up being called white boy and gringo by my peers. so..... lol

[KMack]

Many levantines who migrated to South America ditched Islam which made it easier to fit in. The US is far more accepting of arabs and muslims than you are likely to believe, at least by white people. its other minorities who are not very accepting of minorities.

Lebanese besides going to S. America also came to the USA. The first wave was in the first half of the 1900's, it was about 100,000 and they mainly Christians. The Muslims from there came much later. For Brazil,
Between 1884 and 1933, 130,000 Lebanese people immigrated to Brazil—65% of them were Catholics (Maronite Catholics and Melkite Catholics), 20% were Eastern Orthodox, and 15% were Muslims (Shia, Sunni, and Druze)

Some went Mexico, Argentina etc also.

[happycow]

Lebanese besides going to S. America also came to the USA. The first wave was in the first half of the 1900's, it was about 100,000 and they mainly Christians. The Muslims from there came much later. For Brazil,
Between 1884 and 1933, 130,000 Lebanese people immigrated to Brazil—65% of them were Catholics (Maronite Catholics and Melkite Catholics), 20% were Eastern Orthodox, and 15% were Muslims (Shia, Sunni, and Druze)

Some went Mexico, Argentina etc also.

Many people from my dads village in Palestine went to Brazil and Venezuela. Most of my dads family right now resides in Venezuela. Some also went to Chile.

[Annie999]

My great grandpa was a Christian Lebanese, he was very proud of his roots and told stories about Lebanon and his culture but he never identified as Arab (he never said he wasn't one either, just never mentioned it).