More Argentine Than You: Arabic-Speaking Immigrants in Argentina

304 Pages·2017·2.85 MB·English

by  Steven Hyland Jr.

Arabic-Speaking
Immigrants in Arge.ntina
More Argentine Than You

More
Argentine
Than
You
Arabic-Speaking
Immigrants in Argentina
Steven Hyland Jr.
University of New Mexico Press • Albuquerque
© 2017 by the University of New Mexico Press
All rights reserved. Published 2017
Printed in the United States of America
22 21 20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4 5 6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hyland, Steven, 1972– author.
Title: More Argentine than you: Arabic-speaking immigrants in Argentina /
Steven Hyland Jr.
Description: Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2017. |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2016057145 (print) | LCCN 2017021782 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780826358776 (hardback) | ISBN 9780826358783 (E-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Arabs—Argentina—History—19th century. | Arabs—Argentina—
History—20th century. | Immigrants—Argentina—History. | Arabs—
Argentina—Social conditions. | Community life—Argentina—History. |
Argentina—Ethnic relations—History. | Argentina—Emigration and immigra-
tion—History. | Arab countries—Emigration and immigration—History. |
BISAC: HISTORY / Latin America / South America.
Classification: LCC F3021.A59 (ebook) | LCC F3021.A59 H95 2017 (print) | DDC
305.892/7084—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016057145
Cover illustrations: Map, new map of the Republic of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and
Paraguay, published by the Cartographic Office of Pablo Ludwig, Buenos Aires, 1914.
Stamps, courtesy of All-free-downloads, licensed under CC by 2.0
Designed by Felicia Cedillos
For Ryuri, Reina, and Raia

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1. “To Forge a New Dream”
Emigration from Greater Syria 19
Chapter 2. “The Charitable Shadow of Its Laws”
Syrian Immigration in Argentina, 1880–1914 41
Chapter 3. Syrians in the Time of Depression, War, and
Emergent Nationalism, 1914–1922 69
Chapter 4. Building Families, Building Communities, 1920–1940 97
Chapter 5. The Syrian-Lebanese Elite, Community Politics,
and the Politics of Community, 1920–1940 133
Chapter 6. “A Patriotic Work”
Women, Education, and the Politics of Charity, 1920–1940 161
Chapter 7. “More Argentine Than You”
Political Culture, Cultural Politics, and Belonging, 1939–1946 185
Epilogue 219
Notes 225
Bibliography 261
Index 277
vii

Illustrations
Maps
Map 1. Ottoman Empire, 1900. 14
Map 2. Greater Syria, 1900. 15
Map 3. Argentina, 1900s. 16
Map 4. Tucumán Province, 1900s. 17
Figures
Figure 1. Poster announcing celebration of Young Turk
Revolution in Istanbul, Buenos Aires, 1908. 127
Figure 2. Lebanese immigrant in his general store, Leales,
Tucumán province. 127
Figure 3. Lebanese immigrant in the Tucumán countryside. 128
Figure 4. Officers of United Youth Organization (Jam‘iyya
al-Shabība al-Muttahida/Juventud Unida), 1921. 128
Figure 5. Young Syrian immigrant woman Hamame Saleh Ale,
Tucumán, 1925. 129
Figure 6. Tribute to Lebanese American author Kahlil Gibran,
San Miguel de Tucumán, 1930s. 129
Figure 7. Annual procession for Lord of Miracles and
Saint Maron, San Miguel de Tucumán, 1930s. 130
Figure 8. Feeding the unemployed at the soup kitchen,
July 31, 1932. 130
Figure 9. Inauguration banquet for the soup kitchen,
July 31, 1932. 131
ix