Syrian migrations

[humaira_abedin]

In Sarah Gualtieri's reading, we learn about a major critique of how Syrian immigration is framed through the lens of romanticization and how it is linked to melancholy feelings that the Phoenician people faced. Even though there is truth in how Lebanese/Syrian immigrants thought of immigration as a means to connect with their ancestral past, to America/Canada, the history of it all informs us that there were multiple factors pushing them forward migrations, both within their countries and outside of them. Some of these factors included economic pressures from the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman policies encouraged migration using incentives such as "free land, or exemption from taxation" (p.24). They required people to migrate across places within Syria so that they can grow their agricultural output, and thus their economic power to be recognized across the world. As they were determined in their economic reforms many forcefully migrated elsewhere in the name of "reorganization" (p.25) by the empire.
Another push factor was the Civil War in 1860 in Lebanon.
Skilled laborers also willingly migrated for survival because of the decline in the silk industry which was at a point a major means of revenue for the people, as it was under France's demands. They sought out more commercial grounds to sell their goods or to seek other opportunities within their land and abroad. The creation of fabrics, like silk allowed merchants to leverage their skills to establish themselves economically in America later on, as their practices were very niche and tied to their cultures, so the garments they created were in high demand.

At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Syrians were presented in "Oriental" exhibits that often depicted them as exotic figures, reinforcing American Orientalist stereotypes. The portrayal of Syrian women as participants in staged "rescues" from mock Bedouin attacks typified these perceptions (p.34). It was to appeal to a Christian audience. Mere Alli Harfish's photo was published in a collection of portraits as one of these people who performed at this fair, and his place of origin was referred as "the most mysterious places on the globe" (p. 35). I found this to be funny, as I immediately questioned is it really though. They seem to be just like any other human with the determination to live a enjoyable and healthy life for themselves and their loved ones through migration. Shocking.
However, it is important to note that though this perception was common, other perceptions included Americans seeing them as great folks to be around and even more "civilized" than them (p.37). Generally, Americans viewed them as entertainers, or as gatekeepers of craftsmanship of the Orient lifestyle that can be lived by them as well, and many Syrians migrated for economic potential without particular fixation on this fair. Economic opportunities were also taken by Syrian women through migration, some of whom established themselves independently as traders like Annie Midlige.

In Curtis’ reading we see continued struggles by the Syrian people trying to live a good life with dignity after migrating to the States, specifically in the state of Indiana & Michigan. We see the concept of of whiteness from Monday’s class here as there was a clear difference in how Syrian Christians viewed themselves in relation to Syrian Muslims, as they aligned more to the places’s value for more economic gains compared to the Muslims, so they had to present themselves or act more
“white” than the Muslims. Both groups wanted to establish a higher social class and mobilize themselves higher up through entrepreneurship and institutional establishments, thus leading to a lot of tensions. Among Protestant Americans they were viewed as engaging in “race riots”, despite coming from the same region. As such, socially though Syrians might have been integrated in society, they were not entirely accepted and we can assume this was more difficult for Muslim Syrians that refuse Christianity as their religion, as they had religious markers that set them apart from what it means to be white in the States.