Syrians in the Diaspora
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Each text reveals a complex picture of survival, adaptation, and identity negotiation in both Canada and the United States of Syrian migrants from the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century. Although narratives of Lebanese traders have long dominated accounts of Mashreqi migration, these readings offer a perspective, capturing the diversity of Syrian, Palestinian, Armenian, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish experiences within the broader Arab identity.
Gualtieri’s text identifies reasons why migrants from the Ottoman land of Syria were fleeing. Economic problems, sectarian conflicts, and political instability led Syrians to leave for different opportunities in the West. Gualtieri also looks at American views of Syrians at the time, through the lens of events like the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, which exoticized and objectified Arab culture. What happened was Syrians were displayed as objects of the "Orient," which backed up previous stereotypes about their culture by captivating the idea of being associated with Asians in urban centers, such as mysticism or "foreignness." Gualtieri remarks that Syrians engaged in trade, with goods like fabrics becoming a survival strategy and a means of self-expression in the diaspora. Syrian women, too, they challenged gender norms by taking on economic roles, which went against conventional ideas about "women's work" in North America. Gualtieri also reflects Syrian melancholi, describing a collective feeling of loss and missing their homeland.
Asal’s text focuses on the Arab immigrants in Canada, looking at how Syrians were classified and categorized in the Canadian census. The Canadian government’s approach to immigration was racially restrictive, leaning more towards “desirable” immigrants of European origin who were presumed to be more compatible with Canadian values and ways of life. Syrians in Canada fell under the Asiatic category which did not help them in terms of facing racial obstacles. This struggle pushed them to take on complicated identity strategies. They started identifying as “Arab” affiliating with a larger cultural identity, which was previously politically and socially established in Canadian society. However, Asal argues that such labels also create tunnel vision on singular identities blending into diverse groups.
Curtis points out that the socio-economic status of Syrians varied in Michigan and Indiana. Some found business success, while others were restricted by the working conditions and limited opportunities available to them. Racial tensions escalated, especially as Syrians were denied citizenship based on their racial grouping as “Asiatics.” In communities, the lines dividing Syrians from “American” society were conserningly bold, as illustrated by conflicts between Syrian Christians and Muslims. These tensions show how migration from the Ottoman Empire to the United States did not erase religious or ethnic backgrounds and the ideologies that came with it but instead underlined them in the context of racial categorization. Curtis also talked about how World War I’s draft affected Syrian men, who, despite discrimination, had to serve. Many joined the military to externally show loyalty to their newly adopted country. By doing this, it was shown the tension between the new national identity and how Syrians were seen in America.
The readings as a whole provide insight into how Syrian and Arab migrants experienced many challenges in North America such as pre-existing stereotypes, legal blocks, identity confusion, and more. By understanding these struggles, it allows us to appreciate the ways they established a sense of identity, community, and resistance in North America.