Lebanese or people of Lebanese descent
Posted on YouTube: around 2015
An very interesting documentary from Brazil (dating back to 2010, I believe – about Arabs in Brazil).
The subtitles are in Spanish, but you can auto-generate English subtitles.
This is in Portuguese, but there is an option to have it translated to English.
Posted on YouTube: March 20, 2016
The video can be auto-translated into English
The video above is from the Syrian-Lebanese Club of Buenos Aires. If you speak Spanish, or know how to use a translation app, then visit their website. They have one club in Saavedra, in the northern section of Buenos Aires, and another in the suburb of Recoleta.
Unlike Chile, where the Palestinians predominate, in Argentina, Syrians and Lebanese predominate. This makes for a more muted response to the Mideast situation. The Maronite Christians, in particular, are very Westernized, and – given their history – are suspicious of Muslims, as they have been persecuted by Muslims.
It is estimated that 9-10% of the population of Argentina is Arabic in ancestry – though a lot of that may be diluted by intermarriage. What is clear is that 90% of those Arab-Argentines are Christian, and that official figures for Muslims may be seriously exaggerated.
Also moderating the tone of the debate is the Jewish community in Argentina which is quite substantial – 180,000, and it used to be a whole lot larger. Argentina has the sixth largest population of Jews outside of Israel.
Posted on YouTube: June 6, 2018
(Clearly, this guy is not Jewish,
but – like me – he finds stuff like this fascinating.
If one counts extended relatives of Jews or those who are Jewish by father only – and not officially Jewish – then the numbers are much larger.
The Jews have had a substantial effect on Argentine history. So one will not see the strong pro-Palestinianism that one sees in Chile, where Palestinians outnumber the Jews 30 to 1.
Posted on YouTube: •August 7, 2020
This video was discovered a bit late …
HOWEVER, Brazil may have the largest amount of ethnic Lebanese on the planet … at least 10 Million. So, to give condolences to the victims of the August 4 explosion in Beirut, Brazil lit up the Christ the Redeemer statue.
Posted on YouTube: October 8, 2018
This is a commercial for Habib’s, a major fast food chain in Brazil. They have 475 outlets in Brazil.
They are planning to expand outside of Brazil.
Lebanese food has been adopted in Brazil the very same way that Americans have embraced Italian or Mexican food.
Source: Wikipedia
Habib’s was founded by a Portuguese-born baker, Alberto Saraiva, who had no particular ties to the Middle East himself, got the idea early in 1988 after an ailing old man of Arab descent applied for a job in his bakery. With no job at hand for the man to apply to, but upon learning that he had been a cook back in his home land, Mr. Saraiva decided to open a small fast-food restaurant focused on Middle-Eastern fast-food, unheard at the time in Brazil, believing the success could rely on the novelty of it, and hired the man. … The first Habib’s restaurant was opened later that same year.
