The Lebanese in Guadeloupe ”The Island of Beautiful Waters”

THE LEBANESE IN GUADELOUPE ”THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL WATERS”

ADAPTED FROM THE STUDY BY GUITA G. HOURANI Researcher, The Lebanese Emigration Research Center (LERC), NDU.

Guadeloupe is in fact an archipel- Bazoun in Northern Lebanon ebanese began arriving in the ago of islands. The main island of passed by Guadeloupe on his way Caribbean (Antilles, West L Guadaloupe resembles a butterfly in Indies) in the second part of the to the Dominican Republic. Missing shape and is made up of Grande- nineteenth century, part of a much his boat to the Dominican Republic Terre and Basse-Terre. larger migration from the Near East and lacking money, he went to a to the Americas almost entirely from church and sold what he had with Mount Lebanon. Many Lebanese First Lebanese Settlement on him, rosaries, crosses, holy pictures, migrants were small landowners or the Island etc. This seemed profitable to Debs, tenant farmers, who soon developed who returned to Lebanon, bought entrepreneurial and commercial According to Challita Torbay, a more such articles and returned to skills. When the Lebanese first Lebanese from Niha who emigrated Guadeloupe to sell them. He did so arrived in Guadeloupe in 1870, it to Guadeloupe in 1948, oral history twice before making the island his was a prosperous French colony. of the Lebanese community of permanent home. He began to Guadeloupe has it that "in c. 1870 a bring over members of his clan and The Lebanese were not unknown to person of the Debs family from village."(1) the islanders, for in 1860 they heard from their French priests and their Guadeloupe in Brief newspapers about the massacres in Location: America, the Antilles Mount-Lebanon, and about "French protection and defense" of the Latitude/Longitude 16º 15N, 61º 35W Christians and sent funds to aid the Land Area: 1 780 sq km sufferers. Composition: Archipelago of islands The Island of Guadeloupe Division: Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre and the islands of: Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Les Saintes, Saint Barthelemy, la Petite Christopher Columbus landed on Terre, and the French part of the island the island in 1493 and named it of Saint-Martin. Saint-Mary of Guadeloupe in honor of Notre Dame of Guadeloupe in Capital City Basse-Terre Spain. It became a stopover on the Population: 435,739 (July 2002 estimate) route to Spain's new territories. Religion: Mainly Catholic Abandoned by the Spanish in 1604, Languages: French and Creole Patois it became a French colony in 1635. After several occupations by the Political & Administrative Status: A French Overseas Department British, with the signing of the Money: Euro Treaty of Paris the island became Economic activities: Agriculture and Tourism French territory. The British occu- National product: GDP $3.8 billion (1993 estimate) pied it again from 1810 to 1816, but the Treaty of Vienna restored it per- manently to France. (1) Personal interview, April 18th, 2003, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.

50 NNU SPIRIT Economic Activities of the First gether, including children under 15 Emigrants and those of mixed marriages. Integration into local society and intermarriage with the French was Arriving with little or no money, easier for Lebanese than for Syrians Lebanese emigrants sold dry goods, due to their greater contact with supplied by an urban wholesaler, European missionaries and French from village to village and door to culture. The census found that 99 door. Torbay worked in this way were traders, 3 peddlers, 3 dress- even in 1948, selling such items as makers, 3 foremen and 2 mechanics. perfume, combs, and cloth. He used 164 had come from Bazoun, 2 from to set up his merchandise on Hasroun, 31 from Niha, 6 from Saturdays, which were the paydays, Zghorta and 13 from Barsa. before the sugar factories. During weekdays, he would tour the island Status of the Lebanese (4) in his car and sell door to door. Emigrants in the Island Many Lebanese worked in this way to pay back some fellow-country- The first Lebanese were subjects of man who had brought them to the the Ottoman Empire, those of the Torbay describes his journey from island and perhaps supplied them second wave protégés of France Lebanon in 1948, which did not dif- with merchandise, to send money under the French Mandate of fer from that of his predecessors. He home and often to save capital to set Lebanon, and those of the third sailed from Beirut to Marseille, a trip up business for themselves. that took ten days. From there he wave citizens of the new Republic went via Paris to Le Havre and sailed The first census of families from the of Lebanon. This was not only con- on the Colombie to Guadeloupe, Levant, i.e., persons with Ottoman fusing to the authorities in which took twelve days. The total or Turkish nationality in Guadeloupe, but also to the cost was 200 Lebanese pounds. Guadeloupe, dates back to 1917. Lebanese themselves, who were The Lebanese and Syrians were reg- undergoing an acute "identity crisis" Lebanese emigrants to Guadeloupe, istered as Turks, with "Syrian" in and had continuously to prove their like so many others, drew others parenthesis. In the Grande-Terre, 97 loyalty to their new country. from their family and village. Torbay persons including children formed Following the Treaty of Lausanne, went to Guadeloupe because "a per- 25 homes, most of which were in particularly article 34, the subjects of son from Bazoun brought a friend of Pointe-à-Pitre, the principal city of the late Ottoman Empire had two his from Niha by the name of Hanna the island. 19 were traders, one a years in which to choose their (John) Francis. Hanna in turn grocer, one a doctor, and two labor- nationality; otherwise they would brought a member of his village ers. 20 families came from Bazoun. retain their original nationality i.e. Niha by the name of Constantine Some of the Lebanese of Turkish. One person by the name of Khalil. The latter brought Georges Guadeloupe came directly from Georges Feigelonne of Pointe-à- (2) Haykel, who brought me." Torbay Lebanon, but some had come from Pitre, about 15 from Martinique and later brought the only two members Haiti, the USA, Paris or Venezuela. 48 from the territory of Guyanne of his immediate family - his mother It was common to have one brother opted for Lebanese citizenship, but (3) and brother. or first cousin in one country and most, not only in Guadeloupe but others in another country, making it also in other Lebanese immigrant According to the census of 1944, the possible to have commercial links communities, did not do so out of first Lebanese actually registered as and to move fairly easily from one fears about the uncertain political arriving in the island (in 1890), was country to another, hence, the mobili- situation in their homeland and Dora Frangy, wife of Gitany Elie, fol- ty of the Lebanese community. about losing their status in their lowed by Suzanne Karam, widow of new home. Elie Sebat in 1897. Dates show that The 1917 census found five Lebanese followed in steady succes- Lebanese families in the Basse- La Démocratie Sociale of October 3, sion. Terre, numbering twenty-five indi- 1935, published under the title La viduals, mostly aged under forty. Question Syrienne that "in These formed the Caram (Karam), Guadeloupe, the Syrians and the Jean, Georges, Gitany and Ebleuran. Lebanese are not at all persecuted. families. This census gave 123 indi- Active and prudent traders, they (2) Ibid. viduals for all Guadaloupe, mostly have made their place in the sun…. (3) Ibid. children. By 1944 there were 161 Having arrived with their suitcases (4) Ibid. adults, and 333 individuals alto- on their back, they now own shops

NNU SPIRIT 51 and cars…. They are also unani- new regulations gave citizenship only a few works. His promotion mous in thanking the country for its particularly to those who had long and modernization of the hospitality…." left the Near East and settled on the Guadeloupian music was irreplace- Their success prompted other mer- island. able. chants to complain and demand a Emigration to Guadeloupe revived Jean Sarkis, was a successful busi- ban on peddling and on shops during the war in Lebanon (1975- nessman and the representative of opening on Sundays. This opposi- 1990). Most of the new Lebanese the Lebanese and Syrian communi- tion increased when the Levantines immigrants were Christians. They ties to the French and were under scrutiny due to the had difficulty obtaining their resi- Guadeloupian authorities prior to popularity of the Syrian Popular dence cards and getting status as the independence of both Lebanon Party (PPS), which called for unifi- foreign traders. In 1981, a law was and Syria. He played an indispens- cation of the Near East and the passed to regulate their status while able role in dialogue and as negotia- island of Cyprus under the "Syrian awaiting naturalization. The tor. In 1977 he received the Order of Nation". All those favoring this party Lebanese remain a distinct ethnic Merit from the French Government. were suspected as spies or traitors. group, not often marrying outside Charles Gabriel was General it. They have strong families and But the declaration of World War II Counselor to the Mayor of Sainte- continue to cherish Lebanese music prompted the Lebanese Rose in the 1950s. Raphael Khoury and cuisine but have little organiza- Guadeloupian community to sup- was General Counselor and tion. Clubs and associations have port the French war effort, even to Assistant to the Mayor of Pointe-à- been short-lived. open a subscription for it. Twenty- Pitre, 1970-1980. Antoine Karma six people contributed no less than Success of the Lebanese of was President of the Regional Fr. 300,000. La Démocratie Sociale of Council of Guyanne in the 1990s. October 21, 1939 warmly congratu- Guadeloupe Nicole Sarkis was World Champion lated "Jean Sarkis and all those who in Karate after holding the title of Emigration demands courage, par- have contributed and who with this Champion of France for many ticularly for the pioneers. These unselfish gesture have proved their years. The Sarkis and Haikal fami- emigrants struggled hard and long affection and attachment to France." lies both played an important role to be accepted in their new home. However, when Lebanon and Syria in Guadeloupe, particularly in com- They succeeded through their own gained their independence, the merce. Georges Haikal was named resilience, intelligence, hard work immigrants became foreigners and the first consul of Lebanon. Today, and perseverance to make a place there was a ban on their peddling the Lebanese community in for themselves in commerce, poli- which reduced many to poverty Guadeloupe remains mostly one of tics, culture and social circles. All until in 1945 Governor Bertaut merchants, but among the new deserve recognition for they earned legalized it again. But those who in generation we find doctors, sur- it through hard work. However, the 30s had opted for Lebanese or geons, lawyers administrators and some demand special mention. Syrian nationality were obliged to professors. obtain a trading permit and difficul- Camille Jabbour founded the news- ties were put in their way. In 1952 paper Match and left his imprint on Conclusion the Lebanese counted as foreigners the political and sports life of numbered 166. The census of 1954 Guadeloupe. At the request of his The Lebanese of Guadeloupe, counted only 112. The restrictions friends in Paris, François Mitterrand although only five thousand strong, no doubt prompted emigration and André Rousselet, he founded a now occupy an important place in from the island either toward the local section of the Union the economic and social life of the homeland or to other more favor- Démocratique et Socialiste de la island. The pioneer emigrants did able countries. Résistance (UDSR), Mitterrand's not exceed two hundred but family party. Jabbour wrote an autobiogra- ties increased their number and Naturalization for the remaining phy entitled 35 Ans de souvenirs, helped in making them a significant Lebanese was not easy, particularly published by Guadeloupe Editions economic power. When we see the since the political climate was con- in 1981. success of the present descendents, tinuously changing and since they we find it hard to imagine the were also at the mercy of the mood Henri Debs occupied a major place valiant epic of the first arrivals. of the administrative personnel in in music in the island; playing sev- Their memory lives in this and the island. However, those who eral instruments. In the 1950s, he other records in honor of them. were born in Guadeloupe and had founded his own orchestra and reached the legal age of 21 had the club. In 1958, he became a producer Those requiring detailed sources of right under the law of August 10, and was behind the great success of information may apply to Ms. 1927 to obtain French citizenship Les Aiglons, Typical Combo, Tania Guita Hourani, LERC, NDU - Ed. and took advantage of this. In 1950, Saint-Val and Zouk Machine, to name

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