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6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES and VOICES Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES AND VOICES / sheet 1 of 304 ARAB-AMERICAN FACES AND VOICES Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES AND VOICES / sheet 2 of 304 AND VOICES / sheet 3 of 304 ARAB-AMERICAN FACES AND VOICES The Origins of an Immigrant Community Elizabeth Boosahda 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS, AUSTIN Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 Copyright © 2003 by the University of Texas Press All rights reserved AND VOICES / sheet 4 of 304 Printed in the United States of America First edition, 2003 Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to Permissions, University of Texas Press, Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819. The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication-Data Boosahda, Elizabeth, 1926– Arab-American faces and voices : the origins of an immigrant community / Elizabeth Boosahda.— 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-292-70919-6 (alk. paper) — isbn 0-292-70920-x (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Arab Americans—Massachusetts—Worcester— History. 2. Arab Americans—Massachusetts— Worcester—History—Sources. 3. Arab Americans—Massachusetts—Worcester—Interviews. 4. Immigrants—Massachusetts—Worcester— History. 5. Immigrants—Massachusetts— Worcester—History—Sources. 6. Worcester (Mass.)—Ethnic relations. 7. Arabs—Migrations— History. 8. Arab countries—Emigration and immigration—History. 9. United States— Emigration and immigration—History. 10. Latin America—Emigration and immigration—History. I. Title. f74.w9 b67 2003 974.4'3—dc21 2002015039 Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 To my father,Kalil, a kind and gentle person who preferred silence to mind- lessconversationandcharacterization;mymother,Nazira,aloving,strong- AND VOICES / sheet 5 of 304 willed, and in-charge person; and my immigrant aunts and uncles who also favorably influenced my life. And to my brothers, Michael K. Boosahda and Leo S. Boosahda, who are always there for me. Kalil A. Boosahda, 1985. (Deceased 1987, aged 97.) 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES Marriage, Kalil A. Boosahda to Nazira Mishalanie, 1916. Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. AND VOICES / sheet 6 of 304 It’s what you do for others. Blessed is he who knows why he was born. DANNY THOMAS, 1989. Founder of American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities/Aid to Leukemia Stricken American Chil- dren (alsac) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee. Our early immigrant history in America could be lost forever if my gen- eration [the first American-born] fails to pass on its treasury of memories. We must write our own history and have the history accurate, in all its complexity. LILLIAN GEORGE SHOUCAIR, 1988. Humanist, active in the pres- 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES ervation of ethnic heritage and immigrant history, and daughter of Simon George and daughter-in-law of Said Shoucair. Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 AND VOICES / sheet 7 of 304 CONTENTS Preface • xii Acknowledgments • xv Methodology: Data Collection • xviii 1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND • 1 2.MIGRATION•17 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES 3. MULTICULTURAL AND MULTIRELIGIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS • 49 4.WORK•65 5. TRADITION, EDUCATION, AND CULTURE • 91 6. AMERICANIZATION • 131 7. LEGACY AND LINKAGE • 171 Addendum i. Private-Sector Organizations • 197 a. Syrian Brotherhood Orthodox Society, 1905 • 197 b. Young Mahiethett Society, 1916 • 200 Addendum ii. The Middle East and the Arab World after World War ii •204 Genealogy: Expanded Kinship in One Family • 207 Timeline: Eastern Orthodox Syrian Church • 211 Notes • 222 Bibliography • 244 Illustration Credits • 248 Annotated Suggested Reading • 249 Organizations, Collections, and Exhibits • 260 Author Biography • 267 Index of Arabic Terms • 268 General Index • 270 Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 AND VOICES / sheet 8 of 304 ILLUSTRATIONS Kalil A. Boosahda, 1985 v Marriage, Kalil A. Boosahda to Nazira Mishalanie, 1916 v . Abdelnour family of Kfarchima (now Lebanon), 1900 41 . Inspection card, 1908 41 . Second migration, 1900 42 . Hand embosser and seal of Rev. Michael M. Husson, Syrian 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES Orthodox Church of Worcester, 1899 42 . Consecration of first Syrian Antiochian Bishop of New York and all North America, Worcester, Mass., 1924 43 . Hand embosser and seal of Syrian Brotherhood Orthodox Society, 1905 43 . Lapel badges of the Orthodox Brotherhood Society, 1905, and Young Mahiethett Society, 1916; lapel medal ‘‘1905–19, s.b.o.s.’’ (Syrian Brotherhood Orthodox Society) 44 . Reversible sides of lapel badges, 1905, 1916 44 . Members of Syrian Brotherhood Orthodox Society, 1919 45 . Moslem [Muslim] Brotherhood Association of Worcester, Mass., obelisk-shaped monument, front, 1918 46 . Moslem [Muslim] Brotherhood monument, back 46 . Realia montage of organizations, about 1905–54 47 . Realia montage of institution and organizations, about 1917–36 48 . Seal of the Myrra-Bearing Women Society of St. George Orthodox Church of Worcester, 1919 48 . Union Passenger Railroad Station, Worcester, Mass., about 1893 60 . Residential eight-family double house built about 1896 61 . Rectory and church, built 1891–92 61 . Flashback to a used-to-be neighborhood, the west side of el-saha, about 1880–1905 62 Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 Illustrations ix . Flashback to a used-to-be neighborhood, the east side of el-saha, about 1880–1905 63 . AND VOICES / sheet 9 of 304 Grafton Street view of ‘‘1901 S. George’’ commercial-residential double house (5½ stories with basement) 64 . Wall Street view of ‘‘1901 S. George’’ double house 64 . Peddling with kushee (a box, trunk, or suitcase to carry dry goods and notions) and burlap shoulder satchel, 1898 88 . Peddling by horse and buggy, 1913 88 . On the road showing merchandise, 1913 89 . Two-horse team and driver, about 1915 89 . Journalists and publishers, about 1918 90 . Rev. Michael M. Husson, about 1900 117 . Certificate of baptism, 1916 117 . ‘‘Suitable wife,’’ Sophia, 1913 118 . Photograph postal card from suitor in Lebanon, 1919 118 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES . Marriage, Simon George and Sooriya, 1897 119 . Wedding gift and recording, about 1916 119 . Marriage, Elias F. Haddad (aged 25 years) and Isabella Ashkar (aged 21), 1901 120 . Contemplative bride, 1917 120 . Marriage by bishop, 1926 121 . In vogue, woman’s dress, about 1916 122 . In vogue, man’s clothing, about 1916 122 . In vogue, four women and child, about 1918 123 . In vogue, Assafe George and Elias Dahrooge families, 1908 123 . In vogue, woman’s encasement—the ‘‘wasp’’ waist, 1909 124 . Abisamra family, 1904 124 . Realia montage, 1883–1922 125 5.17–5.23 Children, about 1915–27 126–128 . Cast of Salah El-Deen, 1924 129 . Pages from program booklets of Salah El-Deen and Haroun El-Rashad, 1924 and 1925 respectively 130 . Cast of Princess Venus of England, 1932 130 6.1–6.5 ‘‘Love Your Country,’’ U.S. servicemen of World War i, 1917–18 161–163 . Participants at military funeral, World War i, 1919 163 . American cuisine cooking class at Friendly House, 1923 164 . Practicing at Friendly House for the city’s snaps tournament, about 1935 164 Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 x ARAB-AMERICAN FACES AND VOICES . American Red Cross class at Friendly House, 1928 165 . Members of Drum and Fife and Bugle Corps, about 1923 166 . Members of Syrian American Drum Corps, 1941 166 AND VOICES / sheet 10 of 304 . Prize-winning float by Syrian American Association for Tercentenary Massachusetts Celebration parade, 1930 167 . Seated on parapet of tower, 1931 167 . Festival of Nationalities, Arab folk line dance (the dabkah), 1958 168 . Arab music played by Arab and non-Arab musicians, 1958 168 . DuoArabdancebyoldandyoung,ArabAmericanandnon–Arab American, late 1950s 169 . Arab culture portrayed through music and dance, 1973 169 . Worcester woman knighted by church, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1951 170 . Testimonial honored Mrs. Constantine Abou-Adal, wife of Archpriest Abou-Adal, about 1955 170 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES . Arab foods great for nutritious snacks, 1972 192 . Resourceful family, 1917 192 . Celebrated 106th birthday, 1988 193 . Bodybuilding, 1918 193 . All-Girl Orchestra, 1940s 194 . ‘‘This great hill,’’ section of el-tellee and The Meadows, 1988 194 . ‘‘Love Your Church,’’ ecumenism continues, 1975 195 . ‘‘Love One Another,’’ first American-born generation, 1994 196 Timeline.1 Mausoleum, Archbishop Victor Aboassaly, 1934 (photo taken winter 1945) 217 Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 AND VOICES / sheet 11 of 304 MAPS . Arab Empire at Greatest Expansion, 700–850 c.e. 9 . Ottoman Empire, Seventeenth Century c.e. 9 . Lebanon: Where the Journey Began 10 . Mandate Powers under Auspices of League of Nations, 1922 12 . Landownership in Section of El-Tellee, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1922 and Earlier 13 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES Tseng 2003.3.11 06:50 AND VOICES / sheet 12 of 304 PREFACE The time is right for sharing thoughts about ‘‘my people’’—Americans of Arab ancestry—the Lebanese, a few Syrians, and fewer Palestinians, pre- dominantly Christian, but a few Druze (a sect in Islam named after Ismail al-Darazi, a religious leader who died in 1019) and fewer Muslim. From 1880 to 1915 they emigrated in small numbers from the Ottoman Empire provinces of Syria and Palestine at the eastern Mediterranean Sea area. 6784 Boosahda / ARAB-AMERICAN FACES Many migrated to North and South America, and the majority settled in New England. Nearly 200 immigrants and a few members of immigrant families told their stories to the author in taped, face-to-face interviews; pre-1920 photographs, most of them from the homes of those interviewed, and documents contemporaneous with their stories give a profile of the daily lives of the immigrants.
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