Between Arab and White: Race and Ethnicity in the Early Syrian American Diaspora PDF
Preview Between Arab and White: Race and Ethnicity in the Early Syrian American Diaspora
Between Arab and White AMERICAN CROSSROADS Edited by Earl Lewis, George Lipsitz, Peggy Pascoe, George Sánchez, and Dana Takagi Between Arab and White Race and Ethnicity in the Early Syrian American Diaspora Sarah M.A. Gualtieri UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley . Los Angeles . London University of California Press, one of the most dis- tinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing schol- arship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more informa- tion, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2009 by The Regents of the University of Califor- nia Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gualtieri, Sarah M. A. Between Arab and White : race and ethnicity in the early Syrian American diaspora / Sarah M.A. Gualtieri. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn: 978-0-520-25532-6 (cloth : alk. paper) — isbn: 978-0-520-25534-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Syrian Americans—Race identity—History. 2. Syrian Americans—Ethnic identity—History. 3. Syrian Americans—History. 4. United States— Race relations. I. Title. E184.S98G835 2009 305.892'75691073—dc22 2009003364 Manufactured in the United States of America 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication meets the mini- mum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper). For my brother Mark, 1963–2007 and our precious mother, Peggy, 1924–2008 “Go well, stay well” Contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Note on Terms and Transliterations xv Introduction 1 1. From Internal to International Migration 21 2. Claiming Whiteness: Syrians and Naturalization Law 52 3. Nation and Migration: Emergent Arabism and Diasporic Nationalism 81 4. The Lynching of Nola Romey: Syrian Racial Inbetweenness in the Jim Crow South 113 5. Marriage and Respectability in the Era of Immigration Restriction 135 Conclusion 155 Epilogue:Becoming Arab American 165 Notes 191 Bibliography 233 Index 257 Illustrations 1. Map of “Greater Syria” 13 2. Mere Hemcy, participant in the Chicago World’s Fair, 1893 35 3. Mere Alli Harfush, participant in the Chicago World’s Fair, 1893 36 4. Sultana Alkazin, her unnamed husband, and her son Fred in Beirut, ca. 1887 42 5. Sultana Alkazin, Atlantic City, early to mid-1900s 43 6. Major Syrian populations in the United States, 1920 49 7. George Shishim, Los Angeles, ca. 1909 59 8. The Moshy Store, advertised in al-Hoda,1899 96 9. Photo from the play Anna Ascends,printed in the Syrian World,1927 143 ix
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