São Paulo – A new book is about to make it easier for young people to understand Arab immigration in Brazil. The attractively written Brimos – História da Imigração Árabe para o Brasil (Cousins – a History of Arab Immigration to Brazil), by Brazil’s Marta Tajra (pictured above) is getting released on Saturday (13) at the Syrian Sports Club in São Paulo. The launch event will be open to the public, and similar ones have taken place in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and Piauí – the state that the book’s publisher Zahle hails from.
The book was sponsored by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the National Council of the Social Service of Industry (SESI). The work is divided into three sections. The first one covers pre-Arab immigration Brazil, including Emperor Dom Pedro II’ childhood during the so-called ‘Regency Era,’ his rise to the throne at age 15 and his trips abroad from the time he was 40 onwards.
The second part covers the Emperor’s trips to Arab countries like Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Since Dom Pedro II travelled as a tourist, he was able to speak to people and look at how they lived. “He realized they were dissatisfied under the Ottoman Empire’s rule,” says Marta. That was when Dom Pedro II began inviting them to move to Brazil, she explains.
Four years later, Arab immigrants started coming, and this is the era – from the late 19th century to the 1970s – that the book’s third section recounts. Here, Marta describes how they arrived, why they came, what the journey was like, their work as street peddlers, the opening of the shops that would evolve into warehouses, and their branching out into other sectors, like industry.
Marta Tajra explains that the book features cartoon-style illustrations and stylized photos. The image-heavy works was designed with children and young people in mind, although that’s not the only target demographic. “It’s for all ages,” the author says. It’s an educational book, and the author’s goal is to try and get Brazilian high schools to use it.
Marta, who’s the owner of Zahle, felt the need to write the book upon realizing that Arab immigration is only touched on superficially at schools, and not given the same attention as German, Italian or Polish immigration. She notes that the latter were brought to Brazil by the government and intended to stay for good, while Arabs were looking to make money and then go back to their homelands.
The book’s cover features a traveling salesman – the Arab of the past – and an executive, i.e. the Arab descendant that found success in Brazil, against a world map backdrop. “The salesman is holding the executive’s briefcase, to show he’s focused on future success, while the executive is holding the salesman’s case to symbolize a strong connection with the ancestors who paved the way to an unknown land,” says Marta. The saleseman is giving the businessman a compass, “showing that one generation kicked the door open and provided the directions for many other Arabs to get to Brazil,” she explains.
The book launch at the Syrian Sports Club was arranged by its Arab Culture Department. The event starts at 4pm, open to the public and free of charge. The book is also selling from Piauí bookstores and is available across the country via the publisher (contact info below), online or by phone. The price is BRL 70.
Quick facts
Book Brimos – História da Imigração Árabe para o Brasil
By Marta Tajra
Publisher: Zahle
BRL 70.00
Zahle on Facebook
Phone/WhatsApp: +55 86 99994-6216
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
