São Paulo – Brazilian researcher and author Roberto Khatlab launches on February 29 in Beirut his new book Brasilibaneses no Líbano [Brazilebanese in Lebanon] on Brazilians who live in the Arab country. Brazilebanese is a neologism he created to describe the community he is himself part of. The book is an updated overview on the human, historical, cultural and sociopolitical ties between Brazil and Lebanon.
“My greatest motivation to write this book was the desire to leave a printed record of the formation of the Brazilebanese community in Lebanon, which my family and I are part of. I hope others continue to research, write and update this friendship that challenges distance,” he told ANBA.
According to Khatlab, the neologism Brazilebanese describes the nature of the Brazilian community in Lebanon, which is unique for its sociocultural symbiosis with the country’s society. Khatlab points out there are many books on the Arab migration to Brazil, but his book presents the opposite movement, of Brazilians who have migrated to Lebanon and become part of the local society as entrepreneurs, artists, politicians, and others.
It is estimated that 21,000 Brazilians reside in Lebanon. The book by Khatlab bears reference to Jacob Ibrahim Menassa and his wife Wadigha Cecin, the first Brazilebanese in Lebanon, said the author, who used information and documents from photographer Jacques Menassa, the grandson of the couple. “Menassa emigrated to Manaus, Brazil, in 1885, and migrated back with his wife to Lebanon in 1901, at the time of the Ottoman Empire. So this year celebrates 123 years of the Brazilebanese presence in Lebanon,” he says.
The author addresses in his work how Lebanese came back from Brazil. He developed rich studies on Arab migration to Brazil and indicates that Joseph Ibrahim Nehmé was the first Lebanese to emigrate to Brazil back in 1795, 229 years ago. “Notice that the Great Lebanese Immigration to Brazil dates back to the 1880s, following the visit of Brazil’s emperor Dom Pedro II to the Arab world in 1871 and again in 1876, which ended up promoting Brazil to the West,” he says.
The book by Khatlab has 280 pages. The publication is based on original research grounded in contacts, interviews, documents, and personal notes by the author, with unprecedent surveys, one of which featured João Abdallah Neto and Ramz Labaki. The writer says that countless vital information was obtained from institutions and people involved in Brazil-Lebanon relations, mentioning the support of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and its president Osmar Chohfi and the Esposa Group and its CEO Joseph Romanos.
The author
Born in Maringá, Brazil, Khatlab is now a Lebanese citizen and lives in the Arab country. He currently holds the position of director of the Latin American Studies and Cultures Center in the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon. The researcher has over 20 publications to his credit in Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, French, and English, including “As viagens de Dom Pedro II. Oriente Médio e África do Norte, 1871 e 1876”, tour guide “Descubra o Líbano,” “Les Libanais dans le Monde,” and “Brasil-Líbano. Amizade que desafia a distância”.
The launch
The launch of “Brasilibaneses no Líbano” by publishing house Dar Al Saer Mashrek in Brazilian Portuguese takes place in the context of the 80th anniversary of Brazil-Lebanon diplomatic ties and will be held by the Embassy of Brazil and the Guimarães Rosa Institute in Beirut. The open-to-the-public event takes place at the Guimarães Rosa Institute at 5 pm, featuring Brazil’s ambassador to Lebanon, Tarcisio Costa. Admission is free. Find out more here. The book can bought from publishing house Dar Saer Al Mashrek (on its website and Facebook profile) or on Amazon.
Translation by Guilherme Miranda
