São Paulo – Brazilians now have access to a book about how Palestinians and their descendants live and maintain their ties with their homeland in Brazil. Released on Friday (14) in São Paulo, the work is based on the doctoral research of Brazilian Bárbara Caramuru Teles. “How is ‘Palestinianness’ constituted while in the Brazilian diaspora? How do these people recognize themselves as Palestinians while in Brazil?” Teles explains, regarding the questions that led her to the book.
Born in Rio de Janeiro but living in Curitiba, Paraná state, since she was a child, Teles became interested in Palestinian issues as she entered adulthood, despite not having Arab ancestry herself. “I first encountered the Pro-Palestine movement in 2008, when the genocide in Gaza occurred, and I was shocked by the absurdity of it,” she recalls, referring to a period when she was only 18 and during a major Israeli offensive in the region. This feeling led her to bring the topic into her university life.
Her first academic involvement with the topic was analyzing legal issues related to the events in Gaza while still an undergraduate student in History. The Arab Spring in Egypt was the topic of her thesis, followed by the study of the Palestinian community in Chile for her master’s degree. “In my doctoral research, I finally worked with the Brazilian community,” she says. The research resulted in the book Palestina em Movimento: A Diáspora a Partir de um Olhar Interseccional, published by Appris Publishing.
The experience of Palestinians in Chile is also part of the book. In Brazil, Teles traveled to various locations, speaking with the diaspora in the main cities where they are found, from Chuí to Manaus. She also traveled to Palestine itself. “One thing that’s very noticeable is that, although generations pass, there is a preservation of Palestinian identity, and this preservation is often passed down by mothers, through language,” says the researcher about one of the answers she found to her questions.
In researching Palestinian identity, Teles encountered issues related to religion, food, daily practices, maternal care, the arrival of immigrants as peddlers, and the narrative of economic prosperity, the landings at different times in history, those who came as Christians and those who are Muslim, and the return trips that young people make, maintaining very strong ties. The scholar spoke with those who arrived two years ago and with those who landed in the 1950s, during a time of great immigration flow due to the Nakba, when Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their land.
The author took a journey through immigration to discuss the connection with present-day Palestine. The research spanned five years. “They still live as Palestinians, they still have a narrative, a maintenance of Palestinianness that’s passed through language education, cultural education, and family,” says Teles. The fact that there is a territorial issue reinforces Palestinian identity, not only as a land of origin but also as a cause. “Even living in Brazil, they see themselves as Palestinian Brazilians,” she says.
The book is focused on the academic world but is also expected to attract the attention of members of the diaspora, the author believes. She explains that the central focus of the work is to think about gender. For instance, it includes the analysis of the male figure of the peddler as heroic. “I also consider the stereotype of Arab masculinity, how it’s constructed as commercial success,” she explains. The analysis also covers issues such as maternal and paternal care, race, and others.
The researcher
The author is a professor at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), with a master’s and post-doctorate in Anthropology from the same institution, as well as a PhD in Social Anthropology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Teles conducted studies at the University of Chile and is currently an external researcher at the Middle East Studies Center (Neom) at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF).
Teles received support from the Palestinian Arab Federation of Brazil (FEPAL) to conduct the research that resulted in the book. Among other initiatives, FEPAL helped her gain access to speak with the diaspora. On Thursday (13), the researcher visited the headquarters of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in São Paulo, accompanied by the president of FEPAL, Ualid Rabah. The two were received by the Secretary-General & Vice President of International Relations of the institution, Mohamad Mourad.
Launch
On Friday the book launch will take place at 6 PM at the Expressão Popular space in São Paulo at an event held in partnership with the University of São Paulo (USP). The launch is open to the public and will also feature a debate between Teles and Rabah about the Palestinian diaspora. The book can be purchased on online platforms, including the Appris publisher’s website.
Quick facts:
Book: Palestina em Movimento: A Diáspora a Partir de um Olhar Interseccional
Author: Bárbara Caramuru Teles
Publisher: Appris
Pages: 285
Price: BRL 110
Available for purchase on the publisher’s website.
