São Paulo – The Port of Santos has received thousands of Arab immigrants who started arriving in Brazil in 1858. Many set up base in the city itself and prospered. Mostly of Syrian and Lebanese origin, they turned, mostly, to trade, following the ancient tradition of merchants.
If they started working as travelling salesmen, selling goods from door to door, the descendants of these immigrants are owners of several commercial establishments throughout the city, mainly in the dry goods, shoes and leather, garment, tapestry and fabric sectors.
"The sons of these tradesmen, mostly, opted for different professions, went to university and now work in several areas. Many study medicine, business administration, law and advertising," explained Omar Abdul Assaf, vice president of the Retail Trade Union of Santos and Region.
In the case of the Assaf family, his father, Mohamed, migrated to Brazil in 1951, married a Brazilian and had seven kids. The business started as a greengrocer and then became a supermarket. Today the family also owns furniture stores and Arab restaurant Al Kabir, which serves originally Lebanese recipes. Assaf’s two sons, in turn, who studied business administration and advertising, work in São Paulo.
Assaf tells that he made an effort to preserve the cuisine and Arab language with his grandmother and has already travelled to Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. "It is very important to know your roots and preserve values for future generations," he said.
The planning secretary of Santos, architect Bechara Abdalla Pestana Neves, also knows many stories about his Syrian grandfather, who arrived in Brazil in 1903. "He got here at the age of 17, started working as a travelling salesman, fixing roots after some years. He then met my grandmother, who was Armenian, got married and had eight children," he says.
The Abdala family grew and spared throughout Brazil, but every three years they meet for the Bechara Abdalada party, which has already taken place twice at the Syrian Club, in Santos, and brought together over 100 people in the last edition. To prove that Arab descendants now work in the most varied of sectors, the secretary recalls his sister, a doctor, and, among his cousins, a judge, an attorney, an engineer and a football player.
More patricians
According to Assaf, it is still possible to find Arab travelling salesmen in Santos, selling goods like bed, bath and table linen. "Young immigrants who arrive are normally helped by a friend or acquaintance so they may save enough to open their own business, and end up repeating the cycle of travelling and selling goods in the beginning," he said.
According to him, it has been like this from the start. "The successful ones wrote telling their story, and provided incentives to relatives and friends," he said. The community grew and the first associations arose, like the Syrian Beneficent Society, currently closed, and the Antioch Society Union. Later, the Syrian-Lebanese Club, established in 1952, became one of the most sought clubs in Santos and had associates of several nationalities.
Currently, two national days are celebrated at the club: the day of the Syrian Republic and the day of the Lebanese Republic. In September the club promotes the Arab Night, in celebration of the club’s anniversary. At the party, typical foods are served, washed down with arak, Arab music and belly dancing.
In 1960 Saint George Orthodox Church was established and, in February 1983, the Islamic Beneficent Society mosque was inaugurated, bringing together the Muslim community, which came after the end of World War II.
Kibbehs and safihas
The most traditional Arab foods are consumed at traditional snack bars and restaurants throughout Santos and also at non-typical restaurants and snack bars.
As in other Brazilian cities, in Santos it is easy to find Syrian bread, humus, khafta, tabule, kebabs, rice with nuts and chicken and grape-leaf rolls. The sweets are many and also easy to find.
*Translated by Mark Ament
