{"id":391170,"date":"2025-06-30T10:05:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T13:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=391170"},"modified":"2025-06-30T10:05:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T13:05:43","slug":"were-our-ancestors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/were-our-ancestors\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWe\u2019re our ancestors\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 Born in the southern region of S\u00e3o Paulo city, Gabriel Sayegh, 65, is proud of his Arab heritage<\/strong>. The ancient culture, which comes from both sides of his family and has been part of his life since the beginning, became an essential part of his routine in 1999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince I was a child, I used to go to Esporte Clube S\u00edrio and take part in its cultural activities, and when I was 39, I was invited to become the club\u2019s cultural director. I didn\u2019t think twice and accepted the offer,\u201d says Sayegh.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Sayegh
Sayegh at Tarde \u00c1rabe, an event held by Esporte Clube S\u00edrio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important to keep Arab culture alive because we\u2019re our ancestors. We come from a place that has its own culture, language, and cuisine, and many people don\u2019t know about it. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to preserve our culture and make sure others learn about our origins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of his professional choices, Sayegh would never have been close to Arab culture, but his desire to keep the tradition alive spoke louder. \u201cI always liked math, so I graduated in civil engineering and worked in the field for many years. But I always had the desire to promote the culture of my parents and grandparents, which is why I still work as the cultural director of the club today,\u201d says the engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a full schedule all month long, the club offers different types of free classes, including Arabic language, belly dancing, and music classes that use traditional Syrian<\/strong> instruments. And at least once a month, there is a lecture given by an important spokesperson from the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already had writers, politicians, businesspeople, and even the president of the Institute for Arab Culture (ICArabe<\/a>) here. We also organize sessions to screen Arab films,\u201d says the cultural director of Esporte Clube S\u00edrio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the effort, the Syrian descendant says he finds it difficult to spread Arab culture among the younger generations. \u201cCulture is no longer as much a part of the younger generations as it was during my youth. Today, there are many things that distract them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to working at Esporte Clube S\u00edrio, Gabriel is also involved in two other organizations: the State Parliamentary Council of Communities of Foreign Roots and Cultures (CONSCRE) of the Legislative Assembly of the State of S\u00e3o Paulo (Alesp) and ICArabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At CONSCRE, he arrived in 2019, served as president for two terms, and is currently vice president. The S\u00e3o Paulo native has been part of ICArabe since its inception in the early 2000s. He has held several positions within the institute, including vice president, and currently works as financial director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn all these places, my work is done voluntarily to help my community. At Alesp, where the space was created to bring together Arab descendants living in S\u00e3o Paulo, we have political ties and try in some way to highlight the culture of my country. At the Institute, the effort is greater. We hold cultural events at different times of the year. The next one will be the Arab film festival to take place in August.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very proud of his journey as a promoter of Arab culture, Sayegh is happy to be able to share the richness of his ancestors\u2019 country. \u201cFor many years, Arab culture was neglected and ignored by the West, so people still don\u2019t know much about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culture from the beginning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

His mother, Ivete Abdelmalack Sayegh, came to Brazil at the age of 18 with her parents and siblings. His father, Jorge Gabriel Sayegh, is the son of Syrians and lived in S\u00e3o Paulo, where he met Ivete. The family grew when Gabriel\u2019s sister was born and was completed years later when he and his twin brother arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Sayegh
Sayegh with his children and mother: an effort to pass Arab culture on to new generations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cMy parents spoke Arabic when they wanted to say something so we wouldn\u2019t understand, since my maternal grandmother only spoke Arabic. She never really learned to speak Portuguese. Because of that, I ended up speaking Arabic to talk with her,\u201d Sayegh recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides the language, Arab food has been and still is part of Sayegh\u2019s and his children\u2019s lives. \u201cI have a daughter from my first marriage and twin sons from my second marriage who love my mother\u2019s cooking; the tradition of Arab food is part of their daily routine. But the culture is more difficult,\u201d Sayegh explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first wife, who is my cousin, still passed on our heritage to my daughter\u2014however, these younger generations are drifting away from their origins. That\u2019s why I keep stressing how important it is to know your roots. It\u2019s only this way that you can better understand yourself as a human being and learn to respect others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/em>:
Memories of Arabs persisting in 25 de Mar\u00e7o Street<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report by Rebecca Vettore, in collaboration with ANBA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Supplied<\/div>
Supplied<\/div>
Supplied<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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