Arab Brazilians

Arab Brazilian

Notable Arab Brazilians: Carlos Ghosn · Luciana Gimenez · Paulo Maluf R. Abdenur · Daniella Sarahyba · G. Kassab Tony Kanaan · Afif Domingos · Glauco Arbix Arnaldo Jabor · Geraldo Alckmin · F. Haddad · José Maria Alkmin
Regions with significant populations
São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul
Languages
Portuguese, Arabic
Religion
Predominantly Christian with Muslim and Jewish minorities
Related ethnic groups
Other Arabs, Arab American, Arab Canadian, Lebanese Canadian, Lebanese Australian, Arab Argentine, Portuguese Brazilians

An Arab Brazilian is a Brazilian citizen born in an Arabic country, or a Brazilian-born person of Arab descent, who is aware of such ancestry and remains connected, in some degree, to Arabic culture.

Immigration to Brazil

Immigration of Arabs to Brazil started in the late 19th century, most of them coming from Lebanon, later from elsewhere in Ottoman Syria - Palestine and Iraq. When they were first processed in the ports of Brazil, they were classified as Turks because what is modern day Lebanon and Syria was a territory of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The causes for Arabs to leave their homeland were an accelerated increase in population in Lebanon and the persecution by the Ottoman Turks. Arab immigration to Brazil grew in the 20th century, and was concentrated in the state of São Paulo, but also extended to Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Rio de Janeiro and other parts of Brazil.

Most Arab immigrants in Brazil were Christians, the Muslims being a small minority in comparison to them. Intermarriage between Brazilians of Arab descent and other Brazilians, regardless of ethnic ancestry or religious affiliation, is very high; most Brazilians of Arab descent only have one parent of Arab origin. As a result of this, the new generations of Brazilians of Arab descent show marked language shift away from Arabic. Only a few speak any Arabic, and such knowledge is often limited to a few basic words. Instead the majority, especially those of younger generations, speak Portuguese as a first language.

Arabic influence in Brazil

Beirute, an Arab-Brazilian sandwich [1].

Arab immigration has influenced many aspects of Brazil's culture - besides and beyond the Arabic influence inherited via Portugal, as, for instance, some Portuguese words of Arabic origin.

In the main Brazilian cities it is easy to find restaurants that cooks Arab food; and Arab dishes, such as sfihas (Portuguese esfirra), tabbouleh (Portuguese tabule), kibbeh (Portuguese quibe), hummus, tahina and halwa are very well known among Brazilians.

Most Arab immigrants in Brazil have worked as traders, roaming the vast country to sell textiles and clothes and open new markets. This economic history can be seen today in the ways that the São Paulo-based Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has gained greater recognition in increasing Brazilian exports to the Arab world.

Arab-Brazilians are well integrated into Brazilian society. Today, only a minority of Arab Brazilians still know and speak the Arabic language, the vast majority of them being monolingual Portuguese speakers.

Many important Brazilians are of Arab descent, including important politicians such as Paulo Maluf, Geraldo Alckmin, Gilberto Kassab, Michel Temer and José Maria Alkmin, artists, writers (for instance Raduan Nassar) and models.

Notable Arab Brazilians

• Adib Domingos Jatene, physician
• Amir Slama, fashion designer
• Amyr Klink, sailor
• Antônio Houaiss, writer and philologist
• Arnaldo Jabor, film director, screenwriter and producer
• Alfredo Saad-Filho, economist
• Branco, football world champion
• Carlos Ghosn, businessman (current CEO of Renault and Nissan)
• Carlos Nemer, university professor
• Daniella Sarahyba, model
• Edmond Safra, banker
• Alberto Dualib, businessman
• Fernando Gabeira, politician
• Rafael Leitão, Brazilian chess grandmaster
• Fernando Haddad, politician
• Geraldo Alckmin, the current Governor of São Paulo
• Gilberto Kassab, the current mayor of São Paulo
• João Bosco, musician
• José Maria Alkmin, politician, former Vice-President of Brazil under Castello Branco
• Luciana Gimenez Morad, model and TV entertainer
• Malu Mader, actress
• Marcelle Bittar, model
• Mário Zagallo, football player and coach world champion
• Michel Temer, politician, current Vice-President of Brazil under Dilma Rousseff
• Paulo Maluf, politician
• Luís Nassif, journalist
• Raduan Nassar, writer
• Sabrina Sato Rahal, model and TV entertainer
• Tasso Jereissati, politician
• Tony Kanaan, race car driver
• Wallid Ismail, martial artist, World class Brazilian Jiu jitsu practitioner, famous for choking Royce Gracie unconscious

See also

• Arab diaspora
• Islam in Brazil
• Demographics of Brazil
• White Latin Americans
• Arab Brazilian music