Lebanese Uruguayans Explained

Group:	Lebanese Uruguayans Líbano-uruguayos
Population:	Various estimates for descents: 53,000 (2009).^[1] 70,000 (2008).^[2] 75,000 (2014).^[3]
Popplace:	Montevideo, Chuy
Religions:	Christians (majority) and Islam (minority)
Langs:	Uruguayan Spanish, Lebanese Arabic

There are about 53,000^[1] to 75,000^[3] Lebanese Uruguayans, or Uruguayans of Lebanese origin. The Lebanese are one of the larger non-European communities, though still not as large a group as most European groups.^[2] Relations between Uruguay and Lebanon have always been close.^[4]

History

The first Lebanese immigrants to Uruguay arrived in the 1860s, settling in Montevideo around Juan Lindolfo Cuestas street.^[5] These early immigrants were mainly Maronite Christians, speaking only Arabic. The last great influx of Lebanese came in the 1920s along with other nationalities like Europeans. Between 1908 and 1930, Montevideo's population doubled.^[6] Some of them also settled in the frontier city of Rivera.^[7]

On January 21, 1924, the Apostolic Missionary of Maronites was established by decree in Uruguay. On March 10, 1925, Monseñor Shallita arrived in Montevideo from Naples to lead the mission.^[8]

The early settlers faced some discrimination as "Asiatics",^[9] and a few were unable to adapt and returned to their homeland. However, most became established as small businessmen and entrepreneurs, and successfully adjusted to the society of their adopted country. Although retaining some cultural characteristics, notably the Lebanese cuisine, most Uruguayans of Lebanese origin no longer speak Arabic and have fully assimilated.^[10]

In 1997, the house speaker of Uruguay visited Lebanon and met Patriarch Sfeir. He noted that the 99-seat parliament in Uruguay included two members with Lebanese origins including himself.^[11] In 1954 there were 15,000 people of Lebanese descent living in Uruguay.^[12] By 2009 the number had grown to between 53,000^[1] and 70,000.^[2] In July 2009, the Lebanese Society in Uruguay celebrated its 75th anniversary.^[13] The 2011 Uruguayan census revealed 136 people who declared Lebanon as their country of birth.^[14]

The majority of Lebanese-Uruguayans are Christians who belong to various churches, including the Maronite Church (they have their own church, Our Lady of Lebanon),^[15] Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Melkite Catholic. There was also a small presence of Lebanese Jews.^[16] A scant number are Muslims.

Notable Uruguayans of Lebanese origin

• Felipe Seade (1912 – 18 January 1969) was a social-realist painter and teacher born in Santiago de Chile, the elder son of a Lebanese immigrant family, who spent most of his life in Uruguay after moving to Montevideo at the age of 12.^[17]
• Alberto Abdala (1920–1986), born of Lebanese immigrant parents, was a Uruguayan politician and painter who was Vice-President of Uruguay from 1967 to 1972. He was noted for his abstract compositions in oil on glass.^[18]
• Amir Hamed (1962), Uruguayan writer and translator
• Jorge Nasser (1956), musician
• Dahd Sfeir (1932-2015), Uruguayan singer and actress
• Bruno Sfeir is a well-known painter whose work shows Cubist, Constructivist and surrealist influences, somewhat reminiscent of the school of art initiated by Uruguayan artist Joaquín Torres García.^{[19] [20]}
• Jorge Chediak is a lawyer and judge, former member of the Supreme Court.

• Jorge Majfud (1969-), architect and writer
• Malena Muyala (1971-), singer
• Hebert Abimorad, journalist and poet of Lebanese descent
• , veterinarian and politician

See also

• Lebanon–Uruguay relations
• Lebanese diaspora
• Arab diaspora
• Arab Uruguayans

External links

• Book: Mary Elizabeth Wilkie . The Lebanese in Montevideo, Uruguay . 1973 . .
• Web site: Association of Young Lebanese Uruguayans . es . 2009-07-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161117134244/http://www.uruguayo-libaneses.org/ . 2016-11-17 . dead .
• Web site: La asimilación cultural de los siriolibaneses y sus descendientes en Uruguay . 2 February 2015 . Renzo Pi Hugarte . Renzo Pi Hugarte . es.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Geographical distribution of Lebanese diaspora. iLoubnan. Ya Libnan. 2009. 17 May 2021.
2. News: Les Libanais d’Uruguay, la troisième communauté du pays après les Espagnols et les Italiens . https://web.archive.org/web/20090227175120/https://embauruguaybeirut.org/esp/lorientlejour.pdf . dead . . S. Baaklini . 27 February 2009 . 12 May 2021.
3. News: Más de 10 millones de libaneses empujan el crecimiento social y económico de América Latina . . 23 December 2019.
4. Web site: Embassy of Uruguay in Lebanon . . 2009-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130615112056/http://www.embauruguaybeirut.org/english/english.htm . 2013-06-15 . dead .
5. Web site: La inmigración libanesa en el Uruguay . es . Colectividad Libanesa en el Uruguay . 2009-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091027005856/http://espanol.geocities.com/ommuruguay/Colectividadlibanesa.htm . October 27, 2009 . unfit .
6. Web site: 2009 . The Consolidation of Political Democracy. Library of Congress Country Studies. U.S. Library of Congress. July 18, 2009 .
7. Web site: Subjectivity and frontierland . Brecha. 15 November 2019 . es.
8. Web site: ¿Quiénes somos? Nuestra señora del líbano ruega por nosotros . es . Nuestra Señora del Líbano . 2009-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080318124205/http://www.geocities.com/maronitasdelavirgenmaria/nosotros.htm . March 18, 2008 . unfit .
9. Web site: Lebanon, our privileged partner in this region of the world . Monday Morning magazine (Lebanon) . 2009-07-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120220063206/http://www.embauruguaybeirut.org/esp/mondaymor.pdf . 2012-02-20 . dead .
10. Book: Los libaneses en el Uruguay . Antonio Seluja . 2002 . Arca (Montevideo) . es . 191 . 9974-40-804-0.
11. Web site: August 26, 1997 . News from Beirut . Lebanon.com . 2009-07-04.
12. Web site: Visitor from Lebanon. https://web.archive.org/web/20080920042926/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,823406,00.html . dead . September 20, 2008 . . ... Uruguay, where there are 15,000 Lebanese ... . May 24, 1954 . 2009-07-04.
13. Web site: Eventos de la Colectividad Libanesa en el Uruguay . Colectividad Libanesa en el Uruguay . 2009-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091027002717/http://espanol.geocities.com/ommuruguay/Eventos.htm . October 27, 2009 . unfit .
14. Web site: Immigration to Uruguay . INE . 6 March 2013 . es . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130816123632/http://www.ine.gub.uy/biblioteca/Inmigrantes%20Internacionales%20y%20Retornados%20en%20Uruguay.pdf . 16 August 2013 .
15. Web site: Maronite Lebanese in Uruguay. 15 May 2013. es.
16. Web site: 100 years of Jewish institutional presence in Uruguay . 21 May 2019 . ORT Uruguay. es.
17. Web site: Felipe Seade . Alicia Seade-Delboy . 2009-07-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040324141016/http://felipeseade.com/ . 2004-03-24.
18. Web site: Pintor Alberto Abdala . es . 4Pixels SRL . 12 July 2004 . 2009-07-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110527183205/http://www.larepublica.com.uy/larepublica/2004/07/12/cultura/147296/los-olvidados-7-pintor-alberto-abdala/ . 27 May 2011 . dead .
19. Web site: Bruno Sfeir's surrealism: beyond the fronteras of nation states . Laura Wilkinson . The Daily Star, Lebanon . July 30, 2008 . 2009-07-09.
20. Web site: Pulling together . United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon magazine . February 2008 . 2009-07-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121223025909/http://unifil.unmissions.org/ . 2012-12-23 . dead .