- published: 28 Feb 2014
- views: 3158
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 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.