Autoethnographic Notes Under Rubble Unearthing Last Traces of Christian Arab Heritage Between Antioch and Brazil
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Abstract
This autoethnographic article examines the impact of the February 2023 earthquakes in Antioch (Hatay), a province situated on the border between Turkey and Syria, and the challenges these events presented to my doctoral research on the migration of Antiochian Arab Christians to Brazil in the 19th and 20th centuries. The article addresses the difficulties encountered in conducting fieldwork amidst the widespread destruction and underscores the urgency of preserving the oral history of the Antiochian Arab Christian diaspora. It proposes an multi-sited ethnographic and archival methodology under the rubble, focusing on the reconstruction of Antiochian memory through the unearthing of fragments — oral testimonies, photographs, and other remnants of the migration to Brazil. The article further explores the intersection of the loss of tangible and intangible heritage, identity, belonging, and the resilience of the community in their homeland. It contributes to ongoing debates on the preservation of diasporic memories and identities in contexts of disaster and reconstruction, emphasizing the relationship between the homeland and the diaspora. Additionally, it seeks to draw attention to the identity of Antiochians as autochthonous peoples and underscores the importance of studying the history of their migration — an often overlooked narrative, particularly within the broader context of the Post-Ottoman Syrian diaspora in Brazil.
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