Lebanese Identities the Challenges of Belonging and the Differences with the Lebanese Community in the Diaspora in Brazil

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how Lebanese identities are constructed within the diaspora community in Brazil, identifying the differences and similarities in the sense of belonging between this community and the population that still resides in Lebanon. It analyzes how the themes of identity and diaspora have been studied in the humanities in recent years, with a postcolonial approach applied to the Lebanese case. The methodology employed is qualitative, based on content analysis of primary and secondary sources through a systematic exploratory review. The main hypothesis argues that there are differences in the sense of belonging to a Lebanese nation between residents in Lebanon and members of the diaspora in Brazil. The central question is: what are the differences and similarities in the sense of national identity between these communities? Through the analysis of works written by two Brazilian authors, descendants of Lebanese migrants, key differences were identified: the role of everyday culture, such as food and music, in identification with Lebanon; memory in the construction of the identity imaginary; and language, which can be both a barrier and an integrating element. Additionally, one notable similarity was observed: the reproduction of identity logics influenced by religious communities within the Lebanese diaspora in Brazil.