Domestic ethnicity: the Lebanese diaspora in Newfoundland

Hirschfeld Shibley, Wyatt (2024) Domestic ethnicity: the Lebanese diaspora in Newfoundland. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis focuses on the descendants of Lebanese immigrants who arrived on the island of Newfoundland between the late 1800s and early 1900s. In contrast to diaspora communities found in the large urban areas that are popular destinations for immigrants, members of the Lebanese community in Newfoundland did not form any institutions (i.e. churches or ethnic clubs) in which to continue the expression of their culture prior to the incorporation of the Lebanese Association of Newfoundland & Labrador in 2016. Rather, in response to their position as one of the earliest non-European diaspora groups on the island, they have attempted to “fit in” with the dominant culture by cultivating what I propose to call a “domestic ethnicity” which is both reflexive and individual. Lebanese Newfoundlanders primarily express their ethnic identity within the home and/ or around others of Lebanese descent, allowing them to “un-mark” in the public sphere while discretely continuing Lebanese cultural practices. While diaspora scholars often focus on the institutional, public, and visible aspects of ethnicity, by examining folklore genres that take place in relatively more discreet settings this thesis explores the ways in which Lebanese Newfoundlanders express their ethnic identity in the domestic sphere. In so doing, it draws attention to the unique ways in which smaller places can shape diasporic experiences.

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