Arab Uruguayans
Arab Uruguayans (Arabic: عرب أوروغواي), are Uruguayan of Arab ethnic, citizens or residents whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants from the Arab world.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| over 50,000 descendants (2% of total population)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Montevideo, Chuy | |
| Languages | |
| Uruguayan Spanish, Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Christians (majority) and Islam (minority) |
Overview
Arab Uruguayans originated mainly from what is now Lebanon (of which there may be over 50,000 descendants[1][2]). There are also individuals from other Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria, Morocco and Palestine.
Most Uruguayans of Arabic descent are Christians, with some Muslim minorities.[1] There was also a small influx of Arab Jews, who have since lost their Arab cultural identity.
Arab Uruguayans are among the smallest Arab diaspora groups in the world. There are some 500 Arab-speaking people in the border towns of Chuy and Rivera.[1]
Lately there are two noticeable trends:
- Syrian refugees who flee from the Syrian Civil War,
- Arab investors interested in Uruguay, who created the Uruguayan-Arab Chamber (in cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council).[3]
Notable people
- Alberto Abdala, Vice President of Uruguay 1967-1972, of Lebanese descent[4]
- Washington Abdala, lawyer and politician, President of the Chamber of Deputies (2000), of Lebanese descent
- Hebert Abimorad, journalist and poet of Lebanese descent
- Matías Abisab, footballer
- Alejandro Apud, football manager
- Cacho de la Cruz, entertainer, of Moroccan descent
- Amir Hamed, writer and translator, of Syrian descent
- Jorge Nasser, musician, of Lebanese descent
See also
- Lebanese Uruguayans
- Palestinian Uruguayans
- Syrians in Uruguay
References
- Arocena, Felipe (September 2009). "La contribución de los inmigrantes en Uruguay" [The contribution of immigrants in Uruguay] (PDF). Papeles del CEIC (in Spanish). University of the Basque Country. 2009/2 (47). Retrieved 7 October 2016.
- Renzo Pi Hugarte. "La asimilación cultural de los siriolibaneses y sus descendientes en Uruguay" (PDF). Retrieved 2 February 2015. (in Spanish)
- Uruguayan-Arab Chamber
- "Alberto Abdala's official files" (PDF). AGN. Retrieved 1 October 2017. (in Spanish)
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