Arab Americans' Service Highlighted in New Exhibit at Jacksonville's Downtown Library
In 1528, a slave from Morocco named Zammouri was brought to North America, making him the first person of Arabic descent to arrive in the New World.
Today, there are an estimated 4.2 million Arab Americans. The story of how they have given back to America is told at the Jacksonville downtown library in the traveling exhibit “Patriots & Peacemakers: Arab Americans in Service to Our Country.” It highlights service they have given as soldiers, statesmen and Peace Corps volunteers.
Most of the exhibit was created by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Mich. But one wall of the third-floor lobby of the library features 200 pictures of Arab Americans from Northeast Florida who have served in the military as well as the pictures of four local men who died while serving their country. Those four are Esse Abdelnour, Mitchell Beethan, Sam Latiff and Thomas Barket.
The local exhibit was put together by members of the Ramallah American Club of Jacksonville and the Salaam Club of Jacksonville.
Arab American service in the American military can be traced back to the American Revolution, when Nathan Badeem, a native of Syria, enlisted in the Continental Army’s 18th division on Jan. 1, 1776. His service was brief. About May 27, 1776, Badeem died while serving near Boston. The cause of his death is lost to history.
Another Arab American who served during the Revolution was Yusef Ben Ali, whose name was Americanized to Joseph Benenhaley. He served in the South Carolina militia as a scout for Brigadier Gen. Thomas Sumter.
At least six of Benenhaley’s descendants served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Also seeing service as a Confederate was Ali Ben Moussa, born in Algeria in 1830. But before he joined the Confederate Army, Moussa enlisted in the Union Army in July 1863 as a paid substitute for another man who was drafted.
Moussa deserted in September and joined the Confederate Army in December. But he eventually deserted that army as well.
About 14,000 Arab Americans served in U.S. forces in World War I and about 15,000 served in World War II. Today, there are an estimated 3,500 Arab Americans serving in the American military services.
The first great period of Arab immigration to the United States was 1880-1924.
In 1924, the Johnson-Reed Quota Act limited Arab immigration to the U.S. to 100 people a year.
But the 1953 Refugee Relief Act opened the U.S. to increased Palestinian immigration and in 1965 all immigration quotas were lifted.
The exhibit will continue at the library, 303 N. Laura St., through Dec. 15.
Charlie Patton
Florida Times