Preserving and protecting our Lebanese culture in America
By Charlie Kadado, Managing Editor of LebaneseExaminer.com.
(DETROIT, MI) — One of my favorite proverbs is a quote by Khalil Gibran: “He who denies his heritage has no heritage.”
I couldn’t stop thinking of this proverb over Easter dinner on Sunday, as a smorgasbord of Lebanese cuisine crowded a long dinner table.
But it wasn’t the food that captured my attention. It was two siblings, who seemed unmindful and unexposed to any Lebanese music, food, or cultural tradition.
The worst part is that they’re 100 percent Lebanese, and their mother is a born-and-bred Lebanese citizen.
As the final touches of Easter dinner were prepared and the tabouli was mixed, our family began singing traditional Lebanese oldies. I watched the mother move to the other side of the table, and her children quickly distance themselves and leave to other rooms.
After dinner I approached her son, who was occupied on his iPad.
“Do you speak Arabic?” I asked him.
“I’m American,” he bitterly replied, inherently denying his heritage and eluding the question.
He clearly wasn’t interested in hearing about Lebanon or understanding his ethnic heritage. I asked him if he ever visited Lebanon and to no surprise, the answer was no.
I cannot be disappointed in a young man who is simply understanding what he has been taught. I’m disappointed in his mother, however, who has attempted to Americanize herself and her children and keep an extended distance from a rich and globally-recognized culture.
If we desire to advance our culture and maintain a strong and successful Lebanese diaspora, we cannot simply deny our heritage and assimilate into an already existing crowd.
No matter how much we try to distance ourselves, Lebanese emigrants and their children will always share unique Lebanese attributes that are unmatched to any other ethnicity.
Pope John Paul II called Lebanon a “message” country for it’s example of diversity and pluralism for both the East and the West. Instead of shying away from Lebanon’s message, it should be our duty to embrace it and echo the authentic message of our homeland.
The biased news media will not do it for us.
The American public won’t do it for us.
Surrounding countries won’t do it for us.
We are lucky to live in a country that welcomes a ‘salad bowl’ culture — where many different cultures combine and maintain their individual uniqueness. As Lebanese-Americans we have no duty to ‘Americanize’ or assimilate into one. The U.S. is not owned by one race, one religion, or one creed.
Parents can instill pride in their children by teaching them Arabic, educating them about Lebanon’s cultural traditions, and informing them of Lebanon’s uniqueness in the Middle East.
There are 16 million Lebanese emigrants scattered around the globe. If we choose to tragically forget and deny our heritage, we will soon neglect the unmatched elements of our culture.
The echos of Lebanon sound far beyond its enclosed borders, and far beyond the 10,452 square kilometers of land.
Lebanon is a message that we should be proud to preserve and protect.
May you always remember this proverb: “He who denies his heritage has no heritage.”