| This dissertation draws on race, ethnicity, and print culture studies to investigate the intersections of race, gender, religion, class, and nationality in the Arab-American community. Using the Syrian World journal as a case study, I argue that the printing press facilitated the evolution of a modernist ethnic identity among Arab immigrants to the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The journal provided a forum for community members to debate issues and negotiate a position for themselves in American Society.; These early Arab immigrants' local loyalties to their villages, religious sects, and families were stronger than their commitment to a nation. However, once in the United States, they opted for a national identity because it guaranteed them a better reception among Americans.; The intellectuals of the press were a significant force behind the changes in the community. Their articles, poems, and letters urged the Arab immigrants to become an integral part of their adopted country. They also explained to the immigrants the intricacies of American society and gave them the tools to obtain a middle-class status.; The Syrian World depicts the moment in the history of the immigrants when they started losing their links to their homeland. Therefore, it remains an essential document in studying Arab immigration to the United States. |
