On Friday February 21st, The North Carolina Museum of History added the first exhibition to commemorate the history of Lebanese immigrants who have made North Carolina their home since the 1880’s. They called this compelling exhibit the Cedars in the Pines focuses on the diversity that the Lebanese Americans in the state have contributed to the exhibit. I, along with students from North Carolina State University volunteered to host the many faces that not only made this happen, but created a memorable and exhilirating event and exhibit.
The local Lebanese dance group giving a preview of the dabke dance and music at the Museum of History
Although I do come from a middle-eastern background, I was familiar with certain heritages. Since I do not come from a Lebanese background, nor have my generation (within my family) been one to migrate, I was intrigued at much of what I didn’t know. Walking through the exhibit, the richness in the Lebanese culture was apparent. From the family photographs that were provided by locals, to the media and audio recordings, to the letters, family photographs, and even down to the occasional outfits. Growing up in America, diversity is common. Diversity brings cultures together, but we tend to oversee the beauty that each culture has to contribute to the rest of our American society. The exhibit offers interactive components that allowed me to experience the full-Lebanese culture. For instance, there were hypothetical scenarios for visitors to vividly experience the process of a person to migrate from what is considered to be “home” to a foreign land and territory for the sake of hard work. Also, there was a really cool option on a dance floor to learn steps of the middle-eastern dance dabke. They even hosted a local Lebanese dabke dance team to make an appearance to dance and show the steps of the game. It was great!
Entering the exhibit, I was given a pamphlet that fully portrayed the exhibit as a whole and it begins with:
“Cedars in the Pines brings together their remarkable stories in three exhibit sections. A brief description of each follows.
Akram Khater, PhD, Director of Middle East Studies and Director of Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies, NC State University giving a speech commemorating the exhibit
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Journeys explores the many choices associated with immigration. The section includes the history of Lebanon, the reasons the emigrants left home, and the hardships of their long journeys. In the 1880s, thousands boarded steamships for America, where new arrivals faced more challenges in a foreign country. Exhibit items, such as an Arabic Bible that belonged to Side Mack, who immigrated at age 17, help tell these important stories.
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Belonging focuses on the challenges and opportunities of Lebanese immigrants who moved to North Carolina. Khater notes that the newcomers experienced culture shock, struggled against challenges and discrimination, and earned acceptance and success. The section highlights work, school and those who have given back to their communities. Visitors will see an elementary reader printed in Arabic; a Lebanese passport; items from Parker’s Restaurant, a family-run business in Rocky Mount; and other artifacts that recount these experiences.
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Being explores what it means to be Lebanese in North Carolina, centering on home, religion and community. Khater explains that cultural practices like marriage traditions and food, music and religion, along with community organizations, played key roles in their efforts. Some traditions were changed to adapt to American culture, but others were strongly maintained.”
The beautiful personal stories were shown to recount the challenges that the generations of Lebanese immigrants and the struggle to maintain their cultural heritage after adaptation to North Carolina as Dr. Akram Khater mentioned in his opening speech commemorating the Lebanese culture and its history in North Carolina. I volunteered with Akram Khater, PhD, Director of Middle East Studies Program and Director of Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies, N.C. State University on Friday to host those who have contributed to this exhibit. In addition to personal stories that were presented in the exhibit, I was honored to meet these people and carry the conversations of their memories. The enlightening feeling of history and revival of memories brought many people to ask me of mine. Rather I was more intrigued of theirs, and so I had asked about the struggles that they’ve encountered. When I asked, many of the responses were the culture clashes, but when these people compared it to today, the mention how cultures have become more embracing, rather than a clash in history. And so I enjoyed the first hand personal stories and was eager to walk through the exhibit.
Lebanese food, snacks and sweets hosted by Sitti Lebanese Resturaunt, Downtown Raleigh
The first thing that caught my attention was the home videos. I was pleased to find a group of people gathering around the home videos smiling and giggling, along with the man who was recording the video at the moment in time in history. I was attracted to that happiness, and noticed that happiness is understood through any culture and any heritage. And so, I continued to wander as the delights of the moment continued to intrigue me. I suddenly stopped at the family photographs and was fascinated, just as I am fascinated at moments in history that I can never fathom. I would rather save the details, for everyone interprets images and photographs in their own perspective. Yet, let me mention that I find each man and woman’s posture and micro-expressions in these photos to have a strong significance. You can almost feel the pressures of time in each photo. I began to construe each photo and match it towards the times of the historical challenge and the times when those whom are photographed overcame these obstacles.
The whole exhibit gave realism to cultures and heritages. From the big pictures and videos to the smaller letters and artifacts, it gives life to what was once history. It gives life, to what we once believed is dead. Memories. But memories can be “revived” as I was told many times in the ceremony, first-handedly, and that is apparently conveyed in this exhibit and all those who have offered to it.
The volunteers and I
zainahroub 