Syrian Immigration to St. Louis

Many immigrant groups made the long and difficult journey to America to settle in St. Louis. From all over the world, people flooded to the middle of an unknown country. With so many large groups such as the Germans and Italians in St. Louis, it can be difficult to remember those smaller bunches that made the same difficult decision to leave their homeland to attempt to live the American dream. Oftentimes immigration to America at the turn of the twentieth century focuses so heavily on European groups that the other “outsiders” are disregarded and forgotten. One smaller and often overlooked group are the Syrians, a hard-working and family-oriented group who began arriving in St. Louis in the 1880s. [1] In the busy St. Louis immigrant communities, Syrians were not seen as a major player; however, they have left a lasting imprint on the city. 

In order to examine a specific immigrant group to the St. Louis area, it is important to gain some background information about the group on the national scale. The Syrians came to America with Turkish passports, from a part of the world then known as the Ottoman Empire; however, they referred to themselves as Syrians, even though they were migrating from present day Lebanon, which was then referred to as Mount Lebanon.[2] The first immigrant arrived in 1854, which was unusual because many would not follow until the 1880s.[3] Syrian immigration nation-wide became steady in the 1870s, peaked in 1914, declined during WWI, and rose in the 1920s before finally declining after the Immigration Quota Act of 1929.[4] Many arrived in America with the hopes of making a great deal of money and returning to their homeland. The few who actually returned to Lebanon proved to have a profound impact on Lebanese society, giving more freedoms to women, a successful middle class, and an overall positive outlook on life. [5]

The Syrians who arrived in St. Louis started off in modern day Syria, but moved to modern-day Lebanon to avoid religious persecution. The majority of those who came to America, and all of those who arrived in St. Louis, were of the Maronite Catholic Church and had been afraid of persecution by the Ottoman Turks for following St. Maron. Because of this, they moved to Lebanon.[6] Since the Maronites were constantly persecuted, many fled to nearby Cyprus, while others fled to distant lands such as America.[7]

The story of the Syrians in St. Louis can be told through their church, St. Raymond’s Maronite Catholic Church, built in 1912. This church is still in existence today and it is an excellent starting point for discussions of the Syrian immigrants. Their history is rich and so closely connected to their faith that it only makes sense to begin there. This current church replaced the first Maronite church in St. Louis, St. Anthony of the Desert, built in 1898.[8] Even the simple dates on these two churches provide a great example of the Syrian immigration patterns in St. Louis. The tie to their faith is evident in the need for places of worship and the expansion of the church due to population increase. They began arriving heavily in St. Louis in the 1890s, which correlates to the creation of their first church, St. Anthony, in 1898.[9]

In St. Louis, the Syrian community which established itself in “Little Syria,” in what is now referred to as the Soulard neighborhood, was established by a group from Hadchit, in Modern day North-Central Lebanon. This neighborhood was located between what are now Choteau, Plum, 4th, and 2nd streets.[10] One of the first pastors at St. Raymond’s Maronite Church came directly from Hadchit in order to become priest.[11] The story passed down within St. Raymond’s Maronite Church says that eleven immigrants first arrived in St. Louis in 1856, starting off in tenement houses along the riverfront north of St. Louis. The wave of immigration did not really begin until the 1890s, whereas before it was simply a trickle of people arriving. They had hopes to return to Lebanon after reaching success in America, but they decided to stay.[12]

The groups that ended up in St. Louis were all from an area known as Mount Lebanon, specifically a town called Hadchit. An immigrant interviewed in 1976 commented that “maybe all St. Louis Syrian families are related far enough back,”[13] referring to the idea that these families probably would have known each other back in the homeland. In the Ottoman Empire, these families were originally living in modern day Syria, but were forced to move to Mount Lebanon due to religious and social pressures, and were eventually forced out of the Empire due to the same pressures. They were continually being harassed in Syria, so they decided to make the final decision to move to America. 

Many factors pushed the Syrians out of the Ottoman Empire. Most Middle Eastern countries knew little, if anything at all about America before the turn of the twentieth century. There was not even a common name for “America” in any Middle Eastern countries until nearly 1900.[14] The Syrians of Mount Lebanon were an exception. This group was heavily influenced by American missionaries through the education system in Syria. The high education rates and Christian influence allowed for this group to become more knowledgeable about the west.[15]

These Syrians originally left Syria for Mount Lebanon, or modern-day Lebanon, due to conflict with Ottoman Turks, and once again influenced to leave, this time moving from Lebanon to America. One push factor involved conflict between Maronite Christians and the Druze in 1840 and 1860. The Druze and Maronites, among other Christians, had cooperated well in the area known as Mount Lebanon from the sixteenth century until the mid-19th century. At that time, the Druze began to exert massive control over the Maronites, where previously they had encouraged their religious group and supported peace between the two cultures.[16] Higher birth rates among the Maronites as opposed to the Druze also caused further conflict, helping the Maronites to rise in power, leaving Druze to feel threatened.[17] The Druze are a branch of Islam with which many Christians in Syria had engaged in conflict with. In Mount Lebanon, there had been numerous massacres and disturbances between the Druze and Maronites, two major occurrences taking place in 1840 and 1860.[18]

Christianity was a major component in Syrian immigrants to America. Their culture was fully enriched in their religion and it was also the reason for their emigration from Syria. Ninety percent of Syrian immigrants to America were Christians.[19] The religious persecution they faced in the Ottoman Empire became the reason many Syrians fled for America. The Ottoman Turks were Muslim and there was constant violence between the two religious groups. Therefore, the minority group of Christians would be the ones to flee. Many Protestant missionaries also influenced Syrians to make the journey to America.[20] The Syrians who came to St. Louis were Maronite Catholic. In 1912, there were no Maronite bishops or seminaries in America, so the immigrants in St. Louis had to send for a preacher from their homeland. Father Joseph Karam headed the Maronites in St. Louis from 1912-1944.[21] Still today St. Raymond’s in St. Louis is the only Maronite Church in the state of Missouri and it was the first established west of the Mississippi River. 

They also felt pressures due to an increased involvement in ever-expanding trade. This globalization process of opening the Middle East with Europe in particular made the country more reliant on cash instead of ancient barter traditions that were much more common for these people. A “silk crisis” also occurred in 1890 due to competition with cheaper Chinese silks in the European market, causing some to seek out a new life elsewhere. Also due to Lebanon’s access to the Mediterranean and involvement in trade, it became easier for people to emigrate. They had easier access to ships and other transportation means. It was not simply that the Syrians wanted to head for America in particular; they wanted to leave Syria/Lebanon in general. Possibly 45% of Mount Lebanon’s population emigrated between 1860 to 1914. Many of those who left were young men and it is thought that many of the young men who left were seeking to evade military service.[22]

On top of it all, missionary schools were hard at work introducing Western culture to the Middle East, appealing to the young populations. This influx of new culture and ideas was appealing to the young population in Syria/Lebanon and they wanted to seek it out for themselves. Of course, the basic freedoms and American growth and wealth stories influenced those emigrating from the Middle East. [23]

The push and pull factors of the waves of Syrian immigration from the 1850s through the 1910s are necessary to gain an understanding of the group. Why would a people so unfamiliar with America and most of the West ever decide it was a good idea to travel thousands of miles away from their homeland? They faced hardships in Syria, but they were assured their situation would improve in America, troubles would calm down in Syria, and they would one day return home. Their religion held them together as a group in their homeland and in their new home across the globe in America. In St. Louis in particular, the Syrians found comfort in their religious life. This religion and the tensions with others is also one of the reasons they left their homeland in search of something better. Persecution at home and the occasional story of great success in America were the driving forces among this group, a common factor for many immigrant groups at the time. 

Syrians who came to America were escaping religious persecution in the Ottoman Empire and wanted anything to get out. “The question of the selection of their destination remained unimportant.” Syrians almost seemed not to care where they were heading as long as it was away from Syria and the Ottoman Turks. Interestingly, some of those Syrians who were refused entry into the United States settled in Brazil and Argentina in South America.[24] The circumstances that drove them from the Ottoman Empire gave the immigrants a desire for anything better. Many were simply ignorant of general geography and had little idea as to how large the Americas were. Many Syrians simply wanted to get to America; it did not matter if it was North or South.[25]

Syrians fled oppression of the Ottoman Empire to America, where they first settled in New York City and Boston, before they realized the factory life that was available in the East was not suitable for them. They decided to trek westward where they could follow business endeavors instead.[26] In at least one case, an individual was smuggled across the Mexican border to come to America. One individual John Shahadle Jacob claimed to come to St. Louis through Philadelphia, but later confessed after an investigation that he and friends were smuggled across the Mexican border into America.[27] This example shows how widespread Syrian immigration was in the United States. To show this connection between Missouri and Mexico establishes a greater understanding of the ways in which Syrians were able to arrive at their destination in the middle of the United States. 

In a similar way to the nationwide pattern, those who came to St. Louis often started out as peddlers and eventually rose to become grocers or open stores of other means. Peddling was not seen as a long-term profession but as a beginning in America, and it was essential to these immigrants. Moreover, peddling was a means of employment and was key to the assimilation process. It allowed for immigrants to become more accustomed to American culture and to learn the language.[28] An article stated that “you seldom find a Syrian engaged in manual labor. He starts out on a business career.” This was found to be true in the St. Louis region as well as nationwide.[29]

There was a documented case of Syrians beaten and robbed while trying to sell their goods in the mining town of Macon, Mo. In this instance, Syrians from other parts of the area arrived to assist in the apprehension of the suspects in this case. Syrians from as far away as Quincy, Illinois came in support of their fellow Syrians.[30] Those Syrians who assisted in this ordeal were quoted as saying, 

“Syrians came to America because it was known as a liberty-loving country and to escape the harsh rule of the Ottoman Empire… but they had never heard of a more brutal crime in the Orient than their kinsmen had been the victims of here.”[31]

Although many started out as peddlers, these immigrants always searched for a way to rise in society and, somewhat unique to St. Louis, many Syrian immigrants were drawn to a life in politics. 

Starting as early as 1911, the Slay family was on the political scene in the area.[32] Present-day mayor Francis Slay is a descendent of this same group of Slay politicians. Prominent names in the Syrian population of St. Louis also included Mizerany, Khoury, and Webbe.[33] Looking back on it, an interviewee stated that nearly all of the Syrian family names in the St. Louis area would be found in the political scene in some way in their history.[34] It was suitable for a Syrian immigrant to get involved as an alderman because he could relate to his neighborhood and Syrian-Americans would support “one of their own.” The immigrants had excellent social skills and could successfully work their way up the political ladder in St. Louis. 

Syrian immigrants in St. Louis showed some similarities to immigrants elsewhere in the nation. Although the bulk of Syrians in St. Louis arrived in the late 1880s and 1890s, Syrian immigration increased nationwide by 50 percent from 1900 to 1901.[35] According to a survey in 1907, ninety-four percent were coming to join friends and family in America.[36] In 1890, Syrian immigrants began arriving in St. Louis from other parts of the country, primarily the New England Region, although some were coming up from the South, according to Harper Barnes.[37] According to Barnes, many Syrians were “often better educated than other immigrants of the time.”[38] This education is attributed to the Catholic influence in Mount Lebanon.[39] This would allow them to succeed in many endeavors they wished to accomplish by coming to America.

Some of the first mentions of Syrians in St. Louis were through the news surrounding the World’s Fair.[40] Although these individuals did not settle in St. Louis as immigrants, they brought with them a particular culture that St. Louis could see and become exposed to if only within the context of the World’s Fair. Some found difficulties trying to return home after the World’s Fair, such as a group working at the Morocco exhibit. This exhibit underwent a change in ownership and the new owner at the conclusion of the Fair would not agree to pay the passage for the individuals to return home to Syria.[41] While others had to find their own way home, most Syrians working at the World’s Fair returned home through New York.[42] In addition, Syrians were used in the “shows” at the World’s Fair by being subjected to “scientific” research. Along with Native Americans, Africans, Chinese, and many others, they were subjected to tests and exams to “prove” the superiority of the white race above these other “primitive tribes.”[43]

Throughout the country, Syrians were referred to by many names. Syrians were sometimes acknowledged as “Turks” since they were coming from the Ottoman Empire, where there was a great mixture of cultures and ethnic groups. Some in America were simply ignorant of the differences in the people of the Middle East.[44] Greeks and Syrians were often confused nationwide. An excerpt from the St. Louis Republic from New York explained that “the Greeks and Syrians are indiscriminately mixed, [it is] difficult to distinguish them.”[45]

There was never an outright hatred for Syrians in St. Louis; however, that could be based on their relatively small population. St. Louis was full of immigrants, of which Syrians were a very small proportion. Although overall Syrians were successfully accepted into St. Louis society, some women in the area had a differing opinion of immigration groups in general. Some groups such as Turks and Syrians were given more rights than women, which caused women to voice their opinion. One even sent a letter to the editor of the Post Dispatch to express her outrage at this.[46] Not only was this an issue in women’s rights but it is also one example explaining how Syrians were received in St. Louis. On the other hand, some individuals such as Mrs. Frank de Garmo wanted to care for the immigrants and help them succeed. She taught literacy to immigrants such as Syrians, Croatians, and Serbians in St. Louis.[47] Syrians seemed to have been accepted well into St. Louis society and were surely able to make their own way in America. 

Syrians made their way successfully in St. Louis. Although their original intent was not to stay in St. Louis forever, but to return home with their money earned, they made the decision to stay put due to their positive acceptance and the way of life they had built for themselves. Their strong ties to the Maronite Catholic Church allowed them to create a community for themselves, with generations of rising group leaders who could influence the world around them. Although they were a small group in comparison to the many other immigrants who sought a new life in St. Louis, they still managed to make a name for themselves, one that still exists today. 

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[1] Ami Ayalon. "The Arab Discovery of America in the Nineteenth Century." 5. Middle Eastern Studies 20 (1984), http://www.jstor.org/stable/4283027.
[2] Tamie Dehler. "Genealogy: Syrian, Lebanese Immirants arrive in US in 1870s ." (2009), http://tribstar.com/history/x1896315608/Genealogy-Syrian-Lebanese-immigrants-arrived-in-U-S-in-1870s.
[3] Ami Ayalon. "The Arab Discovery of America in the Nineteenth Century." 5. Middle Eastern Studies 20 (1984), http://www.jstor.org/stable/4283027.
[4] Tamie Dehler. "Genealogy: Syrian, Lebanese Immirants arrive in US in 1870s ." (2009), http://tribstar.com/history/x1896315608/Genealogy-Syrian-Lebanese-immigrants-arrived-in-U-S-in-1870s
[5] Elizabeth Thompson."Akram Fouad Khater, Inventing Home: Emigration, Gender, and the Middle Class in Lebanon 1870-1920." The American Historical Review 107 (2002), http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/532837.
[6] Janet Baker & Ramona Milford. "Video History" St. Raymond's Maronite Cathedral. http://www.straymondsmaronitecathedral.com.
[7] Simone Paturel. “Reconstructing the History of the Cypriot Maronites.” Journal of Cyprus Studies 15, no. 37 (September 2009): 19-39. Academic Search Elite, EBSCOhost.
[8] Lebanon and it’s Cuisine. St. Raymond’s Maronite Catholic Church.
[9] Huisinga, Joan. The Churches of Soulard. St. Louis, Missouri, COS Inc, 1998.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Jennifer Brinker. "Lebanese priest, parish weave tale of dedication, commitment of Maronite Church here, abroad." St. Louis Review (2012), http://stlouisreview.com/article/2012-02-14/lebanese-priest.
[12] Janet Baker & Ramona Milford. "Video History" St. Raymond's Maronite Cathedral. http://www.straymondsmaronitecathedral.com.
[13] Harper Barnes. “Lebanese Impact on St. Louis.” St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. South Side Journal 1976. p 74.
[14] Ami Ayalon. "The Arab Discovery of America in the Nineteenth Century." 5. Middle Eastern Studies 20 (1984), http://www.jstor.org/stable/4283027.
[15] Charles Issawi. "The Historical Background of Lebanese Emigration, 1800-1914 ." World Lebanese Cultural Union. http://www.ulcm.org/docs/default-source/newletter/the-historical-background-of-lebanese-emigration-1800-1914.pdf?sfvrsn=4.
[16] Kamal Salibi. "Druze History." Druze Heritage Foundation. http://www.druzeheritage.org/dhf/Druze_History.asp
[17]Charles Issawi."The Historical Background of Lebanese Emigration, 1800-1914 ." World Lebanese Cultural Union. http://www.ulcm.org/docs/default-source/newletter/the-historical-background-of-lebanese-emigration-1800-1914.pdf?sfvrsn=4
[18] "The Massacres of 1840-1860 in Mount Lebanon." Cedarland. http://www.kobayat.org/data/documents/historical/massacres1840.htm.
[19] Oswaldo M. S. Truzzi, “The Right Place at the Right Time: Syrians and Lebanese in Brazil and the United States: A Comparitive Approach,” Journal of American Ethnic History.. V. 16 no. 2. Winter 1997. p 6.
[20] Adele Younis. The Coming of the Arabic-Speaking People to the United States. New York: Center for Migration Studies, 1995. (accessed November 1, 2013).
[21] Harper Barnes. “Lebanese Impact on St. Louis.” St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. South Side Journal 1976. p 74.
[22] Eliane Fersan. "Syro-Lebanese Migration: 1880 to Present, Push and Pull Factors." Middle East Institute. http://www.mei.edu/content/syro-lebanese-migration-1880-present-“push”-and-“pull”-factors.
[23] Eliane Fersan. "Syro-Lebanese Migration: 1880 to Present, Push and Pull Factors." Middle East Institute. http://www.mei.edu/content/syro-lebanese-migration-1880-present-“push”-and-“pull”-factors.
[24] Truzzi, Oswaldo M. S., “The Right Place at the Right Time: Syrians and Lebanese in Brazil and the United States: A Comparitive Approach,” Journal of American Ethnic History.. V. 16 no. 2. Winter 1997. p 5.
[25] Ibid., 5.
[26] “St. Louis Lebanese Remember Heritage.” St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. South Side Journal 1976. p 34.
[27] Immigrants Smuggles In From Mexico. 1906. St.Louis Post - Dispatch (1879-1922), Aug 18. http://search.proquest.com/docview/577658139?accountid=176.
[28] Oswaldo M. S. Truzzi, “The Right Place at the Right Time: Syrians and Lebanese in Brazil and the United States: A Comparitive Approach,” Journal of American Ethnic History.. V. 16 no. 2. Winter 1997. p 7.
[29] “Immigration for the Year Ending June 30,”The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 03 July 1902. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1902-07-03/ed-1/seq-8/>
[30] “Syrians Beaten and Robbed,”The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 17 Oct. 1902. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1902-10-17/ed-1/seq-5/>
[31] Ibid.
[32] “St. Louis Lebanese Remember Heritage.” St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. South Side Journal 1976. p 34.
[33] St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. 1976. p 113.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Most Undesirable Immigration. 1901. St.Louis Post - Dispatch (1879-1922), Oct 11. http://search.proquest.com/docview/577378553?accountid=176.
[36] Oswaldo M. S. Truzzi. “The Right Place at the Right Time: Syrians and Lebanese in Brazil and the United States: A Comparitive Approach,” Journal of American Ethnic History. V. 16 no. 2. Winter 1997. p 8.
[37] Harper Barnes. “Lebanese Impact on St. Louis.” St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. South Side Journal 1976. p 74.
[38] “St. Louis Lebanese Remember Heritage.” St. Louis General Scrapbook, V. 19. South Side Journal 1976. p 34.
[39] Charles Issawi. "The Historical Background of Lebanese Emigration, 1800-1914 ." World Lebanese Cultural Union. http://www.ulcm.org/docs/default-source/newletter/the-historical-background-of-lebanese-emigration-1800-1914.pdf?sfvrsn=4 (accessed November 17, 2013).
[40] “Says Azza Was Victim of Plot,” The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 31 Oct. 1904. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1904-10-31/ed-1/seq-7/>
[41] “Return of Seven Syrians is a Vexatious Problem,”The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 06 Dec. 1904. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1904-12-06/ed-1/seq-3/>
[42] “Foreigners Going Home,” The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 27 Nov. 1904. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1904-11-27/ed-1/seq-27/>
[43] “Scientists Complete Work of Investigating the Relations, Origins, and Racial Characteristics of Primitive Tribes at World’s Fair,” The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 04 Dec. 1904. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1904-12-04/ed-1/seq-35/>
[44] Oswaldo M. S. Truzzi, “The Right Place at the Right Time: Syrians and Lebanese in Brazil and the United States: A Comparitive Approach,” Journal of American Ethnic History.. V. 16 no. 2. Winter 1997. p 16.
[45] “Immigration for the Year Ending June 30,”The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 03 July 1902. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1902-07-03/ed-1/seq-8/>
[46] Lulu Clarke. 1909. LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE. St.Louis Post - Dispatch (1879-1922), Nov 11. http://search.proquest.com/docview/577859083?accountid=176.
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