In the late 1800s Arab immigrants began to settle on Washington Street in lower Manhattan. Their entrepreneurial spirit transformed the neighborhood, known as Little Syria, into a thriving community lined with shops, restaurants and coffeehouses, each furnished with signs written in their native Arabic. Here Arab Americans raised their families, educated their children, worshipped in churches and
mosques and gradually became part of the life of New York. Although razed in the 1940s to make way for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, contributions of the community’s notable residents remain relevant. Among them, Ameen Rihani, founding father of Arab-American literature, and Naoum and Salloum Mokarzel, creators of the publication Al-Hoda whose work revolutionized journalism in the Arab world. This exhibit documents these stories and more, recognizing Little Syria’s contribution to the great city of New York and providing historical context to some of today’s pressing issues. For more information: http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/little.syria.ny.exhibit
Inquiries, including potential artifact donations, may be directed to Curator of Exhibits Elizabeth Barrett Sullivan at [email protected]
