Syrian Lebanese Americans
Presented by:
Michel N. Laham, M.D.

Bombarded as we are with negative images of Arabs, in general, and Arab Americans, in particular, Americans of Syrian-Lebanese ancestry need to be reminded periodically of their accomplishments and their contributions to American society. So that we and our children may take pride in our heritage and carry on its unique traditions and culture. This was recently brought to my attention when my son, Tarik, had to write a paper on the achievements of his ethnic group for a tenth grade class in American History. He came out of this experience with a new awareness of his background and pride in its accomplishments.

In the field of politics alone, Americans of Syrian-Lebanese origin have made a unique and extraordinary contribution, out of proportion to their numbers and their percentage of the population. Diplomat Philip Habib, who was Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under Presidents Ford and Carter, arranged the famous meeting between Sadat and Begin that led to peace between Egypt and Israel. James Abourezk, who as Senator from South Dakota championed the rights of the American Indians, founded the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee or ADC.

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader pioneered automobile safety features for which all Americans should be grateful and was instrumental in the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. John Sununu, after serving as Governor of New Hampshire, became President Bush's Chief of Staff during the critical phase of Arab-Israeli negotiations and the Gulf War. George Mitchell, former Senate Majority leader, is now President Clinton's trouble- shooter in northern Ireland where he has just arranged a cease-fire between the warring parties. Donna Shalala is our controversial and often embattled Secretary of Health and Human Services. We might also mention America's longest serving White House chief of protocol, Selwa Roosevelt; the dean of the White House press corps, Helen Thomas; former governor of Oregon, Victor Atiyeh; and former senator from South Dakota, James Abdnor.

Syrian-Lebanese Americans have served this country with distinction in two World Wars and in the Korean conflict. Major General Fred Safay fought alongside General George Patton, and Brigadier General Elias Stevensserved on General Eisenhower's staff. Colonel James Jabara was the greatest ace pilot of the Korean War and a true American war hero. So was Abe Jamail, Houston's most decorated WWII hero. Challenger astronaut and martyr of the American space program, Christa McAuliffe, was the daughter of Grace George and the niece of historian Philip Hitti.

In the world of business, the contributions of Syrian-Lebanese Americans have been notable. I will single out only a few families whose accomplishments deserve a special mention, and I invite the readership of The Official Bulletin to contribute their own selections in the Letters to the Editor. Mansour Farah, who emigrated from Lebanon in 1905, learned about the shirt manufacturing industry in New York, then moved to El Paso, Texas, where he founded the Farah Clothes Company, now one of the world's largest clothing companies. Only a few years later, Joseph Haggar settled in Dallas, Texas, where he pioneered the assembly line method in the manufacture of slacks. The Haggar Company is now the world's largest manufacturer of dress slacks.

I would like to mention also the Azar Family of El Paso, Texas, owners of the Azar Nut Company, who have familiarized Americans with the delights of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Finally, Najeeb Halaby, who headed Pan American Airways during its heyday, served as special envoy to various trouble spots across the globe. His daughter married King Hussein, and became Queen Noor of Jordan.

In the field of entertainment, the late Danny Thomas and his daughter, Marlo Thomas, lead a cast of stars: Jamie Farr of the popular television series "MASH"; Casey Kasem, host of America's Top 40; Fred Murray Abraham, winner of the Oscar for best actor in 1984 for his portrayal of Italian composer Antonio Salieri in the movie "Amadeus"; Kathy Najimy, co-star in such popular films as "Sister Act" and "Hocus Pocus"; movie producer- director Mustapha Akkad, who gave us "The Message", "The Lion of the Desert" and the "Halloween" series; singers Paul Anka and Paula Abdul; the late Herbert Khaury, known as Tiny Tim, actors Michael Nouri of "Flashdance", Vic Tayback of the popular T.V. series "Alice", Tony Shalhoub of the television series "Wings" and the movies "The Big Night" and "Paulie"; Michael Ansara and Kristy McNichol.

In the world of sports, Syrian-Lebanese Americans' accomplishments have been significant. Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, star quarterback for Boston College, and more recently, the Canadian Football League's most valuable player, leads the pack. There is also quarterback Jeff George of the Atlanta Falcons, former linebacker for the Chicago Bears and NFL Hall of Famer Bill George, and NBA basketball star Rony Seikaly of the Miami Heat. Joe Robbie, former owner of the Miami Dolphins, also built the football stadium named after him.

In science also, Syrian-Lebanese Americans have made notable contributions. For the sake of brevity, I will mention only two examples. Famed heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey, who is well in his seventies, was recently invited to President Yeltsin's bedside. Harvard Professor Elias Corey was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1990, becoming the first Arab American Nobel laureate, and hopefully not the last.

In the field of literature also, Syrian-Lebanese Americans have made extraordinary contributions. I would like to single out three names that illustrate the wide ranging spectrum of these contributions. The late Philip K. Hitti, who held the chair of Professor of Semitic Languages at Princeton University for many years, left us two magnificent works: A History of Syria and a History of the Arabs. Novelist William Peter Blatty gave us the superbly written supernatural thriller The Exorcist which was made into a horror movie by the same title. Finally, the poet and mystic Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet and The Wanderer, succeeded in being a great writer in both Arabic and English, becoming part of the cultural legacy of both the United States and Lebanon. In his famous letter "To Young Americans of Syrian Origin", Gibran challenges them to "Be proud of being American but...also be proud that your fathers and mothers came from a land upon which God laid His gracious hand and raised His messengers". That is the message which we leave you with.