The Argentine Mahjar | Lily Pearl Balloffet

Ottoman History Podcast

E352 | In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, over 100,000 Arabic-speaking immigrants settled in Argentina, making it the second most popular destination after the United States for participants in the mahjar, or diaspora of Arabic speaking migrants. In this episode, Lily Pearl Balloffet discusses transnational connections between Latin America and the Eastern Mediterranean. In particular, we focus on how the mahjar influenced the Middle East in the twentieth century and how Arabic-speaking Argentines forged community ties within Argentina. Balloffet describes the role of women’s philanthropy networks in creating interprovincial, rural-urban, and transnational connections. At the end of the podcast, she shares how she has been able to employ database work and digital mapping tools to understand more holistically the geographical breadth and social characteristics of the Argentine mahjar. More at http://www.ottomanhistorypodcast.com/2018/03/argentine-mahjar.html Lily Pearl Balloffet is an Assistant Professor of History at Western Carolina University. Her research is on South-South connections between Latin America and the Arabic-speaking Eastern Mediterranean. She is also one of the editors of Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East & North African Migration Studies. Ella Fratantuono is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research focuses on migration and settlement policies in the late Ottoman Empire. CREDITS Episode No. 352 Release Date: 16 March 2018 Recording Location: Charlotte, NC Audio editing by Chris Gratien Music: Fairuz - Tango Argentino en árabe "Caminito" Special thanks to Kara Günes for permission to use the composition "Istanbul". Images and bibliography courtesy of Lily Pearl Balloffet available at http://www.ottomanhistorypodcast.com/2018/03/argentine-mahjar.html