The Lebanese community

Essay 1

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it

I'm part of a Lebanese community with a common culture and heritage: Lebanon, a small but culturally and historically rich country in the Middle East, characterized by a unique blend of religions, ethnicities, and traditions. I identify with this community, which has left a deep mark on my identity, especially since I no longer live there.

I've been a member of the Lebanese diaspora for 3 years. I'd hoped that in the new school I'd have to go to there would be a few Lebanese I could get on with so I wouldn't feel lost, but that wasn't the case. So, I assimilated to Monaco's culture and people. The friends I've made like me for who I am, but they don't know much about my country, so I try to sell them something other than what one might have in mind about Lebanon and the Middle East in general, but rather tell them about the unique cultural diversity, the cuisine, the landscapes, or the warm-hearted people.

In Monaco there aren't many Lebanese, but in other cities there are, like Nice where I have many cousins and friends who, like me, had to leave Lebanon. We often get together at weekends to eat in Lebanese restaurants, we go to church together on Sundays, and we tell each other the stories we shared when we were still in the country.

I would say that my place in the Lebanese community is rooted in my heritage, and that I would like to be able to show all the good aspects of it to others, and at the same time be in close contact with my community as in Michigan, where there is a large Lebanese and more broadly Arab community.

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