Strangers No More: Syrians in the United States, 1880-1900

Syrian/Lebanese immigration to the United States began only in 1878, but by 1900, Syrian men and women had settled in every state and territory, from Alabama to Wyoming. First traveling 5,000 miles to reach New York, these wanderers peddled their way to the furthest corners of the country, settling in hundreds of cities and towns. They braved the rigors of the western territories, including Alaska, and moved into towns where no Arab had ever been seen before. There they made new lives for themselves, becoming along the way, Americans.