Palestinian Diaspora in Latin America: Appendix Five Generations of Immigration to Latin America   Mr. Giries Nocola El-Ali says in his book Bethlehem: The Immortal Town, Jerusalem 1991, pp. 182-189 First Generation: During the lives of my grandfathe Yaqub Salih Jaqaman El-Ali, born in Bethlehem in 1850, who represents here the first generation, and his wife Hilwah Murqus, Palestine was under Turkish rule which continued until the middle of the First World War, that is 1917. Turkey was oppressive, cruel and poor. Earning one’s living was difficult. The Turkish Government was unable to undertake projects to employ people and did not attempt to make life prosperous. There were no schools at that time. Teachers taught boys in their homes. There were no hospitals either. In fact the first hospital built in Bethlehem was the French Hospital with a French administration.  My grandfather Yaqub used to work in winter in his home producing rosaries from olive kernels and doum, and similar products sold to tourists. In summer he used to build houses. Fortune was with him, and in 1889 he won a tender to deliver the stones needed to build the French Hospital. He was responsible for the builders and workers. The Administration of the Hospital knew him for his intelligence, loyalty and trustworthiness as was testified by the old. My grandfather had four daughters and a son. They were: Jamila, Rosa, Mannah, Miladah and Nicola. Second Generation: Jamila She married Hanna Jaqaman Al-‘Ali. They emigrated to Chile and had two daughters: Miladah, who married Khalil Jaqaman Al-‘Ali, had no children and died in Chile; and Rojina, who married Elias Juha. They lived in Lima, Peru. They had ten children, who are all married and had grandchildren. The progeny of Elias and Rojina is estimated to number 105 persons. Rosa, married Ibrahim Thaljiyyah and emigrated to Bolivia; their progeny is estimated to be more than 85 persons. Mannah married Hanna Qteish al-Bandak and emigrated to Honduras. Their progeny is estimated to be more than 90 persons. Miladah remained a spinster and died in Bethlehem. Most emigrants travelled to countries where they had relatives. The former emigrant used to help the latter as he first began his life in the diaspora. Most settled there with their progeny instead of returning home because of the continuous instability. My father Nicola represents the second generation. He was born in Bethlehem in 1878. My mother, Maryam Sa’id Andoniah was born in 1888. My father studied in the Lutheran School situated in Madbash Square. Like most people of Bethlehem he worked in beads and the like. As he was dissatisfied with the condition of the country and also being ambitious, he travelled to Bolivia, starting his life as a mercantile pedlar. Then he became a store owner, made a reasonable fortune and returned to Bethlehem. He expanded his father’s house and bought two plots of land cultivated with olive trees. As he had chosen his father’s craft of building houses, he began to draw up plans for houses and supervise their construction. He was the first in Bethlehem to build the ceiling from armed concrete and that was to a flour mill owned by Khadr al-Qanawati situated at the end of the road leading to Beit Sahur. My father had six children: ‘Afifah, Najib, Giries, Elias, Ya’qub and Mary. Third Generation: ‘Afifah: She married Said Marzuqa and had four sons and three girls. Her sons Yusuf, George and Fuad work in in South Carolina, while Elias is a merchant in Kuwait. Her daughters, Maria, Rossa and Victoria are married and live in Bethlehem. ‘Afifah died recently. Najib: He emigrated to Chile when he was seventeen years old. There he married Anisa Salman and had two sons and a daughter. His sons, Victor and Mikha’il, work in commerce; his daughter, married an engineer from Chile. Najib died and was buried there. Elias: When he was a young man, he followed his brother Najib to Chile. Years later he retuned to Bethlehem and married Mary Hanna Hazboun. They both returned to Chile and had two sons and a daughter: Hanna, Rodolpho and Vivien. They all work in trade. Yaequb: He was born in 1928. He studied engineering by correspondence and worked both in engineering and building in Bethlehem and Kuwait. He married ‘Aidah Jamil El-Ali and had three sons and three daughters: Nicola worked in trade and died a few years after his marriage. Nadir and Nabil work in trade; Nadia and Nadirah married and are living in California. Nariman is married and lives in Ramallah. Yaequb won the 1976 Municipal election. He died in Bethlehem in 1985. Mary: She married Hanna al-Masriyyah Hazbun and has three sons and two daughters. ‘Issa died young. William and George, both married, work in trade. Hilda, who is married, lives in Amman while Vera, also married, lives in Washington. I, Giries Nicola Yaqub Jaqaman Al-‘Ali, was born in Bethlehem in 1922. My wife Mary Giries al-Masriyyah Al-‘Ali was born in Bethlehem in 1929. She finished her schooling at the Good Shepherd’s School and studied modern sewing art. In Brazil she practised trade, and she now works as an adminstrative assistant in our hotel (Natal Mar Hotel). We represent the third generation. I studied elementary sciences at the National School (Government), finishing the seventh grade which was the highest. There were neither preparatory nor secondary schools nor universities. Circumstances were difficult and the political conditions unstable. Conflicts were taking place between Arabs and Jews, and even going to Jerusalem was fraught with danger. Few parents were rich enough to send their children outside Palestine to continue their studies. Thus, I was compelled to continue my studies by correspondence. At the same time I used to help my father in drawing up plans for houses, accompanying him to work-yards to supervise the progress. I studied engineering with Egyptian correspondence schools finishing the required curriculum. I then studied civil engineering, architectural branch, with the International Correspondence Schools (I.C.S.) in London. Unfortunately the start of the Second World War and the suspension of international mail did not allow me to continue the required programme… When conditions worsened, I emigrated to Kuwait and worked in engineering and contracting for seven years. Then, by invitation from Tawfiq Qattan, Member of Parliament, I went to Baghdad to supervise his company’s work, which included the building of a hall for government meetings as well the Grand Karbula’ Hotel. After that I returned to Bethlehem and occupied the post of Bethlehem Municipality Engineer from 1960 until the end of 1964. Conditions continued to deteriorate, discouraging my ambition and hindering my work. Hence, in order to guarantee a good future for my four sons, I resigned from the Municipality. I decided to travel either to my brothers in Chile or to my wife’s brothers, ‘Issa and Tawfiq Giries al-Masriyyah Hazbun who lived in the city of Recife in Brazil with their maternal uncles, the sons of ‘Abdulla ‘Asfurah, and my brother-in-law, Dr. Khalil Hazbun. I visited both countries and chose Brazil because of the abundance of work. I considered staying only five years after which I hoped that understanding and peace would be reached between Palestinians and Jews, so that we could return to our country and town and live in peace. But the days passed quickly. In fact, more than 26 years have now passed since our arrival in Brazil, the peaceful and hospitable country, without any peace being concluded back home. To this day the whole world hopes peace will come to the region and prevail Fourth Generation: My four sons represent the fourth generation. They are: Sami, Ramzi, Makram, and ‘Isam. Sami: He studied architectural engineering at the Government University in Recife in Brazil. At the same time he studied business administration by night at the Catholic University in Recife. He succeeded in his engineering work. He and his brothers have designed and constructed our hotel, “Natal Mar Hotel” in 1983 which consists of 150 rooms (three stars) of which he is the General Manager. With his diligence and toil he has obtained the award given to the best three-star hotels in all of Brazil every year. He married a Brasilian magistrate, Sandra Dantash Al-‘Ali, and they have two children, a boy, Andre and a daughter, Marina. Ramzi: He studied engineering and has been very successful in his work. He has just finished the construction of a fourteen storey building. He has already started on the construction of another building of ten storeys, of his own design and construction. He is married to his cousin Anna Maria Hazbun Al-‘Ali. She is the holder of a business administration certificate. They have a son, George and two daughters Christiani and Moniki. Makram: He studied civil engineering (calculation of armed concrete). He practised his profession for many years but then opened a big computer store, making programmes for institutions, companies, hotels and similar bodies in and out of the province. He married a Brazilian architectural engineer, Glissy Azamboga El-Ali. They have a daughter, Luisy. ‘Isam: He studied architectural engineering and practised his profession for a while. His hobbies are drawing and photography. At present he owns three stores which sell photographic equipment and two laboratories for developing film and quick printing. In addition, he runs a publicity office for newspapers, magazines, television and the like. He married a Brazilian, Suzani Nobrega El-Ali, a university graduate and a publicity specialist. They have a son, Edwardo and two daughters, Micheli and Barbara. Fifth Generation: My nine grand children represent the fifth generation. Though they are living in Brazil in peace, tranquillity and luxury, we do our best to inculcate them, as their fathers did before them, that their family origins are deeply rooted in their native town, Bethlehem, the birth-place of Christ, may peace be on Him.