Lebanon: Multiculturalism or Artfully Masked Discrimination?
21 March 2010 at 00:13 Nishita 9 comments
Tailored advertisements for Lebanon's service workers
Lebanon is aesthetically beautiful with its lush greenery and seemingly endless miles of coastline flirting with the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. In a region known for its vast deserts, Lebanon is certainly a strange exception. Living in ultra modern Beirut, it is easy to forget that the country has been plagued by war for generations. With its bustling cafes, gorgeous boardwalk (the “Corniche”) filled with street vendors, young lovers holding hands, and families walking carelessly as small children ride bicycles and eat chocolate bars or freshly grilled corn, Beirut sometimes feels like an urban paradise. As a middle-income country, Lebanon does not suffer from the same degree of poverty like Egypt and Syria. It also does not have the incredible wealth of countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Yet, there is an interesting social dynamic here that I did not expect to find…..
Fresh corn and juice on the Corniche
The services sector is the predominant contributor to the country’s economy. What surprises me is that in almost every café, restaurant, or bar frequented by Beirut’s middle and upper class residents and Western expatriates, there is a clear hierarchy in the employee structure—waiters are generally Lebanese or Egyptian, and almost certainly the one responsible for mopping the floors and removing the trash is a darker skinned man, most probably from an African country such as Ethiopia or Cote D’Ivoire. Also, those seemingly carefree curious children enjoying the excitement of the Corniche can often do so because they are closely being watched by an Asian (Filipina, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, or Nepali) or African (Ethiopian) nanny following closely behind to ensure their safety.
I continue to be torn over whether this importation of foreign, cheap labor, in Lebanon and all over the world, is ultimately a positive or negative step for global economic development and social equality.
On the positive side:
• These Asian and African service workers are presumably able to find work that they may not otherwise get in their own countries and send home much needed remittances to support their families and domestic economies; the Western Union money transfer stores (which there are more than 700 of in Lebanon!) have colorful advertisements such as “Can you send money to Sri Lanka for as little as $10? YES!”;
• For many young women working in Lebanon, it seems like they have greater opportunities to be socially free that may not be possible when living at home with their families; I love to walk around early on Sunday mornings to see the groups of young Asian women (presumably service workers) walking with arms linked, giggling and window shopping on their day off.
• Thus far, I have not heard so many horror stories about employers withholding passports, rampant sexual violence, and inhumane work conditions as is true for many service workers living in Gulf countries, which suggests that work conditions may be more fair and ethical in Lebanon.
On the negative side:
• A class of racially and ethnically distinguishable service workers reinforces the idea that these specific countries are meant only to serve Lebanon’s well-to-do;
• With salaries typically less than the national minimum wage (approximately $300/month), I wonder how the financial rewards from working in Lebanon can truly impact the domestic economies and family conditions of these workers;
• It is still expected that enough of these workers are brought to work in Lebanon without proper information regarding their duties or the benefits they will receive; sexual violence and exploitation surely exist but may just be harder to see—one case is one case too much.
It would be silly to act as if my home country, the U.S., is not dealing with similar challenges regarding imported labor. This is not a new debate or one that is likely to go away anytime soon. But I am still taken aback that a country like Lebanon, with its constant intermingling of Arabic, French, and English, and clear pride in its cosmopolitan culture, has such a distinct racial and ethnic separation when it comes to its service workers. It seems that “multiculturalism” exists on a purely lateral level with the upper tiers of society, but has failed to penetrate the country’s socially diverse layers.
In theory, if those that hire foreign labor and those who come to work benefit mutually from the relationship, then there is no issue. However, as we Kiva Fellows have come to quickly learn, what makes sense in theory and what is actually applied can differ drastically. I am in no position to suggest whether the presence of these service workers is in the best interest of Lebanon or their home countries. I simply aim to highlight the very international labor spectrum that exists in a country that is built both on diversity and segregation. What I have come to observe is that the presence of many cultures does not necessarily equate to multiculturalism.
Nishita Roy is a Kiva Fellow (Class 10) serving in Lebanon. Get involved with Lebanon field partners, Ameen or Al Majmoua today!
Entry filed under: blogsherpa, KF10 (Kiva Fellows 10th Class), Lebanon. Tags: imported labor, Lebanon, remittances, service workers.
1. Francisco Ramos | 19 June 2011 at 23:25
Hello Nishita,
It is interesting to me that you see the racial hierarchy in Lebanon, but it is the same in the United States. It is no secret that those cleaning tables and doing dishes in all cities in the country are usually darker skinned. The same happens with those who do the landscaping, cleaning and maintenance of buildings, etc. And the same treatment is give to darker skinned people here, we call them “illegal”, force them to live in shaks in the fields of California and many other states, displace them from neighborhoods they call “home” in cities with urban renewal (“gentrification”) schemes… and so on, and so on. So, what happens in Lebanon should not be surprising to those of us who reside in the United States… and Europe since the same happens there… and so on…
Best,
Francisco
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4. Mary Riedel | 23 March 2010 at 18:33
Thanks for your post Nishta… it is an interesting topic. One could argue (or hope) that it’s a way in – the service work – and that they are the pioneers who will pave the road for future entrepreneurs, academics, ect, of their ethnicity in the future
5. Laura | 22 March 2010 at 12:31
Nishita,
You are addressing a complicated topic that some refer to as le nouveau esclavageisme. I did my undergraduate thesis on domestic foreign workers in the Mashreq and GCC states, using Lebanon as my main case study. I’m a former Kiva Fellow too! We should talk about it. If I’m not mistaken, Lebanon has really taken the lead in tightening up the legal arena where foreign workers can feel safe to press charges against abusive masters or employers. Israel, Syria, the Gulf States… are all still very far behind, but none of them signed this portion of the Human Rights declaration. Lebanon has a “legal” responsibility to protect the rights of foreigners, however humble, but the other countries don’t actually have the paperwork forcing them to comply. Fascinating topic. Like I said, I’d love to do some digging and talk more extensively about this. I am very passionate about the issue.
Laura (KF8, VFC, Rwanda)
6. carien | 22 March 2010 at 10:19
Hi Nishita,
This is an intresting article but however the poin that you never heard of those girls not being held against there will pasports held behind ect. That could be the case that you never heard of it but the facts are a bit different. I think it is the biggest shame of Lebanon how they treat those girls. In 2006 nobody cared about them they were left by them selves while everybody tried to save themselves. There was an intresting film on TV made by a Lebanese woman about this subject. I love Lebanon I hope one day I will live there for 6 months a year.Sorry that I can’t agree with you there.
Have a nice stay and who knows we are going to meat in May
With respect Carien Bitar-Boerboom
7. vishnu84 | 22 March 2010 at 01:25
100% agree with the last observation about cultures vs multiculturalism and I continue to see if in my backyard in England. If microfinance could be seen as consistent with more broader social goals of integration as well as pure economic considerations, the financial sector could even play a part in raising awareness of religious and cultural issues.
It is refreshing to see that in a country as diverse as the Philippines, the social systems in place have embraced microfinance. While people here are brought together by geography, language or even natural disaster, there is an abundance of humility and respect for others, unlike other countries I have visited.
Good to hear from you Nishy. Lets have some more pictures!
8. George | 21 March 2010 at 09:10
Humans arranging themselves in careful heirarchies? I would be stunned if you saw otherwise anywhere in the world. “Discrimination” as we commonly define it comes from the American Civil Rights movement, it has currency or even coherent meaning for people outside the West only when they parrot back to us what they think they want us to hear. If you were to discuss your tender sensibilities with one of the men emptying trash there, he would dismiss you as a fool: “I work, I can send money back to my family, that is all”.
I am pleased to lend money to the taciturn-looking man in Lebanon starting a butcher shop. Not because I think he shares anything close to my hyper-liberal views of the Oneness of All Mankind, but because his economic success strengthens the positive directions of his society and weakens the parasites and murderers who would do it harm. Also, the butcher is invested in a stable society, which makes him at least slightly more likely to avoid conflict with his non-ethnic neighbors and instead focus on that which will expand the economy and his own prospects. That is all.
9. Howard Zugman | 21 March 2010 at 00:31
Hi Nishita,
Thank you for this (surprizing to me) glimpse of modern Lebanon. It certainly contrasts favorably with my previous image of a 1945 Berlin-like bombed out city. That it is not free of the hierachy prejudices of many first-world country is not surprizing. That it can be properly mentioned in the same braeth as them — is. Great post!