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https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/files/original/b091044cd24ef0be3398983fa82548da.pdf
f5795b5e5a283d9a9dfb16c22a527a95
PDF Text
Text
NOTES TO TLA
THANK YOU, LEANN, GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN:
I WAS ASKED TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS ABOUT THE IMPACT
THE
LEBANESE HAVE HAD ON AMERICA.
BROAD
THIS BEING A VERY
SUBJECT, I DECIDED TO LIMIT MY BRIEF REMARKS ON HOW
MY PARENTS COPED,SETTLED,AND GREW UP HERE DURING
THE
EARLY PART OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
MY FATHER CAME TO AMERICA, ALONE AT THE AGE OF 17.
IT WAS IN 1903. HIS SISTER WAS ALREADY A RESIDENT
OF
NEW BERN, AND RUNNING A CANDY AND FRUIT STAND ON
LOWER
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�MIDDLE STREET. SHE WAS KNOWN AS MS. MARY TO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND HER HOT PEANUTS MACHINE ON THE
SIDEWALK IN
FRONT OF THE STAND BROUGHT HER MUCH BUSINESS.
WHEN DAD PASSED THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND, HE WAS ASKED
HIS
FATHER'S NAME, AND HE REPLIED ";ZAYTOUN". THEN, HIS
1ST
NAME, AND HE REPLIED ELLIS. THEY STAMPED HIS PAPERS
AND
PUSHED HIM PASSED THE GATES. WELL, HIS FATHER'S
LAST
NAME WAS FARHEART, BUT IN THE OLD COUNTRY YOU
ANSWERED
"IBBEN" SO & SO, THE FIRST NAME, WHEN SOME ONE MADE
SUCH A REQUEST.
SOME 30 YEARS LATER, DADIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS BEGAN
TO
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�\..,J
\.,I
MIGRATE TO AMERICA, AND THEY CAME WITH THEIR
CORRECT
FAMILY NAME, FARHEART.
BERN
AFTER HAVING LIVED IN NEW
FOR A YEAR OR TWO, THEY GAVE UP, AND HAD THEIR LAST
N~E
CHANGED TO 'ZAYTOUN'. TODAY, THE NAME IS ALL OVER
THE
PLACE, IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE.
WHEN PAPA FIRST ARRIVED IN NEW BERN, HIS SISTER
SENT
HIM TO GRADED SCHOOL TO LEARN ENGLISH. ALTHOUGH HE
WAS
17, HE ENTERED THE THIRD GRADE, BUT RAPIDLY MADE
PROG-
RESS AND FINISHED. SCHOOL HELPED HIM MAKE FRIENDS
AND
AFFORDED HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO MIX INTO THE
SOCIETY
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�OF THE NEW BERN PEOPLE. HE JOINED SUCH
ORGANIZATIONS
AS THE WOODMEN OF THE WORLD, AND EVEN BECAME A
VOLUNTEER FIREMAN. WHENEVER ANY ONE WAS RUNNING FOR A
NEW
BERN POLITICAL OFFICE, HE FOUND HIMSELF IN
POLITICS.
THIS WAS NOT ONLY THE TRAITS OF HIS LIFE, BUT ALSO
WAS
TYPICAL OF MOST OF THE LEBANESE EMIGRANTS AT THE
TIME.
OF MANY OF HIS EARLY JOBS TO MAKE A LIVING, HE
BECAME
A WEEKLY DEBIT AGENT FOR A LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
IN
1909. THIS TYPICALLY, WAS RIDING A BICYCLE, SELLING
A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY, AND COLLECTING 10c OR 1Sc
A
A WEEK. ASIDE FROM THE MONEY, THIS PROFESSION
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�PLACED
HIM IN CONTACT WITH MANY PEOPLE, AND THUS MIXED HIM
WITHIN THE MODE OF THE POPULAS. MANY OF THE MALE
IMIGRANTS OF THE TIME ALIGNED THEMSELVES IN THE SALES
WORLD, AND EVEN WALKED BY FOOT INTO THE RURAL ARES
SELLING CLOTHING FROM A BAG THEY CARRIED ON THEIR
BACKS.
LIFE
SEVERAL YEARS AFTER HIS DEBUTE IN THE U.S., HIS
ENDURED A BIG CHANGE. IT SO HAPPENED THAT A
RESIDENT
OF A VILLAGE CALLED NITEROY, BRAZIL, EXPERIENCED AN
ATTACK ON HER GALLBLADDER, AND WAS ADVISED TO SAIL
FOR
NEW YORK TO SEEK RELIEF AT ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL. THIS
WAS
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�SOMETIME DURING THE YEAR OF 1913. THIS PERSON WAS
MY
FUTURE GRANDMOTHER, ROSA DeKACH. SHE BROUGHT MY
MOTHER,
ISABELLE, A 16 YEAR OLD BEAUTY, AND MY AUNT
VICTORIA, 3.
WITH HER TO NEW YORK.
AFTER THE OPERATION, THE DOCTORS ADVISED HER TO
REMAIN
IN THIS COUNTRY ATLEAST A MONTH TO RECOVER BEFORE
BOARDING A SHIP BACK TO S.A., THUS WHAT TO DO? SHE HAPPENED TO HAVE A BROTHER LIVING IN GREENVILLE, Ne,
SO
THEY BOARDED A TRAIN AND WENT TO SEE HIM. ONE
SUNDAY,
THEY VISITED HIS COUSIN, MS. MARY, AND MY DAD MET
MY
MOM THAT DAY.HE MADE THE FIRM RESOLVE THAT SHE
WOULD
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�NEVER RETURN TO S.A.
LOVE
THEY BOTH FELL INSTANTLY IN
AND WERE MARRIED WITHIN A MONTH. MY GRANDFATHER IN
SA,
EVENTUALLY, HAD TO SELL HIS BUSINESS AND COME TO
THIS
COUNTRY IN ORDER TO REUNITE WITH HIS FAMILY.
SET-
MY PARENTS WERE MARRIED ON FEB.l, 1914, AND
TLED IN NEW BERN. BY THAT TIME, POP HAD BECOME WELL
IMMERSED INTO'THE BUSINESS, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
STRUCTURES OF THE TOWN, UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, THE
U.S. ENTERED WWI IN 1917, AND HE VOLUNTEERED FOR
THE
NAVY. THEY SENT HIM TO NORFOLK, WHERE THEY
DISCOVERED
HE HAD THREE LITTLE GIRLS, AND SENT HIM BACK HOME.
HE
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�v
"-I
DID JOIN THE NATIONAL GUARD IN WHICH HE SERVED TIL
THE
END OF THE WAR.
ONE OF MR FATHER'S OLDER BROTHERS, JOE, LIVED
IN
NEARBY KINSTON, AND THIS RESULTED IN THE FAMILY'S
MOVE
THERE WHERE DAD BEGAN A MERCHANDISE ENTERPRISE. IT
WAS MY GOOD FORTUNE TO BE BORN IN KINSTON IN 1920.
I
REALLY ENJOYED LIVING THERE, AND ALTHOUGH YOUNG AT
THE
AGE OF FIVE WHEN HE DECIDED TO MAKE ANOTHER MOVE, I
HAD
MANY HAPPY EXPERIENCES.
POP HAD ENJOYED THE FRIENDSHIP OF A RESTAURANT
OWNER IN NEW BERN WHO HAD MOVED HIS BUSINESS TO A
TOWN CALLED ROXBORO.
HIS INFLUENCE CAUSED DAD TO
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�MOVE THERE, AND START A GENERAL MERCHANTILE STORE.
THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE IN 1925, AFTER THE FAMILY HAD
GROWN TO SIX CHILDREN.
HE NEEDED TO EXPAND OUR
NET INCOME, TO TAKE CARE OF HIS GROWING
FAMILY. THESE
WERE HAPPY DAYS FOR US, GOING TO SCHOOL AND ENJOYING THE MAKING OF NEW FRIENDS. THIS RURAL TOWN
HAD ONE OTHER CATHOLIC FAMILY THAN US. MOTHER
WISHING
HER CHILDREN TO KNOW JESUS, SENT US ALL TO THE 1ST
BAPTIST CHURCH, AND TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR OUR
EDUCATION.
TOWN.
UNWITTINGLY, THIS MERGED US INTO THE
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, DAD HEARD THAT THERE
WAS A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HIS BUSINESS IN DURHAM, AND
BEFORE
WE KNEW IT, HE HAD US LIVING THERE. ALL THROUGH
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�THESE
MOVES, DAD WAS LEARNING HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL
BUSINES
IN AMERICA, AND ON EACH MOVE, US CHILDREN W'ERE
EXPIENC-
.
ING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW FRIENDS AND ADJUSTING TO
THEIR
WAY OF LIFE IN THE NEW COMMUNITY. THIS PATTERN
RECURRED
IT SEEMS EVERY TIME THE WIND CHANGED, SINCE WE
AGAIN ,IN
1930 MOVED TO THE SMALLER TOWN OF MEBANE, WHERE DAD
THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE BETTER OPPORTUNITY.
THROUGHOUT
ALL THESE TRANSITIONS, WE CHILDREN WERE GROWING AND
EXPERIENCING A WONDERFUL LIFE MAKING NEW FRIENDS
WHEREVER
WE WERE AND ALSO, ACQUIRING NEW SCHOOL AND CULTURAL
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�GROWTH. MY 4 SISTERS TOOK PIANO, I BECAME A VIOLIN
STUDENT.I SOLD NEWSPAPERS ALONG WITH MY BROTHER,
HENRY.
IN MEBANE, I CAN RECALL WE OWNED A COW FOR OUR
MILK
AND BUTTER, AND I HAD SOME CUSTOMERS TO WHOM I
DELIVERED
RAW DAIRY PRODUCTS. WHEN THE GREAT DEPRESSION
5TRUCT,
I REMEMBER THE BANK NEXT DOOR TO MY DAD'S STORE
CLOSED
ITS DOORS AND WENT BANCRUPT. THESE WERE HARD TIMES,
50
WE MOVED BACK TO ROXBORO WHERE WE STAYED A COUPLE
·OF
YEARS UNTIL POP HAD REGAINED HIS FORMER BUSINESS
OpPORTUNITES.
UTTER
THIS TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO LIVE IN
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�~
'--"
LUXURY AND PROSPERITY FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
TELL
I
YOU THIS FAMILY STORY OF IMMIGRANTS SEEKING
SECURITY
IN A WONDERFUL NEW COUNTRY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR
ALL.
TODAY, YOU ONLY HAVE TO REMIND YOURSELVES OF THE
REMARKABLE LIVES OF THE SALEH FAMILY. THEIR UNCLE,
THE DIRECTOR OF THE NC MUSEUM OF ART, BROUGHT
THEM TO THIS COUNTRY TO SEEK AN EDUCATION.
ONLY
NOT
DID THEY OBTAIN COLLEGE DIPLOMAS, BUT THEY ARE THE
OWNERS OF ONE OF THE LARGEST DELI AND BAKERY ENTERPRISES IN THE AREA. THEY WORKED HARD, BUT WITH
THEIR
COLLEGIATE EDUCATION AND WORK ETHICS, THEY BECAME
OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF WHAT LEBANESE EMMIGRANTS
CAN
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�~
\,..I
ACHIEVE IF THEY HAD A MIND TO DO IT.
THOSE OF YOU
WHO CAME FROM THE OLD COUNTRY ARE TO BE PRAISED AND
CONGRATULATED
ON THE
TREMENDOUS
AND
OUSTANDING SUC-
CESSES YOU HAVE ACHIEEVED. YOU HAVE SET EXAMPLES
FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO MOVE THEM FOREWARD IN LIFE.
AS ONE OF YOU WHO DID NOT HAVE TO ENDURE YOUR
TASKS, I
SALUTE AND
COMMEND EACH
OF YOU ON YOUR
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS. AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE
NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR GREAT ANCESTORS FROM THE HILLS
OF MOUNT LEBANON I
THANK YOU.
E
page 13
�ACHIEVE IF THEY HAD A MIND TO DO IT.
THOSE OF YOU
WHO CAME FROM THE OLD COUNTRY ARE TO BE PRAISED AND
CONGRATULATED ON THE TREMENDOUS AND OUSTANDING SUCCESSES YOU HAVE ACHIEEVED. YOU HAVE SET EXAMPLES
FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO MOVE THEM FOREWARD IN LIFE.
AS ONE OF YOU WHO DID NOT HAVE TO ENDURE YOUR
TASKS, I SALUTE AND COMMEND EACH OF YOU ON YOUR
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS. AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE
NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR GREAT ANCESTORS FROM THE HILLS
OF MOUNT LEBANON!
THANK YOU.
,
page 13
OCT 07
�~
'-"
ACHIEVE IF THEY HAD A MIND TO DO IT.
THOSE OF YOU
WHO CAME FROM THE OLD COUNTRY ARE TO BE PRAISED AND
CONGRATULATED ON THE TREMENDOUS AND OUSTANDING SUCCESSES YOU HAVE ACHIEEVED. YOU HAVE SET EXAMPLES
FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO MOVE THEM FOREWARD IN LIFE.
AS ONE OF YOU WHO DID NOT HAVE TO ENDURE YOUR
TASKS, I SALUTE AND COMMEND EACH OF YOU ON YOUR
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS. AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE
NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR GREAT ANCESTORS FROM THE HILLS
OF MOUNT
LEBANON!
THANK YOU.
~
page 13
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joseph and Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Papers
Description
An account of the resource
<h4>Biographical/Historical Note</h4>
<p>Ellis Zaytoun was born in Hammana, Lebanon on May 30, 1890. He immigrated to the United States in 1906 along with two of his brothers and by 1910 had moved to New Bern, North Carolina. Ellis began work as a peddler and dry goods clerk. In 1911, Ellis submitted an application for naturalization and was naturalized in 1916.</p>
<p>During this time, Ellis established himself as an integral member of the New Bern community. In 1913, he volunteered for the local fire department and in 1916 he served as a member of the Syrian Brotherhood Society of New Bern, an early humanitarian group dedicated to providing aid to Lebanese, Syrians, and Armenians. In 1914, Ellis married Isabel DeKash, a fellow Lebanese immigrant from Hamana, Lebanon. Isabel and Ellis had six children who survived to adulthood: Evelyn Gladys Zaytoun Farris, Vivian Grace Zaytoun Salem, Constance Teresa Zaytoun Lamar, Joseph Ellis Zaytoun, Agnes Zaytoun Murman, and Henry Zaytoun. In 1917, Ellis expanded his fruit stand into a permanent grocery. In 1930, he owned a restaurant and by 1950 he had opened the Zaytoun News Agency. In 1940, Ellis was employed at John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, and in 1957 he founded Zaytoun and Associates with his eldest son, Joseph.</p>
<p>Joseph Zaytoun studied Economics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942, and began his service after his college graduation in 1943. Joseph, who had worked for the UNC student newspaper, the Daily Tarheel, helped his mother and sisters run the Zaytoun News Agency. He later served as president of the family insurance company. He co-founded the Capital National Bank in 1973, which merged with BB&T to become one of the largest banks in the Carolinas.</p>
<p>Ellis and Isabel's youngest son, Henry Zaytoun, also became a successful businessman. Henry studied at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. After serving in the United States Navy, Zaytoun began practicing dentistry in Rocky Mount. In 1958, he pursued a Master of Science in Orthodontics from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry; in 1959, he and his family moved to Raleigh, where he established Zaytoun Orthodontics with his wife Martha.</p>
<p>In 1946, Joseph Zaytoun married Thelma Knuckley, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants from South Carolina. Thelma volunteered at Rex Healthcare for decades and advocated for childrens health. Between 1977 and 1985, she was a member of the Governor's Advocacy Committee on Children and Youth; following this, she was a member of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute. In the 1990s, Governor Jim Hunt appointed Thelma to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. Joseph Zaytoun established the Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Scholarship for nursing education as a gift for their 45th wedding anniversary. Joseph served a four-year term on the North Carolina State Board of Elections beginning in 1961, under Governor Terry Sanford. Joseph also served on the Cary Chamber of Commerce and the Cary Cultural Arts Commission. He was an instrumental part of the Tryon Palace Commission, which preserved and established Tryon Palace in New Bern from 1977 to 1985, and the Wake County Historic Preservation Commission. In 1999, Joseph was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award from Pope John Paul II.</p>
<p>Joseph and Thelma had four children: Stephen Zaytoun, Mary Zaytoun Benton, Robert Zaytoun, and Albert Zaytoun. Stephen Zaytoun joined the family business, extending Ellis Zaytoun’s insurance business into a third generation.</p>
<h4>Scope/Content Note</h4>
<p>The collection consists of photographs, letters, documents, and articles relating to three generations of the Zaytoun family in New Bern, North Carolina.</p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Education
Lebanese--United States
Local government--North Carolina
Military
Newspapers
Photographs
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Joseph Zaytoun
Stephen Zaytoun
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
circa 1910s-2008
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Processed by Khayrallah Program staff. Collection Guide content contributed by Claire A. Kempa and updated by Allison Hall, 2023 November.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
KC 0030
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
This digital material is provided here for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law.
Relation
A related resource
<a href="https://lebanesestudies.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/collections/show/130">Zaytoun and Murman Family Photographs</a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
kc0030_006
Title
A name given to the resource
Joseph Zaytoun Talk with Triangle Lebanese Association
Description
An account of the resource
A transcript of a talk given by Joseph Zaytoun to the Triangle Lebanese Association about the impact of Lebanese in America, in which he speaks about his family's experience living in North Carolina.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Joseph Zaytoun
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
undated
Language
A language of the resource
English
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lebanese--United States
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text/pdf
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Stephen Zaytoun
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.
North Carolina
Speeches
Triangle Lebanese Association