Arabs in Latin America: The representation of a community in diaspora.= Árabes en América Latina: La representación de una comunidad en diáspora

This dissertation aims to discuss and analyse the images constructed of the Arabs in Latin America in the first half of the twentieth century. Based on mass media productions of the time, aspects of movie and novel narratives will be examined with the intention of forming an idea of what stereotypes Arabs had to deal with in their daily lives and how they overcame them. In order to understand the question of “How has the status of Arabs been represented in the Americas”, there will be a revision of what the main historical highlights of the Arab diaspora in Latin America are, and how historiography has approached Middle Eastern presence in the continent. I will examine the interplay between locals and Arab immigrants through the eyes of local stereotypes, and state discourses concerning immigration. Finally, I will argue that despite negative stereotypes, Arabs have managed to achieve very important professional goals in Latin America, and their contributions to society have been greater than what has been acknowledged so far in the continent. Esta tesis recibió una distinción meritoria