Lebanese Ecuadorians


Lebanese Ecuadorians are Ecuadorians who are descended from migrants from Lebanon or Lebanese who migrated to Ecuador and became Ecuadorian citizens. There are approximately up to 250,000
Lebanese people and their descendants living in Ecuador.

Migration history

The first Levantine immigrants to Ecuador arrived around 1850 and larger numbers reached there in the 1880s and 1890s, nearly all of them Christians. Since 1875, there has been a constant flow of Lebanese immigrants to Ecuador, first fleeing the Ottoman Empire, and then the aftermath of World War I and II. By 1986, there were 97,500 Lebanese immigrants in Ecuador.
Early impoverished migrants tended to work as independent sidewalk vendors, but over time created a prominent presence within Ecuadorian society. The majority of Lebanese who migrated to Ecuador have become some of the country’s most well known business leaders and other known public figures. During Ecuador’s cocoa export boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “Lebanese” began to immigrate to Guayaquil and quickly became merchants and traders. Some of the most successful business families in Ecuador are of “Lebanese” descent. They have made a lasting impact on Ecuadorian society in many aspects. Though they emigrated to escape Ottoman Turkish oppression, they were called "Turks" by Ecuadorians because they carried Ottoman passports.

Demography

The number of Lebanese descendants in Ecuador is not too clear and varies. A 1982 estimate from Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated 20,000, while another private estimate from 1986 put it as high as 97,500. As of recent years, the growing community has undoubtedly exceeded these numbers with private estimates putting it as high as 250,000. They mainly reside mostly in Quito and Guayaquil as well as Manta. They are predominantly of the Christian and Catholic faiths; however, Ecuador is also home to a small Muslim community.

Notable people

People of Lebanese background are very well represented in business and politics of the country. Some of them have reached the presidency and vice-presidency of Ecuador. Their prominence in politics provoked some backlash, with one politician warning of the "Bedouinization" of Ecuador.