Lebanese in Liberia

The Lebanese seem to be the shopkeepers in Liberia. I had heard there were Lebanese in West Africa, but I hadn't realized how many there were. They seem to dominate the economic landscape - some of the largest businesses and many shops in Liberia are owned by Lebanese. I wondered how they got here. By accident, I was told. Of course. They had meant to go to America, but landed in West Africa instead. So they stayed. I tried to find out the story, but I couldn't find much after a quick search. From what I did read, it said they started arriving in the mid-nineteenth century as refugees fleeing during the silkworm crisis which struck the Ottoman Empire (though I'm not entirely sure what a silkworm crisis is).

While some have been here for generations, the Lebanese aren't allowed to become Liberian citizens or to vote. Even the ones who were born here. And because they can't be citizens, they can't own land. This dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, when former American slaves declared Liberia independent and decided that only blacks could be citizens. Like in England, you can have one person own the land and another own the building that's built on it. But unlike in England, they can't have 1000 year leases either. So it's all very uncertain.

Another curious thing is that Lebanese businesses are apparently required to close on Lebanese national holidays. Yes, Lebanese national holidays!