View source for Palestinian Nicaraguan

{{infobox ethnic group
|group = Palestinian Nicaraguan<br/><small>Palestino-nicaragüense<br>''فلسطينيو نيكاراغوا''<br>{{flagicon|Palestine}} {{flagicon|Nicaragua}}</small>
|population = unknown
|popplace = [[Managua]], [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]], [[Masaya]]
|langs = [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Palestinian Arabic]]
|rels = [[Christianity]], [[Sunni Islam]], [[Shia Islam]]
|related= Arab Nicaraguan
}}

'''Palestinian Nicaraguans''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: palestino-nicaragüense) ({{langx|ar|فلسطينيو نيكاراغوا}}) are [[Nicaragua]]ns of [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua. They are part of the ethnic [[Arab diaspora]].

==History==
At different points during the 1890s to the 1940s Nicaragua, and many other [[Latin America]]n countries, established laws or issued ordinances that restricted the entry of [[Arabs]], forbade the stay of Arabs already present in the country and curtailed the expansion of their [[commerce|commercial]] activities.<ref>{{cite book | first=Christina | last=Civantos | title=Between Argentines and Arabs: Argentine orientalism, Arab immigrants, and the writing of identity | date=2005 | publisher=SUNY Press | pages =224 | isbn = 0-7914-6601-9 }}</ref>

Although the exact number of Palestinians is not available, Guzmán writes ''"it is possible that from the end of the nineteenth century until 1917, when the [[Ottoman Empire]] entered its final decline, during [[World War I]], 40 Palestinian families arrived in Nicaragua"''.<ref name=Guzman>{{cite book | first=Roberto | last=Marín Guzmán | title=A Century of Palestinian Immigration Into Central America: A Study of Their Economic and Cultural Contributions | date=2000 | publisher=Editorial Universidad de C.R. | pages =49–59 |isbn = 9977-67-587-2 }}</ref> By 2000 it was estimated that there were 500 families of Palestine Arabs and Palestinian descendants in Nicaragua. The Palestinians that arrived in Nicaragua were mostly Christians and a small number of Muslims, the majority of which came from rural villages near [[Ramallah]], [[Jerusalem]], [[Beit Jala]] and [[Bethlehem]].

==Culture and lifestyle==
[[File:Palestinian March in Nicaragua.jpg|thumb|right|Palestinians celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Nicaraguan revolution in Managua waving Palestine and [[Sandinista]] flags.]]

When the Palestinians arrived in Nicaragua, many came from [[rural area]]s and had experience with [[agricultural]] work which most continued doing, however, not many were able to buy land. The few Palestinians that managed to buy land for agriculture managed to do so mainly in the Sabana Grande area of the department of [[Nueva Segovia (department)|Nueva Segovia]] in northern Nicaragua. Despite the few people who managed to buy land many Palestinians immersed themselves in [[commerce]]. They received great [[profit (economics)|profit]]s after founding [[Retailing|stores]] in cities such as [[Managua]], [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]] and [[Masaya]], where the majority of which decided to settle.<ref name=Guzman/> The stores founded by Palestinian immigrants varied from clothing to food stores, some of the more successful stores they founded were ''Tienda París Loundres'', ''Almacén Dajer'', ''La Media Luna'' among others.

The Palestinians in Nicaragua tried to attract non-Palestinian Arabs by founding the Club Árabe (Arab Club) in 1958, and although they managed to get [[Demographics of Syria|Syrian]]s and [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] to join, 80% of the members were Palestinian.<ref name=Guzman/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Palestinian diaspora}}
{{Nicaragua topics}}
{{Ethnic groups in Nicaragua}}

[[Category:Arab diaspora in North America]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nicaragua]]
[[Category:Palestinian diaspora in North America]]
[[Category:Nicaraguan people of Palestinian descent| ]]