People from a Tragic Land

Beirut and the sea

Originating from a homeland with such a tragic and violent story, the Lebanese who fled their country's civil war spread across the world. Anyone who has ever met one of them—I went to high school with a few—knows they carried with them a fervent national pride surpassing that of almost any other emigrant group.

After my trip to the country this week, I know how I'll answer when people ask me about the place: When you go to Lebanon, you realize why the Lebanese are so in love with their country.