PhD Candidate

José Rafael Medeiros Coelho, MA

José Rafael Medeiros Coelho is a PhD candidate in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Groningen. His doctoral research investigates the migration of Post/Ottoman Arab Christian families from Antioch to São Paulo during the 19th and 20th centuries. Concentrating on migration, identity, and heritage, his work examines transnational connections between the Middle East and Latin America, offering new perspectives and challenging established historical narratives. In light of the urgency of potential heritage loss caused by the 2023 earthquakes in Antioch, his research also focuses on mapping, preserving, and documenting genealogical data and the cultural heritage associated with Antiochian Arab Christians.