[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 86 (Thursday, May 7, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2320-S2321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO THE BOUSTANY FAMILY

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today to tell the hopeful story 
of the Boustany family, Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Providence, 
RI, 100 years ago next month. The family's history exemplifies the 
extraordinary contributions that generations of immigrants have made to 
American life.
  The Boustany family's journey began in Deir al-Qamar, Lebanon, a 
village southeast of Beirut. Life in Lebanon was difficult in those 
days. The people of Deir al-Qamar had seen it all: war, famine, 
pandemics, and even swarms of locusts. Michel and Yahout Boustany lost 
eight children to difficulties in childbirth and illnesses, and a ninth 
was tragically kidnapped. The surviving members of the grief-stricken 
family resolved to leave their native country to start a new life in a 
land of opportunity.
  Getting to America wouldn't be without heartbreaking setbacks. The 
departure was delayed 6 long years due to World War I. Sadly, Michel 
passed away unexpectedly not long before the family was to make the 
voyage. Yahout, and two of her sons, Francis, age 11, and Frem, age 17, 
resolved to carry on with the plan to emigrate.
  The Boustany family left for the first leg of the journey from Beirut 
on a

[[Page S2321]]

Fabre Line steamship bound for Marseille, France. In Marseille, they 
boarded Fabre Lines' SS Providence on its maiden voyage to Providence, 
RI.
  The family landed at the Port of Providence in June 1920. According 
to an article printed the following month in Providence Magazine, the 
SS Providence was welcomed by Rhode Islanders with great fanfare, as it 
was the largest steamship that had ever traveled up Narragansett Bay. 
From there, the family boarded a train to Lafayette, LA, where Yahout's 
two oldest children had already settled.
  The Boustany family thrived in America. The children grew up, started 
families, and became successful entrepreneurs and respected leaders in 
their community. The first generations passed along their Catholic 
faith and an exceptional work ethic to their children and grandchildren 
who would go on to find success of their own in many pursuits. Members 
of the family have become civic leaders, doctors, lawyers, teachers, 
and so on. Among them is Vicki Kennedy, an accomplished lawyer and the 
widow of a giant of the Senate, Ted Kennedy. Vicki is a dear friend to 
many of us in this Chamber. Dr. Charles Boustany, a retired heart 
surgeon and former Congressman from Louisiana, is also one of the 
family.
  June 17, 2020 marks 100 years to the day members of the Boustany 
family first set foot in Providence. Prior to the ongoing COVID-19 
pandemic, their descendants had been planning to travel to Rhode Island 
to celebrate the centennial of their family's beginning in America. 
Now, they are considering other ways to mark the anniversary remotely 
as a family. The Boustany family represents the very best of us: 
hardworking, generous, and community-minded. I wish them well as they 
celebrate this joyful occasion.

                          ____________________