Alixa naff biography of williams

Dr. Alixa Naff was a pioneering historian widely known as the founder of Arab American Studies. She not only documented the lives of the first Syrian and Lebanese Americans, but also illuminated the experiences of first generation non-European immigrants whose experiences had not previously been recognized in scholarship.

Naff’s work showcases the diverse lives of Arab Americans, highlights their struggles and triumphs, and most importantly serves as the foundation for Arab American Studies.

Alixa Naff was born in Lebanon in 1919.

Alixa naff biography of williams family

In 1921 her parents, Faris and Yamna, decided to immigrate to the United States. Finding an established Arab American community in the Midwest from their village, the young family settled in Illinois in 1922, later moving to Indiana, then Detroit, Michigan, in 1931.

Her father worked as a peddler before opening a grocery store.  As the family established new lives, they faced multiple hardships but persevered in pursuing the American dr