Alixa Naff (September 15, 1919 – June 1, 2013) was a Lebanese-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

. She focused much of her research on the first wave of

Arab American Arab Americans ( ar, عَرَبٌ أَمْرِيكِا or ) are Americans of Arab ancestry. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World. According to the Arab American Inst ...

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

to the United States at the turn of the 20th century.

Biography

Alixa Naff was born to Faris and Yamna Naff in Rashaya al-Wadi, a village located in present-day

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

within the

Anti-Lebanon Mountains The Anti-Lebanon Mountains ( ar, جبال لبنان الشرقية, Jibāl Lubnān ash-Sharqiyyah, Eastern Mountains of Lebanon; Lebanese Arabic: , , "Eastern Mountains") are a southwest–northeast-trending mountain range that forms most of th ...

. Her family immigrated to the

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in 1921. They arrived in

Spring Valley, Illinois Spring Valley is a city situated on the Illinois River in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,582 at the 2020 census, up from 5,558 in 2010. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Spring Vall ...

on January 1, 1922, and lived there until moving to

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

, in 1929. They moved to

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

in June 1931, where her father worked in the grocery industry. She resided in

Falls Church, Virginia Falls Church is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Wash ...

, for many years before moving to

Mitchellville, Maryland Mitchellville is an upper-class majority African-American unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 11,136. Geography Mitchellville is locate ...

. Naff documented Arab immigration to the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This first wave of mostly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

immigrants was the first major emigration from the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

to the U.S. Naff donated her collection of artifacts and oral histories from early Arab immigrants to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

Naff had driven throughout the nation to collect oral histories and family heirlooms for the collection. She amassed more than 450 oral histories, 2,000 photographs, and more than 500 artifacts. The personal and household objects included kibbe pounder, Middle Eastern musical instruments, and clothing. The Faris and Yamna Naff Collection, which was named in honor of her parents, is available for research through the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

. Alixa Naff died from a short illness at her home in

, on June 1, 2013, at the age of 93.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naff, Alixa 1919 births 2013 deaths Lebanese emigrants to the United States People from Mitchellville, Maryland People from Falls Church, Virginia Writers from Detroit People from Rashaya District American women historians 20th-century American historians 20th-century American women writers People from Spring Valley, Illinois Historians from Illinois Historians from Michigan Historians from Virginia Historians from Maryland 21st-century American women