2017

Dec 6, 2017

Naif Farah: A Syrian in New York

The Khayrallah Center excitedly published the digital project Syrians in New York: Mapping Movement, 1900-1930 in September of 2017. However, not all of the extensive research conducted for the project fit within its final scope. This case study of Naif Farah reflects many elements of the story of Syrian/Lebanese immigrants that emphasizes upward mobility and…

Nov 15, 2017

Why did they leave? Reasons for early Lebanese migration

This article is authored by Dr. Akram Khater, Director of the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies and Khayrallah Distinguished Professor of Lebanese Diaspora Studies, and Professor of History at NC State. It is part of a planned series of article that explore the early Lebanese immigrant experience. The first article in this series  focused on…

Oct 31, 2017

Review of “A Curious Land: Stories from Home,” by Susan Muaddi Darraj

This book review is written by Joseph Geha, professor emeritus at Iowa State University and author of two books; Through and Through: Toledo Stories and Lebanese Blonde. Geha is the 2016 Khayrallah Prize winner for his novel, Lebanese Blonde. He has authored several book reviews including Rawi Hage’s, Cockroach and Rabih Alameddine’s, An Unnecessary Woman. In time, after many generations inhabit a single portion of land—build homes…

Oct 19, 2017

Interview with Charif Majdalani, winner of 2017 Khayrallah Prize

Dr. Akram Khater spoke with Dr. Charif Majdalani, the winner of the 2017 Khayrallah Prize, about his work and career as a Lebanese author writing about the Lebanese diaspora. Do you see yourself as a Lebanese, French, Franco-Lebanese or universal writer? I naturally define myself as a Lebanese author writing in French. But obviously, like…

Oct 4, 2017

Archive Spotlight: New Sources on Commerce and Business

The relationship between Lebanese immigrants and commerce is often shrouded in myth. As part of their efforts to gain acceptance into American society, scholars such as Kalil Bishara argued in the immigrant press that “Syrians” were descendants of sea-faring Phoenicians and thus had a unique talent for commerce.[1] Additionally, the rags-to-riches “Peddler Myth” has become…

Sep 27, 2017

2017-2018 Khayrallah Research Assistants

Each academic year, the center welcomes new student research assistants to its team who help advance our goals to research, preserve, and share the history of Lebanese Diaspora. Meet this year’s students! Marilyn McHugh Drath is a second year doctoral student in the Public History program here at NC State. She received a B.A. in…

Sep 20, 2017

Phoenician or Arab, Lebanese or Syrian ~ Who were the early Immigrants to America?

This article is authored by Dr. Akram Khater, Director of the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies and Khayrallah Distinguished Professor of Lebanese Diaspora Studies, and Professor of History at NC State. His earlier article focused on Lebanese-Americans in WWI. Between the 1870s and the 1930s some 120,000 immigrants left the Eastern Mediterranean and traveled to…

Sep 6, 2017

Debut of Syrians in New York: Mapping Movement, 1900-1930

The Khayrallah Center’s newest project, Syrians in New York: Mapping Movement, 1900-1930, uses digital mapping techniques to investigate New York City’s early Syrian/Lebanese immigrant community. This project is a phase of the center’s larger project, Mapping the Mahjar. Syrians in New York examines immigrants’ movement from Manhattan’s Washington Street neighborhood to Brooklyn, employing spatial analysis…

Jun 8, 2017

Lebanese-Americans in World War I

This article is authored by Dr. Akram Khater, Director of the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies and Khayrallah Distinguished Professor of Lebanese Diaspora Studies, and Professor of History at NC State. His latest article focuses on complicating the Lebanese peddler myth. Like other immigrant communities to the US, the Lebanese have fought in many of…

May 24, 2017

Review of Charif Majdalani’s Moving the Palace

This book review is written by Joseph Geha, professor emeritus at Iowa State University and author of two books; Through and Through: Toledo Stories and Lebanese Blonde. Geha is the 2016 Khayrallah Prize winner for his novel, Lebanese Blonde. He has authored several books reviews including Rawi Hage’s, Cockroach and Rabih Alameddine’s, An Unnecessary Woman. Charif Majdalani’s…