Becoming American: The Early Arab Immigrant Experience (M.E.R.I. Special Studies)

By Alixa Naff

Book Overview

A unique study in American immigra-tion and assimilation history that also provides a special view of one of the smaller ethnic groups in American society. Naff focuses on the pre-World War I pio-neering generation of Arabic-speaking immigrants, the generation that set the patterns for settlement and assimilation. Unlike many immigrants who were drawn to the United States by dreams of industrial jobs or to escape religious or economic persecution, most of these ar-tisans and owners of small, disconnected plots of land came to America to engage in the enterprise of peddling. Most planned to stay two or three years and re-turn to their homelands.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809318962
• ISBN13: 9780809318964
• Release Date: March 1993
• Publisher: Southern Illinois Univ Pr (Trd)
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

The Definitive Book on Syrian/Lebanese Emmigration

This book is chock full of details that would have been forever lost had not the author begun her work nearly 40 years ago, of recording oral histories and preserving documents, artifacts and photographs. Excellent presentation style. A must for both public and personal libraries that want to have available, not only the stories, but an insight into the ethos of a people who came from a small country with modest aspirations and ended up having a large impact on America.

A marvelous book which completes my early family history.

Ms. Naff's book is truly marvelous. As the granson of a Lebanese/Syrian immigrant, I read about the history of Lebanon. I knew some of the stories about my grandfather's coming to this country. There were even some vague stories about silk worms. But little did I know that my grandfather's story was the story of thousands of other men, women, and children. I knew some of Gido's contemporaries and am sad that I did not pay more attention to their stories. One of my most treasured possessions is a picture of Gido with a rifle and bandolier standing next to his wagon while peddling dry goods along the Mexico-Texas border. Thank you Ms. Naff.