Hikayat: From Family Stories to Historical Records

Ever wonder how you can research your Palestinian family history? This introductory presentation will offer practical starting points to search no matter how long you or your family has been in the United States. Come and learn how to begin that journey through family-held sources and oral history interviews, and how to look further into U.S., British Mandate, Ottoman-era, and Palestinian sources. This event is co-sponsored by the Museum of the Palestinian People and the National Society for Arab & Arab American Genealogy.

Reem Awad-Rashmawi, JD, is a professional genealogist, immigration attorney, and founder and president of the National Society for Arab & Arab American Genealogy. She has been researching family history since the 1980s and has worked professionally in genealogy since 2019, with a focus on Arab and Arab American genealogy, Palestinian family history, immigration records, oral history, dual citizenship, DNA analysis, and community-based research. Reem has presented nationally on related topics and is the author of “Arab American Genealogy Research as a Form of Public History,” published in Arab American Public History by Temple University Press in 2026.