Lina Shammas Oral History conducted by unidentified interviewer

In this oral history, Lina Shammas recounts her life from her early years in North Lebanon through the lasting impact of the Lebanese Civil War, which began during her childhood. She describes her family’s displacement, financial struggles, and the realities of growing up amid violence, as well as her education at the American University of Beirut. The interview follows her transition to the United States after her marriage, where she navigated graduate studies, family life, and multiple relocations tied to her husband’s medical career. Shammas reflects on eventually settling in Greenville and Ahoskie, North Carolina, where she found a strong sense of community that reminded her of Lebanon. Throughout the interview, she considers questions of identity, faith, and belonging, while expressing a deep sense of loss over the changes in her homeland.

Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies

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