Passing Down Palestinian Identity Through Generations with Amanda Najib

Our identity is shaped by so much more than where we come from, it’s shaped by the people who teach us what it means to belong there.

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, Laila sits down with Palestinian-American educator, PhD scholar and author of the children’s book Lana Makes Purple Pizza, Amanda Najib.

Amanda shares how growing up deeply proud of her Palestinian identity and especially the influence of her Siti has shaped nearly every part of the person she is today: her writing, scholarship, teaching, activism, and the way she raises the next generation.

From spending her college summers teaching English in refugee camps around the world to now teaching future educators how to honor the cultures, identities, and stories their students bring into the classroom, Amanda has built much of her work around the belief that our stories and where we come from matter.

At the center of her own story is her Siti and the village of Hizma, Palestine. Amanda reflects on living with her grandmother in Hizma at 19; cooking together, picking zaytoon, and learning from a woman she remembers as both deeply gentle and incredibly strong.

We talk about Palestinian identity and representation, education, writing, Palestinian feminism, motherhood, village life, grandmothers, and what it means to carry what they gave us forward.

Stay tuned until the end to hear the updates happening at Siti's Stories!

🔗 Connect with Amanda:
@amandanajib_writes on Instagram

🔗 Connect with Siti’s Stories:
Instagram: @sitis.stories
Website: sitisstories.com