911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν Tangier Global Forum presents βAmerica and Immigrationβ

The Statue of Liberty has long stood as a symbol of Americaβs welcome to immigrants from abroad. But the United States hasnβt always been receptive to the worldβs βhuddled masses yearning to be free.β Today, as Donald Trump champions the construction of a massive wall along the United Statesβ southern border, immigration has once again become a hot-button political issue in the States.
To deepen our understanding of these current developments in America, scholar Edward Berenson will present a lecture titled βAmerica and Immigrationβ on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EST) in the auditorium at the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½νβs Tangier Campus.
Berenson will examine the checkered history of immigration to the United States, explaining why America has alternated between openness and closure between tolerance for diversity and the belief that American identity has come undone. He will also consider the political economy of immigration, especially the tension between those who want an infusion of new workers and those who favor workers already in place.
A professor of history at New York University and director of NYUβs Institute of French Studies, Berenson is also a senior fellow at New Yorkβs National September 11 Memorial and Museum. He is a cultural historian specializing in the history of modern France and its empire, as well as the history of Britain, the British Empire, and the United States. He is the author or editor of seven books. In 1999, he received the American Historical Associationβs Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award, after earlier winning UCLAβs Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2006, French President Jacques Chirac decorated him as Knight in the Order of Merit.
This is the third public event of the spring semester at the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½νβs Tangier Campus. Last month, 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν hosted a lecture on the increasing prevalence of the Koranβs translation into English, and a concert by the Virginia Military Institute Regimental Bandβs Brass Ensemble.
To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions.