By Donna R. Gabaccia, Director, Immigration History Research Center
In debates about immigration, Americans prefer watery metaphors--of waves or streams of migrants washing into the United States. Maybe that's why so many imagine that their government can simply "turn off the tap." World historians explain why such faucets don't always work.
By Rachel Ida Buff, Associate Professor in History and Coordinator, Comparative Ethnic Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
When I speak to Jewish audiences about the contemporary politics of immigration, I often lean on the historical parallels between contemporary migrations and Jewish experience of diaspora, in which Jews have so often been the strangers.
By Kitty Gogins, Chair of the Roseville Area School Board
Refugee's stories have been a large part of my reading since I decided to write down my parents' refugee journey. Of the dozens I've read there are two that I would particularly recommend: German Boy: A Child in War (by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel) and The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir (by Kao Kalia Yang).
By Nahid Khan, Ph.D candidate, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Accuracy, balance, completeness, and fairness are major values emphasized in news coverage; still, the field of journalism struggles with the ideas and ideals of diversity.
By Donna Gabaccia, Director, Immigration History Research Center
Many people in Europe and North America today wrongly believe that murders of daughters or wives by their fathers, husbands, or brothers - labeled as "honor killings" - are products of Moslem traditions carried by immigrants into modern, western societies.
By Johanna Leinonen, IHRC Graduate Research Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of History
Are Americans ever emigrants or immigrants? As part of my dissertation project, I have been reading about Americans who have opted to leave their home country and make their home abroad.
By Donna Gabaccia, Director, Immigration History Research Center
For me, summer reading means escape, largely through fiction that is as unrelated as possible to my scholarly work. Imagine my surprise then when I opened two new novels pulled randomly from the shelves of the Minneapolis Public Library. Both featured main characters who were very much "on the move."
By Haven Hawley, Program Director, IHRC
The spread of a particularly virulent influenza strain in Mexico has rung a public health alarm bell because of similarities to the deadly flu pandemic of 1918. It's far too early to predict that the 2009 experience could be as devastating, but a new historical source based on fraternal association records at the IHRC may help researchers in modeling responses to today's situation.
By Haven Hawley, Acting Director and Program Director, IHRC
The spread of a particularly virulent influenza strain in Mexico has rung a public health alarm bell because of similarities to the deadly flu pandemic of 1918. It's far too early to predict that the 2009 experience could be as devastating, but a new historical source based on fraternal association records at the IHRC may help researchers in modeling responses to today's situation.
By Taehohn Lee
These are hard times. As of February 2009, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.6% in Minnesota.
