Each year, people come to the U.S. from all over the world seeking things like religious freedom, political asylum, and better economic opportunities. The Statue of Liberty stands as a symbol of welcome to immigrants, and this country is admired across the world for being a “melting pot.” Yet the U.S. has had periods in our history where there was strong opposition to some immigrants and policies were designed to keep certain immigrant groups out, and restrictions on immigration then as now, captured much of the news and public discourse on immigration. How are today’s immigrants similar to and different from immigrants who came to the U.S. in the past? How did the average American, and the U.S. government, react to past waves of immigrants? This event will explore what we can learn about immigrants and our nation’s values by looking at examples of how we have reacted to immigrants throughout our history.
Dr. Yukich is a Quinnipiac Professor of Sociology with expertise in religion, immigration, and race & ethnicity, and she regularly teaches courses in these areas. She has published two books touching on these topics, Religion Is Raced: Understanding American Religion in the 21st Century and One Family Under God: Immigration Politics and Progressive Religion in America. She frequently gives public lectures on her research and her writing has appeared in popular media outlets such as Salon and the Hartford Courant, and she has been quoted in outlets such as USA Today, The Washington Post and the National Catholic Reporter. Dr. Yukich is currently a National Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture.
The objective of the Critical Conversations Speaker Series is to foster an inclusive and intellectually stimulating environment at Quinnipiac, promoting inclusivity of thought, respectful dialogue, empathetic engagement, and open-mindedness among students, faculty, and staff. The events are designed to empower participants to be better prepared to embrace inclusivity of thought by actively listening to and engaging with concepts and ideas that may challenge their personal values, without dismissing or silencing differing viewpoints.
NOTE: SPEAKER WILL BE LIVE IN SITE AUDITORIUM (SITE 201); EVENT WILL BE LIVESTREAMED TO NORTH HAVEN AUDITORIUM (MNH 101)
