Who is Welcome? Race and U.S. Immigration Law Session Five

Lynn Davidman leads the fifth session of Who is Welcome? Race and U.S. Immigration Law at the Parkway Central Library on Saturday, October 31. The talk is part of a series put on by the library's Social Science and History Department, and this particular session takes a long view: it's a historical overview of immigration and how federal law shaped attitudes toward immigrants over time, ending with a look at the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Johnson-Reed Act.

The whole series starts from the idea that the story of the United States is a narrative of immigration. From the 1600s to today, people have arrived in waves to settle and establish colonies, seeking better lives, religious freedom, or escape from unlivable conditions. Over the four centuries that followed, Congress passed a succession of changing laws and policies that decided who was welcome to become a U.S. citizen. Those same economic, social, and political issues continue to shape public debate and policy today.

Davidman brings a lot of background to the subject. She holds a PhD in Sociology and spent thirty-five years teaching and researching ethnicity, immigration, religion, and gender at the University of Pittsburgh, Brown University, the University of Kansas, and Bryn Mawr College. This session is the fifth in the series, so it's one part of a larger conversation the department is building around the history of immigration law.

The talk is free and runs at 11 AM on Saturday, October 31, in the Social Science and History Department at the Parkway Central Library—Room 108 on the first floor, 1901 Vine Street, between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway.