Wednesday, Oct. 8 |
Thursday, Oct. 9 |
Friday, Oct. 10 |
Saturday, Oct. 11 |
ongoing events |
affiliated events |
Film series |
printable schedule |
family fest schedule |
Wednesday, October 8
4:30 – 7:00 p.m. Opening Reception & plenary talk
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4:30 5:00
6:00 |
Opening Reception with light refreshments Welcome by Macalester President Brian Rosenberg From Mogadishu to Main Street: How Immigrants have Shaped and Re-shaped Minnesota Communities From the earliest immigrants to our state, to those just arrived, new Minnesotans have played an important role in shaping the places we know as “home.” Minnesota State Demographer Susan Brower will present historic trends in immigration and discuss how the arrival of new Minnesotans has both altered and invigorated urban neighborhoods and rural communities around the state. She will also discuss how impending demographic shifts are likely to shape the conversation about immigration in the years to come. Reception with appetizers. Mingle with students and IGC staff who can refer you to opportunities for internships, civic engagement, student organization projects or study away related to the conference theme of Immigration and Migration. Take the next step to get involved! |
Thursday, October 9
12:45 – 2:45 p.m. Student-Led Workshop, Thursday |
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Title
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#1 Building Trust: Education and International Development Using cross-disciplinary and experiential “lessons from the field,” this panel explores the roles that educational practice may play in exploring the mission of “development” work within the contexts of displaced communities and evolving identities in an increasingly divided yet intrinsically connected world. |
1:30 – 2:45 p.m. Student-Led Workshops, Thursday |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#2 The New American Dream: Refugees, Social Networks, and Self-Employment Entrepreneurship and micro-business are increasingly understood to be important factors for economic growth. According to José de Jesús Legaspi, a developer from Fort Worth, Texas, the American Dream for immigrants is “not to own your own home, but to own your own business.” Refugees, as a distinct subgroup of the migrant community, often face special challenges when pursuing economic self-sufficiency. This panel discussion will focus on self-employment as a refugee issue; expert panelists will present their perspectives and discuss durable solutions that allow refugees to “rebuild their lives with dignity and peace” (UNHCR). |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#3 No Human is “Illegal”: Deconstructing the Rhetoric of Immigration This workshop is centered on language used to describe immigrants and people who are undocumented. Particularly, the ways in which the use of the term “illegal” as a human adjective is dehumanizing. We will discuss the implications of this language using examples from immigration law, the media and informal conversation. We will recognize the interconnected causes of migration and the effects of language on both policy and identity. We will connect it to contemporary issues. Through this lens, the workshop will stray away from the dominant narrative of “illegals,” towards a holistic understanding of people’s human right to migrate. |
3:00 – 4:15 p.m. Student-Led Workshops, Thursday |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#4 When Global Health is Local: Immigrant Health Work in the Twin Cities From their high rates of diabetes in adults to their low rates of vaccination in children, the sizable immigrant and refugee populations in the Twin Cities experience unique health challenges. Many organizations, including nonprofits and government initiatives, share the mission of improving the health of immigrant populations. These groups must create innovative solutions that work across linguistic barriers, maintain cultural sensitivity, and address the varied social determinants that impact individuals’ health. This workshop features Twin Cities community members working in the field of immigrant health who will provide close-to-home insights into the realities of their work. |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#5 Youth Migration: Closer Than You Think Regardless of distance traveled, migration invokes loss and reconstruction. Perhaps in no other stage of life is this most influential than during our youth and childhood, especially if the borders crossed are more psychological than they are physical. Using the Twin Cities as our canvas, we will explore the perspectives of three different communities: homeless youth, refugee children, and students of the first Native American language-immersion school in the area. From these lenses we will see how migration impacts one’s sense of belonging, culture and identity in childhood and into the future. |
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Title Faculty
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#6 Interregional Migration and the Pan-Africanism Movement The Pan-Africanism movement is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social and political progress and aims to “unify and uplift” all people of African descent. In our workshop we will examine the success and failures of interregional migration in advancing the missions of the movement, given that interregional migration in Africa is disproportionately forced. We will approach this issue from an economic perspective, specifically looking at the effects of migration on labor and entrepreneurship and we will reflect from our experiences and literature. |
4:45 – 6:15 p.m. PLENARY SPEAKER |
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Aihwa Ong |
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| Professor, Sociocultural Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley | |
| Introduction by Dianna Shandy, co-chair, International Roundtable Committee; professor, Anthropology | |
| Cultural Earthquakes: Dislocations in Chinese Art and Western Reception | |
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Ai Weiwei, who is PRC-born, has been called “the most important artist on the planet.” The effect of global flows on global citizenship has long been explored through the lens of migration from the Global South to the North. While S-N human migrations continue unabated, reverse flows of culture, ideas and technology to the West are enacting novel forms of political agency and cosmopolitanism. Western debates on contemporary Chinese art focus on cultural essence versus placeless avant-gardism. In contrast, I view Chinese art as expressions of a “rooted cosmopolitanism” that undertakes the ethnography of cultural earthquakes in China on the one hand, and performs an “anticipatory politics” of global understanding on the other. Forms of Chinese art include: a spectral presence for Chinese in Diaspora; an archive of hidden injuries and enactment of ‘speaking bitterness’ in China; a rethinking of East-West encounters; and the interpenetration of different worlds. Contemporary Chinese art, I suggest, is a global political force that registers multiple dislocations in space and understanding for our contemporary times. |
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Location: Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, John B. Davis Lecture Hall |
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7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Student-Led Workshops, Thursday |
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Title Panelists Faculty Abstract |
#7 Between Borders: American Transnational Adoptees People don’t usually think of adoptees as migrants. Yet, that is exactly what they are. This workshop will aim to lead participants through a conversation about the unique issues that these unconventional migrants face, both in America and in their “motherland,” by discussing the meanings of “home,” “family,” and “citizenship.” |
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Title Abstract |
#8 Encountering Xenophobia: Simulation oF Immigrant Integration in the USA, Spain, and Singapore Come join an interactive simulation exploring the integration of immigrants into diverse societies on 3 different continents. In the so-called “land of immigrants”, how is it possible that xenophobia permeates the American sentiment on immigration? How can Spain integrate immigrants in the midst of a severe recession? This workshop gives you the chance to observe students role-playing debates over immigrant integration strategies. At the door you’ll receive a brief handout with all you need to play – either a listening role or a more active part in the dialogue; no preparation or advance knowledge of the topic is required. |
Friday, October 10
9:40 – 10:40 a.m. Student-Led Workshop, Friday |
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Title Abstract |
#9 The Economic Benefits and Social Costs of Remittances Remittances are a fundamental concept in the study of migration. Immigrants living and working in the Unites States send billions of dollars back to their home countries. According to the World Bank, US$ 420 billion dollars were sent to developing countries in 2013 in the form of Remittances. This figure is expected to reach more than US$ 700 billion by 2016. While the economic benefits allow migrants’ relatives to improve their material living standards in their home country, remittances also can cause negative impacts on the social structure of developing countries, since families are being separated and migration is encouraged by economic figures of growth and wealth. For that reason, this workshop will explore the economic, social, and political aspects of Remittances, based on the personal experiences and expertise of our panelists. |
10:00 – 11:45 A.M. PLENARY SPEAKER
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JOHN JOTA LEAÑOS New media artist, animator, social documentarian, and associate professor of Social Documentation, University of California, Santa Cruz Introduction by Ernesto Capello, co-chair, International Roundtable Committee; associate professor, History and Latin American Studies |
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Decolonial Transgressions From hardline immigrant reform discourses, accelerated deportations and “Dreamers” radical acts of civil disobedience, to drug cartel “governance,” the Honduran failed state and floods of child migrants heading north on “La Bestia,” the US-Mexico borderlands legacies of violence remain alive and well. As a borderlands media artist confronting these fronteriza transgressions, Leaños will address the role of decolonial creative interventions in transforming, antagonizing and reframing critical social issues that haunt our past and construct our present. He will consider multiple tactical approaches in documentary, public pedagogy, and interventionist art that seeks personal and social transformation from Latina/o perspectives. Location: Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, John B. Davis Lecture Hall |
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12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Documentary Film , Friday |
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DOCUMENTARY FILM: Frontera! Revolt and Rebellion on the Río Grande |
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Plenary speaker and artist John Jota Leaños will screen and discuss his latest documentary animation project, “Frontera!” tracing critical moments in the makings of the southwest borderlands through popular culture, cartoons and song. The screening and discussion will address frictions between ideological framings of the borderlands and the political and social histories that inform and complicate these notions. He will also demonstrate the how art, independent media and cultural work functions as engaged pedagogy from within the margins of globalized culture and from Latina/o perspectives. Location: Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, John B. Davis Lecture Hall |
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12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Student-Led Workshop, Friday |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#10 Environmental Refugees: Sovereignty, Displacement and Protection While the impacts of climate change are felt across the globe, certain regions are experiencing more acute changes than others. Many of these vulnerable populations will lose their homelands entirely in the coming decades, while others will be forcibly displaced due to newly inhospitable environments. This workshop will address the increasingly pressing topic of environmental refugees and their lack of protection under international law, focusing on two main themes: preserving nationalities of citizens of Small Island Developing States; and protections for displaced persons due to climate change-based factors such as desertification and flooding. |
12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Student-Led Workshop, Friday |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#11 Hold Still: Photographing Migration During the first week of October, photographer Wing Young Huie and the students of professor Eric Carroll’s Intro to Photography class walked the streets of Saint Paul to make pictures on the theme of migration. Part lesson, part experiment, the results of this collaborative effort between Wing Young Huie, Macalester, and the surrounding community will be shown for the first time during the International Roundtable. A discussion will be facilitated by Wing Young Huie, professor Eric Carroll, and the student photographers about how photography forms identity and can engage broader themes like migration. They will also talk about approaches, struggles and benefits of engaging the public through photography. |
1:10 – 2:10 p.m. Student-Led Workshops, Friday |
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Title
Faculty Abstract |
#12 What You Haven’t Heard about Syrian Refugees in Jordan Jordan hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world, over half a million of which are in need of aid. But Jordan’s Syrian refugee population is not confined to camps; it is within the population. This is important from both a humanitarian and a political perspective, especially when considering the questions of how to count refugees and distribute aid. This workshop presents life for Syrian refugees in Jordan and what that means in terms of altering the current approach to aid. |
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#13 Unaccompanied Children at the U.S.-Mexico Border The past year saw the influx of nearly 60,000 unaccompanied children from Central America into the U.S. In this session, panelists will consider the |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#14 Immigration and Education in China and USA Due to China’s rapid urbanization in the last 30 years, millions of Chinese children have difficulty receiving high quality and affordable education when they migrate to cities with their parents. As a country with a long history of immigration, the United States has experienced problems in educating immigrant children and preparing them for integration into mainstream society. This workshop will compare how schools in the Twin Cities and Beijing manage students who are first-generation international immigrants and rural-to-urban migrants, respectively, to unfamiliar social and cultural environments. We will discuss potential solutions to the issues facing educators and their migrant students. |
2:20 – 4:00 P.m. PLENARY SPEAKER |
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T. ALEXANDER ALEINIKOFF |
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| United Nations deputy high commissioner for refugees | |
| Introduction by Christy Hanson, Dean, Institute for Global Citizenship | |
| The Refugee Crisis – New Emergencies and Never-ending Exile | |
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What are today’s biggest challenges for protecting refugees? Where do the greatest obstacles to and possibilities for refugee protection lie? Is the line between refugees and new forms of forced migration shifting? What kinds of changes are needed globally to offer effective access to protection? How do youth–both those affected by displacement and those, like students at Macalester College who hope to have a positive impact on refugee issues, fit into the larger picture? Where is refugee protection headed? |
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Location: Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, John B. Davis Lecture Hall |
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3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Student Research Poster Session Smail Gallery |
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The poster session is an annual venue to showcase students’ summer research and experiential learning. Guests from on- and off-campus can enjoy coming to hear about students’ research endeavors! |
Saturday, October 11
12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Student-Led Workshops, Saturday |
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Title Faculty Abstract |
#15 Gender Based Violence in Refugee Settings Violence against women occurs at all times and in all countries; however, the violence women face spikes significantly both during and after crises, armed conflicts, and natural disasters. This workshop will explore the problem of violence against women in situations of displacement and how organizations work to address this problem. Following, the path of female refugees from displacement to repatriation or resettlement in host communities or third countries, we will look specifically at how organizations observe the concerns of women in a displacement setting, from guaranteeing separate wash/sanitation rooms for men and women, to having adequate lighting by restrooms, providing females in households with their family’ rations and including women in the community decision-making. Finally, this workshop will address the best practices for empowering women during resettlement. |
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Title Location Faculty Abstract |
#16 Our Stories: A Conversation Circle with Immigrants, Refugees, and Other Community Members A story is an invitation to dance. It is a door through which we build common experience. Experience the power of a story with Jane Addams School for Democracy (JASD), a non-hierarchical community-based organization that creates intercultural dialogues between new immigrants, refugees, and other community members. During a story circle, each individual shares a personal experience addressing a question, effectively integrating narratives from varied experiences in order to build a new and shared story. In this workshop, you will be a participant in the story circle, listening, dialoguing and sharing with immigrants and refugees, exploring how themes of migration have shaped our lives. JASD values everyone as both a learner and a teacher. No matter where we are from we all have something to share. |
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Title Abstract |
#17 Female Migrant Domestic Workers This workshop will explore the feminization of migration through domestic workers. Human Rights Watch estimates that tens of millions of girls and women around the world are employed as domestic workers. Despite the magnitude of this field, the private nature of the domestic sphere renders it largely unregulated as a workspace, subjecting domestic workers to exploitative work conditions and abuse. This panel will discuss the relationship between domestic work, gendered migration, and globalization through three speakers: one focusing on transnational migration abroad, one on internal migration in Senegal, and one on domestics in the United States. |
12:15 – 2:45 p.m. neighborhood bus tour, Saturday |
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Neighborhood Tour: The Museum of Russian Art The Museum of Russian Art is devoted to illuminating the culture of Russia and its neighbors, from academy-trained painters pushing the boundaries between painting and sculpture to folk artisans working their magic with woodcarving. The museum is also a gathering place for Russian-speaking émigrés from many countries of the former Soviet Union. One of these émigrés is the museum’s curator, Maria Zavialova, who hails from St. Petersburg. Zavialova will lead us on a tour of the current exhibitions, providing valuable historical context, and will share stories about the Russian-speaking community and her own immigrant experience in the Twin Cities. After the tour, enjoy tea in the gift shop and join Julia Chadaga for a conversation about the exhibits. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended; $15/person (price includes admission to the museum); macalester.edu/roundtablerussianmuseum |
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3:15 – 5:45 p.m. neighborhood bus tour, Saturday |
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Neighborhood Tour: University Avenue Take a two-hour bus and walking tour of St. Paul’s University Avenue corridor to learn more about how migration has formed this business district and the greater Twin Cities. The tour will focus on the cultural and economic development of two communities along University Avenue, Little Africa and Little Mekong. We will be guided by a panel of representatives of these communities, to gain a better understanding of how the movement of people – both domestically and internationally – shapes urban landscapes. These communities are very accessible from Macalester and are home to many diverse, immigrant-owned businesses. After the tour, feel free to stay in Little Africa or Little Mekong for dinner and take the Green Line back! At the end of this tour, feel free to explore on your own (returning on the Green Line light rail and #84 bus) or return to campus on the tour bus. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended. $10/person. macalester.edu/roundtableuniversityavenue |
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Film Series
Tuesday, October 21 | 7:00 – 9:00 P.M.
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First film in the IRT Film Series: |
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A film about the lives of immigrants in the Twin Cities, refugee resettlement, and the challenges and successes of cross-cultural healthcare. A discussion with the filmmaker, Chris Newberry, will follow the showing. Hosted by the Lives of Commitment Program. Sponsored by the Institute for Global Citizenship. |
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November 18 | 7:00 P.M. | Not My Life | Hosted by Prof Jim von Geldern February 24 | 7:00 P.M. | Which Way Home | Hosted by Prof Morgan Adamson and Elsa Goossen April 2 | 7:00 P.M. | Climate Refugees | Hosted by the IGC |
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Ongoing Events
6-13 October | Why Walls? A Border Awareness Project |
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This project draws attention to the borders – both visible and invisible – that crisscross the globe. Come to the courtyard between Neill Hall and Theatre to view an interactive collection of border-related artwork and written expression. Created by Macalester students, faculty, and staff, these displays aim to provoke conversations about the conditions that borders produce in diverse regions worldwide. While reminding us of the injustices that stem from border enforcement and cross-cultural alienation, the project also celebrates the many efforts to envision and enact alternatives to a divided world. Location: Courtyard adjacent to the Theater and Art buildings |
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October – May | Migration now |
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Featuring a limited-edition portfolio of handmade prints, Migration Now is a nationwide visual arts collaboration—led by CultureStrike and the Justseeds Artists’ Collective—aimed at raising consciousness about migrant issues and the need for equitable change to the nation’s immigration system. Migration is a lens through which we can interpret contemporary society and the focal point around which so much turns: race and culture, gender and sexuality, class and representation, economics and the natural world; new ideas, bad ideas, the harshest cruelties and the most open arms. This exhibit will run all year. |
Affiliated Events
TUESDAY, October 7 | 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. DOCUMENTARY FILM
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The Last Bar Mitzvah:The Emigration of the Bolivian Jewish Community This short documentary, created by Allison Dobscha ’15 during her study abroad experience, explores the fate of the Jewish communities in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, Bolivia. Bolivian Jews in both cities fear the loss of their communities as increasing numbers of young people emigrate to other countries. While members of the older generation lament the dwindling population, younger people find hope in the possibility of forming a global Jewish network. Join Allison and the Macalester Jewish Organization for refreshments, questions, and a discussion following the film. Location: Old Main 009 |
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Wednesday, October 8 | 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. Late Night Vinyl |
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| Mark Mandarano, Assistant Professor and Director of Instrumental Activities, Department of Music | |
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As a part of the International Roundtable, Director of Instrumental Music, Mark Mandarano, will host a variation of his “Late Night Vinyl” sessions. Mark will play an eclectic mix of rock, blues, folk and other styes, in a heady vinyl brew of music on the theme of migration. All at the not-so-late hour of 9 p.m.
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Thursday, October 9 | 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. | MAcSlams |
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MacSlams performers will read poems dealing with the issues of migration and immigration, past and present. We will then have guided writing and a discussion. The Macalester Poetry Slam is a community organization centered on writing and performance. We work to send a team to college nationals each year, and to build a brave and open space for students to use creative writing to process and educate their community. Location: Cultural House |
Location: Crawford Hall (M116), Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center