Nov. 8, 2006 — “Contemporary Immigration: Trends and New Destinations” will be the topic of a presentation by Charles Hirschman, Boeing International Professor in the Department of Sociology, and Professor at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. Hirschman will describe the shifting patterns of immigrant settlement to new destination areas, including here in the Rocky Mountain West. He will speak on Friday, November 10, at Noon, in the Hinckley Caucus Room, OSH 255, on the campus of the University of Utah. His appearance is made possible by the Department of Sociology, the Department of Political Science, the Department of Economics, and the University of Utah Institute of Public and International Affairs (IPIA), and is part of the year-long “Integrating the Immigrants” Brown Bag series.

In the 1970s, almost 5 million immigrants arrived in the United States, the largest number since the early decades of the twentieth century. This was the beginning of the post 1965 Immigration Wave, which continues to the present time. By 2000, over 60 million persons – upwards of one in five Americans – were first or second generation immigrants. Until the 1990s, most immigrants settled in a handful of destinations, especially California, New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois. Although traditional destinations continue to attract the majority of new immigrants, there have been significant increases of the immigrant population in new destination areas, including many small towns in the Midwest, South, and the Rocky Mountain West. In his presentation, Hirschman will describe the shifting patterns of immigrant settlement to the new destination areas and review current research on the causes and consequences of this emerging trend.

The “Integrating the Immigrant” Brown Bag series presentations are scheduled once a month for the entire academic year. The goal of the series is to create a space for faculty, students, and members of the community, to share ideas, research, and projects, having to do with immigration to Utah, the United States and beyond. Though issues surrounding Mexican immigrants are dominating news headlines recently, the series aims to be inclusive, featuring talks about diverse immigrant populations and experiences. Upcoming presentations include (some titles are tentative):

“Refugee Resettlement in Utah”
Elissa McConkie, Program Specialist with the International Rescue Committee
Friday, December 1, 2006, Noon
Hinckley Caucus Room, OSH 255

“A Statistical Portrait of Utah’s Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Community”
Thomas N. Maloney, Dept. of Economics, University of Utah
Friday, February 2, 2007, Noon
Hinckley Caucus Room, OSH 255

“Adelante! Educational Opportunities and Challenges in a Multicultural Context “
Enrique Alemán, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Utah
Friday, March 2, 2007, Noon
Hinckley Caucus Room, OSH 255

“The Political Incorporation of Contemporary U.S. Immigrants: A Comparison Across Racial and Ethnic Groups.”
Pei-te Lien, Assoc. Professor of Political Science and Ethnic Studies, University of Utah
Friday, April 13, 2007, Noon
Hinckley Caucus Room, OSH 255

The talks are free and open to the public. The Integrating the Immigrant Brown Bag Series is being coordinated by Claudio A. Holzner, Department of Political Science, University of Utah.