What is the immigrant experience, what does it include and what are its challenges and realities? What gets lost, altered or rewritten as a result of the leaving one’s birth country and arriving in a new one?

In cooperation with Polish Culture NL,  the John Adams Institute is thrilled to present an evening uniting arts and academics, crossing oceans and frontiers. The evening is organized in partnership with Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies , Embassy of the Republic of Poland,  Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam, Buda Staging Performance.

 

The event is arranged in two parts and includes a performance of the play “The Emigrants” written by Sławomir Mrożek and a discussion on the latest book by Dr. Nancy Foner of CUNY titled “One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America”.

There will be a short break between the performance and the discussion, and the evening will close with a drink reception.

Part One: The Emigrants

Award-winning Polish playwright Slawomir Mrozek (1930-2013) was famous for his satirical political plays exploring major social issues in the lives of his characters. The play gives voice to migration, depicts political problems associated with it and prompts to ask questions. How to deal with migration personally, politically, and socially, and how does migration both strengthens and tests community bonds? The play is directed by Hanna Grosfeld-Buda and will be performed by actors from Buda Staging Performance Foundation, Samanta Zwolennik and Patryk Bartoszewski. The performance will be in Polish with live English subtitles.

 

Part Two: One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America

The United States is seen worldwide as a multicultural melting pot: a nation of immigrants from across the globe pursuing, creating and reinventing the American Dream. Today, nearly 86 million people in the U.S. are either immigrants or descendants thereof: immigration and immigrants have played a major part in transforming American society through rejuvenation, strengthening old industries and stimulating the growth of new ones. From the music that we listen to, to the food we like, immigration has had a profound impact on American life but still has its opponents and is a hotly debated topic. After presenting the findings of her book, Dr. Foner will be joined by fellow sociologist Dr. Els de Graauw for an in-depth discussion.

 

Moderator: Fadoua Alaoui

In collaboration with: NIAS, Polish Culture NL, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, OBA & Princeton University Press, Buda Staging Performance.

APR 24, 2023, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM, OBA THEATER, OOSTERDOKSKADE 143, AMSTERDAM

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