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Immigration, Transformation, and Society
What is the immigrant experience, what does it include and what are the 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 Netherlands the John Adams institute is thrilled to present an evening uniting arts and academics, crossing oceans and national boundaries. The evening is in partnership with Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies, Embassy of the Republic of Poland and Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam.
The evening is in two parts and includes a performance of the play “The emigrants” written by Slawomir Mrozek and a discussion on the latest book by Dr. Nancy Foner of CUNY with the title “One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America”.
Between the performance and the discussion there will be a short intermission and the evening will close with a festive reception.
Part One: The Emigrants | Duration: 60 minutes
Decorated Polish playwright Slawomir Mrozek (1930-2013) was famous for his satirical political plays centred around major social questions in the lives of his characters. The play gives voice to migration and the political problems associated with this. How to deal with migration personally, politically, and socially, and how does migration both strengthen and test the bonds of community? The play is directed by Hanna Grosfeld-Buda and will be performed by actors from Warsaw. This duet performance will be performed in Polish with live English subtitles.
Part Two: One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America
The United States is known around the world as a cultural 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 central role in transforming American society through rejuvenation, strengthening old industries and stimulating the growth of new ones. From the music that we hear to the food we eat, immigration has had a profound impact on American life, and is nevertheless 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 conversation.
Moderator: Fadoua Alaoui
In collaboration with: NIAS, Polish Culture NL, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, OBA & Princeton University Press
APR 24, 2023, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM, OBA THEATER, OOSTERDOKSKADE 143, AMSTERDAM