From Karla McKanders
"What stood out to me was the varied level of advocacy in the briefs the government was writing and the briefs on behalf of immigrants, some of them pro se. To be able to do this type of work while inspiring students to take on pro bono cases or become immigration-law practitioners became one of my career goals."
- Karla McKanders, Clinical Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University | Associate Director, Legal Clinic
Friends and fellow citizens,
The recent crisis involving Haitian migrants on the southern border and the influx of new arrivals from Afghanistan have propelled immigration back into the headlines. Like other immigrant groups throughout our country's history, these two populations can expect to be viewed differently by large swathes of the American public and subject to differing legal frameworks.
On Tuesday, October 19, at 12 p.m. CST, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy will host "Immigration and Inclusion: Who Decides Who Belongs in America," a virtual event that explores the evolving and shifting definition of "citizen" throughout the course of American history.
The event will be moderated by Sarah Igo, Dean of Strategic Initiatives for the College of Arts and Science and Andrew Jackson Professor of History at Vanderbilt University, and include the following experts:
- Karla McKanders: Clinical Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University and Associate Director, Legal Clinic
- Dr. Jesús G. Ruiz: National Academy of Sciences Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Caribbean History
- Dr. Emily Ritter: Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Political Science
- Gabriel Torres-Colon: Assistant Professor (race, politics, sports, and intellectual history)
We invite you to join us next week for our virtual event. To register, please click here.
We'll also be posting about the event and other updates on our new social channels Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter - so please give us a follow to stay up to date on the latest Unity Project news.
Respectfully,
Gray Sasser
Executive Director
The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy