News Release

Immigrant workers conference

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Donna Gabaccia, University of Minnesota professor of history and director of the Immigration History Research Center. Gabaccia speaks noon April 12 on class in American immigration policy.

"Social Conditions of Immigrant Workers and Families in Minnesota" is the theme of this year's Global Goes Local conference.

The conference features presentations, panel discussions and a film scheduled across three days: April 11, April 12 and April 17.

The conference is the work of the College of Social Sciences Faculty Research Group on Immigrant Workers in Minnesota, which collaborates with community organizations to develop data on immigrant workers and their communities.

• View the conference brochure (PDF)
• View the Facebook event page
  

All but one of the 17 free public events are in Atwood Memorial Center. Parking is free on streets adjacent to campus or a dollar per hour in the 4th Avenue Parking Ramp. 

Highlights include:

The Role of a Union in Somali Immigrant Workers’ Lives at Electrolux
1:30-3 p.m. April 11, Voyageurs South

Abdikani Dirie – union steward, production worker
Ahmed Said – production worker
Colleen Murphy – representative, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

Fast and Slow Food: Latino Immigrants’ Contributions to Midwestern Food Systems
8-9 p.m. April 12, Cascade Room

Jan Flora, professor of sociology, Iowa State University

Screening of the documentary film "Abused - Postville Raid"
2 p.m. April 17, St. Boniface Church, Cold Spring

View the full-length documentary about the most brutal, most expensive and one of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement  raids in our nation's history. The film weaves together the personal stories of individuals, families and the town affected by the events of May 12, 2008. Visit the film website.

Conference co-sponsors include the University of Minnesota's Immigration History Research Center and United Way of Central Minnesota.

For more information, contact Stephen Philion, director, COSS Research Group on Immigrant Workers in Minnesota at 320-308-5497 or sephilion@stcloudstate.edu.

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