Immigrant City

University of Pennsylvania 5th annual Public Conversation Series:
Globalizing Philadelphia: Becoming an Immigrant Metropolis

Greater Philadelphia has become a significant center of immigration. Africans, Latin Americans, Eastern Europeans, and South and Southeast Asians are changing the face of countless urban, suburban, and rural sections of the Delaware Valley. This series of public conversations explores the challenges, opportunities, and experiences of immigrants, civic institutions, and communities throughout the city and region. For most of the past century, Philadelphia attracted relatively few immigrants. Immigrants to the U.S. chose to settle elsewhere, in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, where available jobs and pre-existing migrant communities made settlement more attractive. But as the twentieth century came to a close, the service economy created new jobs for immigrants, from restaurants and landscaping to computer programming. Foreign-born workers account for all the recent job growth in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Policy makers in Philadelphia point to immigration as a way to re-grow a city that has lost one third of its population in the last fifty years. Local organizations are working to facilitate settlement, employment and entrepreneurship, and community building.

What does immigration mean for urban policy, planning, and civil society? How does the arrival of new Philadelphians affect ongoing efforts to alleviate poverty and stimulate neighborhood development? What does it mean for our schools and public services? What are the implications for race relations in a minority-majority city? This series explores these and other issues. Speakers include immigrants sharing their experiences; representatives from service organizations, government agencies, and community activists working with immigrants; and scholars studying immigration and its effects on the city and region. All events are free and open to the public. Questions and directions – call: 215-898-7799.

SCHEDULE
How Philadelphia Became an Immigrant City … And What it Means
Tuesday, January 24, 4:00-5:30pm
Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce Street
Race and Ethnic Relations in Philadelphia and its Schools
Monday, February 6, 3-5pm
St. Francis de Sales School, 917 South 47th Street
Immigration Law, Deportation, and Civil Liberties in Post-9/11 Philadelphia
Tuesday, February 14, 3-5pm
Silverman Hall, Room 240 A, Penn Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street
Immigrant Labor and Political Mobilization in the Delaware Valley
Tuesday, February 28, 3-5pm
Terrace Room, ground floor of Logan Hall, 249 South 36th Street
Public Policy and Services for Immigrants: Exploring Challenges, Envisioning Opportunities
Tuesday, April 11, 3-5pm