After much conversation and concern around the alarming characterizations of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio and the ongoing ways immigration and immigrants are positioned in derogatory ways in the 2024 presidential election, Gina Pérez (Comparative American Studies) and Meredith Gadsby (Africana Studies) will moderate a teach in on to address these issues of local and national importance as well as discuss historical context for a discussion of immigration.  The current dynamics in Springfield and beyond highlight the urgency for a response that also provides our communities, students, and colleagues with tools to make sense of the anti-immigrant rhetoric defining yet again this election.

Faculty panelists include Yveline Alexis (AAST), Carment Merport-Quiñones (CAST), Pablo Mitchell (HIST), Zeinab Abul-Magd (HIST), Aanchal Saraf (CAST), and Jenny Garcia (Politics).  Each panelist will provide brief comments to allow for discussion and questions.