‘Becoming American: A Documentary Film and Discussion Series'

Delaware Valley University faculty from the history, policy and society program are collaborating with Pearl S. Buck International on an immigration in America (“Becoming American”) film series to begin in the fall. It is an educational film series that includes readings and discussion.

Open to the public, the series is designed to engage audiences through viewing and discussion of documentary films that represent diverse immigration experiences. Each discussion will be led by one of three distinguished faculty members from DelVal.

Featured faculty members include Dr. Tanya Casas, Dr. Craig Stutman, and Dr. Shih-chieh Su.

• Dr. Tanya Casas studies race and ethnic relations and politics of recognition in the Americas. She has a particular interest in immigration from Latin America and the varied immigrant experiences of Latinos who come from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. She also is concerned with the political-economics of immigration and the circumstances that propel people to migrate. Dr. Casas incorporates different aspects of the immigrant experience into her sociology and cultural anthropology courses.
   
• Dr. Craig Stutman is a historian who specializes in public history, race, and ethnic relations in the United States. Dr. Stutman teaches American history through the lens of immigration history, policy, and popular culture. Dr. Stutman is also the chair of the Toni Morrison Society’s Bench by the Road Project, an African-American public history initiative, and serves on the board of two National Register of Historic Places-designated sites – Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust in Philadelphia and Eden Cemetery, a historic African-American Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.
   
• Dr. Shih-chieh Su is a cultural and intellectual historian of modern identities. His research has focused on the relationship among histories, memories, and identities – including global migration and the construction of an inclusive national identity in the United States. As a newly naturalized United States citizen, involvement in this project is very important to Dr. Su. He is eager to share his experiences and observations with a greater audience.

Becoming American is supported by the generosity of Gayle Goodman and Jim Searing.

Tickets:
The "Becoming American" series kicks off Sunday, Oct. 14 and runs through Sunday, April 14. There is no charge to attend the films, but advanced registration is required. To view the list of films and to register, please visit pearlsbuck.org/becomingamerican.