All are welcome. Programs will be held in the Avon Library’s Community Room. Free, no registration required.
Tour a traveling exhibit from the Gilder Lehrman Institute on Immigration that will be at the Avon Library from late September to late October, 2019.
How Does the Immigration Process Work? Wednesday, 9/18/19, 1:30 pm. Erika Taylor, of the Hartford Field Office, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, will speak on how the current process of immigration works.
The Irish in Connecticut. Thursday, October 3, 2019, 6:30 pm. Bruce Clouette, Senior Historian, Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc., will speak on the cultural conflicts, economic experiences (or lack thereof), and political roles that Irish immigrants assumed as they entered Connecticut.
Completed programs:
Indian-Americans at the Workplace. (Panel discussion #1) Saturday, 7/20/19, 4:30-6:00 pm.
This program is designed by Meghana Annamaneni. Meghana lives in Avon, CT. She is a rising Junior at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT. At Hotchkiss she is one of the editors-in-chief of Spectrum, a diversity and inclusion magazine. Additionally, She is co-heads of the Council on Diversity and Inclusion. The Council works with the administration to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion within the school community. Light refreshments will be served. Panel members will be selected from our Indian community.
Film Screening and Discussion: Mexico. Tuesday, 8/13/19, 1:30 pm: Frontera. Rated PG-13, 1h 43m.
A former Arizona sheriffs wife is killed while riding on their ranch property. It would appear a Mexican man illegally crossing the border is at fault. As the former, and current, sheriff searches for answers lives are changed forever. Bob Kagan, discussion leader, is a Professor of Communication at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford.
Italian-Americans in CT in the 1920s. Wednesday, 8/14/19, 2:00 pm.
Presented by Dr. Rafaele Fierro, History and Political Science Professor at Tunxis, and part of the Civic Engagement Institute on campus. Dr. Fierro will use the 1920 Census to share the stories of criminal activity (non-Mob related) within Connecticut. At one point, 32% of the prisoners in the Wethersfield prison were Italian! Why was this?? Refreshments provided by the Prince Thomas of Savoy Italian Club.
Indian-Americans in Politics. (Panel discussion #2) Saturday, 8/17/19, 4:30-6:00 pm.
This program is designed by Meghana Annamaneni. Meghana lives in Avon, CT. She is a rising Junior at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT. At Hotchkiss she is one of the editors-in-chief of Spectrum, a diversity and inclusion magazine. Additionally, She is co-heads the Council on Diversity and Inclusion. The Council works with the administration to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion within the school community. Light refreshments will be served. Panel members will be selected from our Indian community.
Film Screening and Discussion: Ireland. Tuesday, 8/20/19, 1:30 pm: Brooklyn. Rated PG-13, 1h 59m
An Irish immigrant arrives in 1950’s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with an Italian- American plumber. When her past catches up with her, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within. Bob Kagan, discussion leader, is a Professor of Communication at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford
Film Screening and Discussion: Nigeria. Tuesday, 8/27/19, 1:30 pm: Pretty Dirty Things.
Rated R, 1h 37m. Okwe is an illegal Nigerian immigrant struggling to survive in London’s underground. He works as a hotel receptionist in the nighttime and since he has a medical degree, he also practices medicine on the side. When he is offered a lot of money to perform illegal surgeries, he faces a moral dilemma. Bob Kagan, discussion leader, is a Professor of Communication at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford.
Nothing to Envy: North Korea. Tuesday, 9/3/19, 7:00 pm. Join librarian Cyndi Larsen for a discussion of Nothing to Envy, a book that follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years, a chaotic period that saw the rise of power to Kim Jong II and the devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population, illustrating what it means to live under the most repressive totalitarian regime today.
Poles in their homeland and Connecticut: History and Culture. Tuesday, 9/10/19, 6:30 pm. Presented by Renata Vickrey, University Archivist and Outreach Librarian at CCSU. A lecture on the history and culture of Poles who emigrated from Poland to the US, from mid-19th century until the present. In addition to the reasons why this population immigrated, we will discuss the building of community, family traditions and customs, especially by the Poles who live in CT! Food from Little Poland (New Britain) will be served.
The Story of American Immigration as told through maps Saturday, 9/14/19, 2:00 pm.
Dr. Francis Coan, History Professor at Tunxis, and part of the Civic Engagement Institute on campus, will present the story of American immigration through maps. This is a very visual way to understand how the populations, cultures, and time periods have evolved throughout the geography of America.