A Discussion of Immigration and Politics in Uncertain Times
Tuesday, April 18, 7 pm
Open Book
Target Performance Hall
1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis
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The Twin Cities are home to the largest Somali American population in the United States, and this community has made important contributions to the political, economic, and social fabric of the region. Given the current uncertainty about immigrant and refugee policy, combined with the challenges the Muslim community faces under the current administration, we are pleased to present a dialogue featuring authors Stefanie Chambers and Ahmed Ismail Yusuf. This timely discussion, which will explore how the Twin Cities are excelling at creating an immigrant-friendly community as well as areas where there is room for improvement, will be moderated by Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR-Minnesota. An introduction will be given by R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation and author of Pothole Confidential: My Life as Mayor of Minneapolis.
This event is presented by Rain Taxi in collaboration with the Minneapolis Foundation and Trinity College. Books by the speakers will be available for purchase from Milkweed Books, and a reception will follow the discussion. We hope to see you there!
This event is free and open to the public, but your RSVP helps us plan accordingly. We hope to see you there!
This event will be Open Captioned. Captioning made possible in part by a grant to VSA Minnesota by the Minnesota State Arts Board with funding from the Minnesota Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the participants
Stefanie Chambers is a Charles A. Dana Research Associate Professor of Political Science at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Her research and teaching focus on migration, mayoral leadership, urban education, and environmental justice. Her latest book is Somalis in the Twin Cities and Columbus: Immigrant Incorporation in New Destinations (Temple University Press, 2017). She is also the author of the 2006 book Mayors and Schools: Minority Voices and Democratic Tensions in Urban Education, and is co-editor of the forthcoming volume The Politics of New Immigrant Destinations: Transatlantic Perspectives.
Ahmed Ismail Yusuf is the author of Somalis in Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012), an in-depth look at the state’s most recent immigrant group. He is also the author of Gorgorkii Yimi, a collection of short stories in Somali, and Lion’s Binding Oath, a new collection due to be released in August 2018, and his play A Crack in the Sky will be produced at the History Theatre in Saint Paul in February 2018. He has a BA from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. and an MPA (Master of Public Affairs) from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota.
Jaylani Hussein is Executive Director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). He has presented on the Somali Culture to diverse organizations across the US. With degrees from St. Cloud State University and North Dakota State University, he specializes in the areas of urban planning, community development, youth development, and legal and civil rights.