Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities

2009-2010 William S. Vaughn Visiting Fellowship

Immigration and the American Experience

Co-directors: Daniel B. Cornfield (Sociology) and Gary Gerstle (History)

During the last two hundred years, global movements of people across international borders have powerfully shaped the politics and cultures of nations. International migration often introduces new identities, cultures, and ideologies—ethnic, political, artistic, and religious—into the destination nation, complicating, enriching, and sometimes threatening the social identities of immigrants and nations alike. These struggles on the one hand spur innovation in art and science, civil society, law, and public policy. On the other hand, they trigger class and ethnic-racial conflict, culture wars, and social movement mobilization and counter-mobilization.

The Warren Center will host a year-long interdisciplinary faculty seminar entitled “Immigration and the American Experience” to explore immigration and its influence on identities, cultures, nationhood, and urban politics. The examination will be based primarily on the U.S. experience, from the Early American period to the present. Methodologically, the seminar will take a comparative-historical approach that draws on the humanities and social sciences, as well as expertise in post-national frames of analysis (including but not limited to transnationalism), the spatial distribution of human communities, and legal perspectives on rights and citizenship. The seminar will explore the subject of immigration through historical, literary, artistic, and social scientific works. While the seminar will focus on immigration to the U.S., immigration is by definition a subject that will draw discussion to the histories and cultures of other countries.

We invite applications from scholars in all disciplines whose lively presence will help to focus our work and stimulate discussions. We anticipate that the successful applicant will have completed the terminal degree in her/his field and will have a record of scholarly publication. The seminar meets weekly and will allow the visiting fellow ample time to pursue a major research project. The combined interests of the visiting fellow and the Vanderbilt faculty fellows will determine the form and content of seminar discussions. The visiting fellow is provided with a spacious office within the Center’s own building. The fellowship pays a stipend of up to $50,000 and provides $2,000 in moving expenses.

Application materials may be downloaded here.

Complete applications must be postmarked by JANUARY 19, 2009.

For more detailed information please contact:

Mona Frederick, Executive Director
Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities
VU Station B #351534, Nashville, TN 37235-1534
(615) 343-6060

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