The Faculty Research Seminar on Social and Racial Justice will have a discussion and reading of the paper, Anti-Black Racism and the Formation of the Nativist State by Dr. Llana Barber from the American Studies department. Dr. Jermaine Archer from the American Studies department will be responding to Dr. Barber’s manuscript during the seminar.
The paper explores the role of anti-Black racism in the history of exclusionist immigration policies and practices in the United States. Nativism – privileging the native-born over foreigners or those constructed as foreign – has long structured not only who can access the United States, but who receives the full privileges of national belonging. While immigration historiography often foregrounds anti-Chinese or anti-Mexican xenophobia in the creation of exclusionist immigration policies and militarized border policing, Dr, Barber argues that anti-Black racism has also played a fundamental role since the nation's inception. Indeed, nativist policies were often pioneered to exclude Black foreigners, and only later expanded to apply to other immigrants.
The Justice Seminar provides an excellent opportunity for faculty presenters to get feedback on their unpublished work, for faculty to showcase their current research to the wider community, as well as a space for us to educate one another about social and racial justice.
Register here for this event, Please be sure to register with your Old Westbury email. A draft of the paper will be pre-circulated to zoom meeting registrants.