Portuguese Diaspora and Lusophone Studies | North American Migration and Ethnic History | Construction Workers and Labour Unions | Public History
Thanks to Daniel Ross and Laura Madokoro for taking the initiative, and for inviting me to co-author a Canadian Immigration syllabus with some of the leading migration historians in Canada. The purpose of this open syllabus is to assist educators and students interested in disseminating information and knowledge “that can shed light on lies, falsehoods and mythologies” that animate many contemporary discussions and public policy debates on refugees and immigration.
See the open syllabus here.
I had the privilege of co-organizing the York University’s Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Program’s 1st Youth Summer Program, which took place throughout the week of July 10-14. This free week-long program for high students in the ages of 10-14 years old, provided students with a range of educational activities that mixed learning with recreation, as well as breakfast, lunch, snacks, and public transit fare. Besides introducing students to the Lusophone world, both global and local communities, it also allow them to experience university life. The program included a rich roster of presenters, who offered lectures, personal advice, and hands-on workshops on language, history, music, dance, theatre, painting, filming, archival research, digital media, and other fields. See here for an illustrated overview of the program.
Looking forward to doing it all over again next year.
Constança Saraiva’s book “A Little Country Across the Ocean,” for which I have contributed a brief introduction about the history of Portuguese-Americans, is being launched on June 4th in New York and June 5th in Lisbon. See link below for more.
http://www.constancasaraiva.com/A-Little-Country-Across-the-Ocean
For the 64th anniversary of the arrival of the first group of Portuguese “bulk order” migrant workers on Pier 21, in Halifax, I have created a digital map with the current location of and statistics about the largest Portuguese immigrant, ethnic, and speaking communities in Canada. You can find it here.
Together with my York University colleagues Maria João Dodman and Inês Cardoso of the Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Studies program, and Abubacar Fofana León of the Centre for Research on Latin American and the Caribbean, I have been organizing the upcoming Youth Summer Program, in July 10-14, 2017, with the support of LA&PS’ Global and Community Engagement Office, the Gallery of the Portuguese Pioneers, the Working Women Community Centre, and the Camões Institute. This free program is open to youth of all ethnic and linguistic backgrounds in the ages of 14-18 (or enrolled in grades 9 to 12) with an interest in The Lusophone World: Global and Local Communities. It aims to introduce high school students to a university setting, get them acquainted with what may be for some an unfamiliar environment, and provide them with the resources they need to make informed decisions about their academic careers. The program features lectures, visual art and dance workshops, exhibits, sports, a walking tour, and other in- and out-of- classroom activities that mix learning, recreation, and creativity.
Here is the promo video produced by our Camões TV partner:
Besides helping to develop the curriculum and organize this program, I will also be delivering a walking tour and a workshop at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections.
Students can apply at this link (deadline June 1, 2017). See the poster below for more information.
Gilberto Fernandes 