“Johnson-Reed 100 Years Later” international conference in Debrecen

An international conference is organized by the Institute of English and American Studies at the University of Debrecen, Hungary in partnership with the American Hungarian Educators Association to mark the 100^th Anniversary of the US Immigration Act of 1924 between the 22^nd and 24^th of August.

In commemorating of the 100^th anniversary of the Johnson-Reed Act, the international conference critically reflects on the perceptions and impact of the US Immigration Act of 1924 and other restrictive measures of the time on global migration trajectories and policy. More broadly, this interdisciplinary conference aims to explore the multifaceted dimensions of migration and its complex interactions with history, literature, cultural studies, film studies, inter-American studies, and various other academic fields.

All participants, including presenters and attendees, must register in advance, and the registration is closed.

The conference starts at 11 am on the 22^nd of August with an opening ceremony. The first plenary session will be held by Anna Mazurkiewicz (dr. Habil., prof. UG), historian and author of four monographs: on the American responses to elections of 1947 and 1989 in Poland, and the role of the political exiles from East Central Europe in American Cold War politics. The second plenary session will be held by Ashley Johnson Bavery, Associate Professor of History at Eastern Michigan University, where she teaches courses on United States immigration and ethnic history. The first day ends with a Fulbright reception and book presentations.

The third plenary session will be held by Mónika Szente-Varga, historian, a Latin America specialist. She studied history at the University of Szeged (Ph.D. in 2005 and Habilitation in 2014). There will be a roundtable discussion on the role and significance of emigration museums. The Friday closes with a night reception, which is sponsored by Fulbright Hungary.

An optional conference trip to Kasigarda, Slovakia (Museum of Emigration from Slovakia to North America) and the Tokaj Wine Region (Hungary) will be organized for the 24^th of August.