Nativism and Resistance – Then and Now

The politicization of anti-immigrant fears is nothing new, nor are grassroots efforts to resist such campaigns.  Join East Side Freedom Library co-executive director Peter Rachleff as he discusses the ways that business and political leaders promoted nativism in WWI era Minnesota as a means to squelch the labor movement and its farmer allies. Peter’s presentation will bring us into a conversation between the past and the present as we consider the re-emergence of nativism today.

Untold Stories is coordinated by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit thefriends.org or call 651-222-3242. Co-sponsors include AFSCME Council 5, Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church, East Side Freedom Library, Hmong American Farmers Association, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Metropolitan State University Institute for Community Engagement and Scholarship, Micawber’s Books, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Minnesota Historical Society, Ramsey County Historical Society, Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, Twin Cities Labor History Society, and the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service. This series is supported by an endowment created with grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation, as well as a gift from the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees Women’s Committee.