FAQ

What is the Center for the Global Migration Studies
The Center for Global Migration Studies is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to expanding the understanding of migration and its effects in the contemporary and historical contexts. The Center conducts research, trains faculty and students, and connects the University to the wider immigrant community. For more information, see the Center's Mission Statement.

What research projects is the Center undertaking?
The Center directs or collaborates on a number of historical, educational, and digital research projects. Among the Center’s current projects are:

• The Archive of Immigrant Voices, an oral history project that collects the stories of the immigrant experience.

• Educating Citizens for the New America: Teaching and Learning about Immigration and Migration in K-12 Schools, a research project that analyzed elementary and secondary education standards and practices.

• Transforming the Afro-Caribbean World, a digital humanities project that explores the migration of peoples across the Atlantic World during the period of the construction of the Panama Canal.

Who is affiliated with the Center?
The Center is housed in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Center’s co-founders and directors, Professors Ira Berlin and Julie Greene, are supported by a core cluster faculty in im/migration studies as well as dozens of affiliated faculty across the campus. The Center’s Leadership Council—drawn from community, media, and policy leaders in the region—advises the Center on key development and policy goals.

What is the transcript notation in Immigration and Migration Studies?
Students who complete 12 credits in im/migration studies courses can earn a notation on their transcripts that indicate a special concentration in Immigration and Migration Studies. This track is ideal for students considering careers in law, public policy, social work, and other fields. More information can be found on our Transcript Notation page.

What courses is UMD offering in Immigration and Migration Studies?
The courses offered by UMD change from semester to semester. Typically, the Center offers the introductory course (IMMR 200) in the fall semester and the capstone course on oral history (IMMR 400) in the spring semester. A full, up-to-date list of the courses offered can be found in the courses section of the Transcript Notation page.

How can I support the work of the center?
You can give to the center through UMD's giving website.

Where can I learn more about contemporary and historical migrations?
If you are interested in learning more about migrations, see these wonderful external websites:

• United States Census Bureau – International Migration

• United States Census Bureau – Foreign Born Populations

• Department of Homeland Security – Immigration Statistics

• New York Times – Immigration Explorer

• National Archives – Immigration Records

• UCIS – Early American Immigration Policies

• Library of Congress – Teacher Resources

• Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation

• Angel Island Conservancy

• Harvard University Library Open Collections Program – Aspiration, Acculturation, and Impact: Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930

Do you have resources on naturalization, citizenship, and immigration?
The Center is largely an academic institution. For more information about legal policies and procedures in the United States, see the website of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office.

What are the Center's upcoming events?
The Center hosts a number of events each semester including conferences, forums, film screenings, and our Migration Exchanges series. For a list of our upcoming events and more details about each event, please consult our Events page.

How can I connect with the Center?
There are a number of different ways that you can connect with the Center. First, you can follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also email us at globalmigration@umd.edu. If you would like to be added to our email list, just let us know and we can be sure to keep you updated on everything going on at the Center. To read our past newsletters, check out our newsletter page. Follow along with news updates on this page for the latest information.

What happened to the Center for the History of the New America?
In 2016, the board decided to change the name of the Center for the History of the New America to the Center for Global Migration Studies. This was to better reflect our increasing focus on migration patterns and their effects throughout the world rather than simply in America. In other words, the Center for the History of the New America has not gone anywhere, it just has a new name and a broader focus!