Preface:

With immigration once again a prominent and fractious issue in the public mind, the TIP workshop on “Philadelphia and the Immigrant Experience” aimed at a timely examination of the role of immigration and the nature of the immigrant experience in the America past. Philadelphia provides a vital case study. The city has recieved reapted waves of newcomers and its neighborhoods, economy, politics, and culture have been shaped and continue to be influenced by the arrivals of tens of thousands of people from different countries. Questions addressed in this workshop included: How has the immigrant experience changed over time? What have been the contributions of various immigrant groups and individuals? How have newcomers been received and what burdens and obstacles have they faced in their attempts to achieve footholds in Philadelphia? What does the recent surge of immigration portend for Philadelphia and American society at large, in the globalized world of the 21st century?