Photo Art Exhibit
Thursday, January 24, 2008, 6:00 p.m.
Strafford Room, Memorial Union Building
Photo By Ian Hartsoe
"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."
--- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Photo Art Exhibit
In Search of Democracy: A Refugee Story
Historically, Americans have expressed their ambivalence towards immigrants and refugees who seek to resettle in the U.S. While some feel that newcomers add a fresh cultural and political perspective, others suggest that those who seek refuge here exact too high a cost on American society and pose a threat to our democracy.
The fear that the dispossessed culture is "too different" from our common culture has fueled lively debate in New Hampshire beginning in the early 1980s when more than 6000 refugee seekers began to make New Hampshire their home. What do we know of these people— men, women, and children who had fled their homelands because of war, persecution, or political affiliation? How different are they from you and me? How committed are we to the American adage and invitation "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"?
This photo exhibit featuring the work of students from the University of New Hampshire, McIntosh College, and the New Hampshire Institute of Art hopes to answer some of these questions as we introduce you to six refugee families who have come in search of a more secure union and the ideal put forth by democracy: All people are created equal and have the right to security, liberty, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness.
- - Photos
- - Individual stories
- - Description of the conflict in the country the refugee has fled
- - Artist statements
will be on display as part of the University of New Hampshire's Annual Martin Luther King Jr. week-long celebration.
