Beyond Ellis Island: Immigration and Identity in the New South
Details
Presenter
Sarah McNamara, Texas A&M University
Date & Time
March 10, 2026 7:00 pm Eastern
Description
This session broadens the traditional immigration narrative by exploring the southern ports through which millions entered the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Participants will examine who arrived through these gateways, why they chose southern routes, and how geography, labor demands, race, and federal policies shaped their experiences. Using primary sources, maps, and case studies, the webinar highlights diverse immigrant communities from Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia, and provides strategies for integrating these often-overlooked stories into classroom instruction.
Sarah McNamara is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Texas A&M University and serves as core faculty in the Latina/o & Mexican American Studies Program. With a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2016), she studies immigration, labor, and social change in the U.S. South — with a particular focus on communities rooted in the region’s history. Her book Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South (2023) traces three generations of immigrants and their descendants in Tampa’s Ybor City, exploring labor, migration, and political activism over decades. McNamara combines archival research, oral history, and public‑history work to bring neglected histories to light, often drawing on her family’s own roots in Ybor City.
