Dear Maine: The Trials and Triumphs of Maine’s 21st Century Immigrants

Continuing Pejepscot History Center’s 2022 focus of Immigration in the Midcoast region, PHC presents Dear Maine: The Trials and Triumphs of Maine’s 21st Century Immigrants with speaker and author Reza Jalali, Executive Director of Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center.

Published in December by Islandport Press, the book Dear Maine recounts the experiences of twenty immigrants who have arrived in Maine over the past few decades. Compiled by Jalali, an Iranian Kurd and former refugee, and Morgan Rielly, a Bowdoin College graduate who worked abroad with Syrian and Iraqi refugees while a student, the stories featured in the book highlight how much recent immigrants to Maine have enriched their communities.

Jalali will share some of the stories from the book and talk about we can embrace and support the New Mainers that have arrived in the Greater Brunswick area over the past couple of years, thereby weaving them into the historical narrative of immigration to the Pejepscot region. The book features black and white photographic portraits by Lilit Danielyan, originally from Armenia and Kazakhstan.

This event is via Zoom. To register today, visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/dear-maine-the-trials-and-triumphs-of-maines-21st-century-immigrants-tickets