EDISON – Bishop George Ahr High School is holding a multimedia presentation entitled “Becoming American: Baseball and 20th Century Immigration” by Stanton W. Green, professor of anthropology at Monmouth University, on Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Little Theater located at One Tingley Lane.
The presentation is part of the Bishop Ahr’s 2016-2017S Speaker Series focused on the social sciences and is open to the public. This program is funded by the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the program is produced by the American Historical Theatre.
During the early 20th century, a series of immigrant groups largely from Europe found their place in America through baseball. On the streets of New York City’s lower east side, first generation Americans played stickball while their parents spoke their native languages in the adjoining tenement buildings.
In the ballparks, fans cheered for their countrymen – Italians, Jews, Irish, Polish players – who excelled on the field. And the tradition continues into the 21st century as American baseball becomes increasingly international through the recruitment of Latin American and Asian ballplayers. This program explores the intriguing role that baseball has played in assimilating the waves of immigrants to the U.S.
Dr. Green holds a BA degree from SUNY Stony Brook and an MA and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Green has been studying the subject of baseball and American Society for more than two decades.
The Speaker Series was initiated by Susan Paluskiewicz, the school’s teacher-mentor coordinator.
Admission is free, however seating is limited. The program runs for approximately 90 minutes. Those interested in attending should contact Paluskiewicz at 732-549-1108, ext. 608, or by email at spaluskiewicz@bgahs.org.
