Viewing Immigration from all sides – SMU's Dedman College

"Scholars at SMU are right in the middle of the immigration debate.  Our work is being used around the world," SMU Dedman College (DC) Professor Jim Hollifield said. 

The United States began to restrict immigration with a law enacted in 1862 and is experiencing the largest wave of immigration in its history in terms of absolute numbers.  The so-called ‘fourth wave‘ of immigration began in the late ‘70s, built up in the ‘80s, and is still going strong today.

DC students have opportunities to immerse themselves in immigration issues through research, conferences, community service, and personal experience. Anthropology and French major Brandi Terrell mentors an immigrant family as a volunteer for the International Rescue Committee. "They have been through so much, yet they are still so happy to be in the United States," Terrell said. 

Terrell helps Burmese refugees start their new life in Dallas.

Students also have the opportunity to work with some of the leading scholars in immigration studies through paid research positions, all funded by SMU’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program.

DC classes involve students in both the historical and the contemporary perspectives on immigration and are taught by professors like Jim Hollifield. Hollifield is both active in and out of the classroom, as he holds many prestigious titles and positions, such as Arnold Professor of International Political Economy, director of the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies, and consultant to the United Nations Global Commission for Migration. He also works on migration and trade with the International Organization for Migration, the Organization for Cooperative Economic Development, and the World Bank.

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