Reza Jalali Presents: 400 Years of Immigration in Maine

Posted April 20, 2021

The Camden Public Library will be partnering with Connecting Across Communities: An Immigrant Support Network to present a new series of programs that will explore the immigrant experience in Maine. The first online talk in the series will be on Tuesday, April 27, at 6:00 pm with Reza Jalali, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center. Jalali's presentation will explore the 400-year history of immigration to Maine, with a focus on the changing face of Maine as a result of recent immigrants. To request a Zoom link to attend, email [email protected].

Noted writer, educator, immigrant advocate, and former refugee from Iran, Reza Jalali is a longtime Maine resident. The Greater Portland Immigration Welcome Center is a nonprofit organization that serves as a hub of collaboration that strengthens the immigrant community through language acquisition, economic integration, and civic engagement. Jalali's advocacy experience includes leading delegations to refugee camps in Turkey and Bosnia as well as participating in a 1992 national delegation to the White House to discuss the plight of Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq.
Jalali has a new book, Dear Maine, co-authored with Morgan Rielly, which tells the stories of twenty New Mainers. The book will be available in September 2021.

For more information on this and other Camden Public Library Programs, visit librarycamden.org.