Robert Kemper, professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University, will discuss immigration policies between the United States and Mexico at a lecture Feb. 29 at Lamar University.
The lecture, “Beyond the Wall: Communities in Mexican-U.S. Immigration,” will begin at 2 p.m. in the Spindletop Room, on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library at Lamar.
The Lamar University Honors Program is sponsoring the lecture, with assistance from the Anthropology Association of LU, Lamar Undergraduate Research Network and Latinos Unidos.
“Current debates about Mexico-U.S. immigration too often focus on grand solutions rather than on the experiences of real individuals, families and communities in Mexico and in the United States,” said Donna Birdwell, director of the Lamar Honors Program. “Kemper will tell the stories of people caught up in this great transformation of the North American landscape.”
Birdwell said the lecture will delve further into current debates about international immigration and offer alternatives to current government policies.
Kemper’s abundant knowledge of urban anthropology emphasizes how people live in metropolitan areas, she said.
Also a well-versed author, Kemper has written and edited ten books and nine journal issues. His most recent works include two articles in the academic journal Urban Anthropology.
Kemper earned his doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley in 1971. As a professor at Southern Methodist University, he focuses his coursework on urban studies, migration, tourism, global business, bilingual education and applied anthropology.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Birdwell at (409) 212-9724.
