January 31, 2019, Thursday, 18.00-20.00 Cezayir-Istanbul
“Worship in the US: Boundaries of Turkish Migrants’ Religious Belonging” by Z. Selen Artan-Bayhan
This presentation, which is based on in-depth interviews with Turkish immigrants who live in the states of New York and New Jersey, addresses how migrants mobilize as religious communities, their religious practices, and the boundaries of their belonging. Although current political discourse constructs the Muslims as the other, the presentation discusses how migrants’ religious belonging should not be regarded as a boundary that is impossible to transcend.
December 27, 2019, Thursday, 18.00-20.00, Cezayir – İstanbul
Being a Migrant in Syria and Lebanon in the Inter-War Period by Dr. Seda Altuğ
In this presentation, Dr. Seda Altuğ will analyze the refugee issue in Syria, the country which accepted the largest number of refugees from the Ottoman Empire and Turkey during WWI. Syria which was under the French mandate in the interwar period, became the host country for approximately 500.000 people until the 1950s; the primary group was the Armenians who sought refuge in Syria after 1915.
November 2018, Thursday, 18.00-20.00, Cezayir – Istanbul
The second half of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century were the years of mass displacement in the history of Ottoman Empire/Turkey. Every migration wave since the 1860s brought thousands of immigrants in the geography, as we know as contemporary Turkey. The first generation of immigrants strived for survival and adaptation in the local community.