South Street Seaport Museum Announces THE SHAKER EXPERIENCE And THE BROADER IMMIGRANT STORY

South Street Seaport Museum has announced The Shaker Experience and the Broader Immigrant Story on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 2pm.

A panel of speakers representing the Seaport Museum, Shaker Museum, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, and Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic will come together for an engaging panel discussion on the immigrant experience. This conversation will explore the origins of immigration and how they illuminate or contrast with the present and future. Advanced registration is encouraged for this free open house but walkups will be accommodated as possible. seaportmuseum.org/shaker-experience

Drawing inspiration from the 250th anniversary of the Shakers arriving in New York City in 1774, as well as the journey of over six million immigrants who passed the 1908 lightship Ambrose on their way into New York Harbor, we will compare the Shaker experience with the broader immigrant story. We'll also delve into the surprising commonalities among the many waves of immigrants who have come to New York City in search of a new life. Following the panel, we'll open the floor for an audience Q&A.

Advanced registration is encouraged for this free open house but walkups will be accommodated as possible.

About the Panel

Nermeen Arastu is an Associate Professor of Law and the Co-Director of the Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic at the CUNY School of Law. She and her students represent non-citizens through all aspects and postures of the immigration system with the express mission of representing those who are most marginalized. Her writing, scholarship, and advocacy focus on racial and religious disparities in our nation's immigration adjudication and enforcement. Most recently her writing and scholarship have been published in the UCLA Law Review, Newsweek, City Limits and Slate.

Jerry Grant, the Director of Library and Collections at Shaker Museum, came to Shaker Museum in the Fall of 1987 following a decade of experience working in various capacities at Shaker museums and as a maker of Shaker furniture. Jerry has published and lectured widely about the Shakers.

Stephen Lean, Director of American Family Immigration History Center, started his career in the corporate sector, and embraced his passion for public history and storytelling when he joined the Foundation team on July 4, 2015. Under Lean's leadership, the History Center's team is an indispensable resource for visitors exploring their family heritage. Stephen holds a B.A. in American History and has a deep knowledge of Ellis Island and the Ellis Island immigrant experience. Armed with this expertise, Stephen is a frequent guest speaker and interview subject for local, national, and international media.

Zak Risinger has served as the Director of Engagement and Public Programs at the South Street Seaport Museum since 2022. He has consulted museums throughout the United States and Canada on best practices to engage audiences with art and history, served on numerous cultural panels, and presented at the Council of American Maritime Museum's national conference. Previously he served as the New York Creative Manager and Curator of Special Events for Museum Hack where he worked extensively with the MET, American Museum of Natural History, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Sarah Van Buren, the Programs and Outreach Manager at Shaker Museum, is an artist and educator with 20 years of nonprofit arts management and event production-half in New York City, half in the Hudson Valley. She has been facilitating public programs and developing partnerships at Shaker Museum since the summer of 2023.