Unwelcome Exiles. Mexico and the Jewish Refugees from Nazism, 1933-1945

Location

Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, Warren Auditorium

Free

The Latin American Studies Program invites you to a talk by Daniela Gleizer, Professor of History at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Cuajimalpa, México). The talk will be given in Spanish.

Prof. Gleizer's Unwelcome Exiles. Mexico and the Jewish Refugees from Nazism, 1933-1945 reconstructs a largely unknown history: during the Second World War, the Mexican government closed its doors to Jewish refugees expelled by the Nazis. In this comprehensive investigation, based on archives in Mexico and the United States, she emphasizes the selectiveness and discretionary implementation of post-revolutionary Mexican immigration policy, which sought to preserve mestizaje—the country’s blend of Spanish and Indigenous people and the ideological basis of national identity—by turning away foreigners considered “inassimilable” and therefore “undesirable.”

Through her analysis of Mexico’s role in the rescue of refugees in the 1930s and 40s, Gleizer challenges the country’s traditional image of itself as a nation that welcomes the persecuted.

This book is a revised and expanded translation of the Spanish El exilio incómodo. México y los refugiados judíos, 1933-1945, which received an Honorable Mention in the LAJSA Book Prize Award 2013.

A reception will precede the talk.

This event is free, as is parking on campus. No reservations are necessary, but to ensure that you get a seat, it is advisable to arrive early.