What: An exciting deep dive into Malden’s immigration history and firsthand stories of today’s immigrant journeys from Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Hosted virtually by the Malden Public Library and The Immigrant Learning Center.

When: September 14, 2:00-3:00 PM.

Why: The national not-for-profit Welcoming America has designated September 12-20, 2020 as “Welcoming Week,” an occasion for communities to come together and embrace their immigrant and refugee neighbors. This talk will be one of the ways that we celebrate the new Americans of Malden.

Where and How: This event has concluded.

Who: Speakers will include:

Founder and CEO of The Immigrant Learning Center Diane Portnoy

Founder of Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy Mai Du; 2018 ILC Immigrant Entrepreneur Award nominee

Director of Malden Public Library Dora St. Martin

President of Malden Historical Society John Tramondozzi

The Immigrant Learning Center takes pride in being part of the Malden community, a city with a long, impressive history of welcoming immigrants and refugees. This is more than history to us. Our founder and CEO, Diane Portnoy, was one of the refugees whom Malden welcomed when Diane and her family fled anti-Semitism in the aftermath of the Holocaust. This experience inspired her to found The ILC, which has welcomed more than 10,500 immigrants and counting through our English classes and other services. With both the historical and contemporary experiences of Malden’s new Americans in mind, we will talk about the exciting personal stories of the city’s diverse immigrants of the past and present, highlighting how they’ve built and continue to build the place we call home.