On September 18-19, 2014, the Center for the History of the New America and the Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland will co-host a conference exploring the connections between migration, race, disease, and public health. Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, will be the keynote speaker.

Historically, immigration has had as much to do with the movement of disease as with the movement of people. In the United States, Ellis, Angel, and Sullivan Islands began as quarantine stations, and to this day immigrants and their health continue to be a focus of policy debates. From smallpox to AIDS, immigrants have been the targets of medicalized prejudice and have been stigmatized by associations with disease. After their arrival, immigrants face unique challenges when interacting with doctors, hospitals, and governmental health care professionals. Although their work leaves them vulnerable to injury and disease, immigrants struggle with inequities in access to quality health care.

Health Across Borders: Migration, Disease, Medicine, and Public Health in a Global Age will bring together leading scholars, practitioners, public officials, labor leaders, and immigrants themselves to explore public health in the age of mass migration. Among other matters, they will address the economics of migration, patterns of prejudice in medical practices, and access to health insurance.

The conference is free and open to the public, and we encourage all who are interested in these important issues to attend. Complete details are available at the conference website.