Fall Exhibit: Immigrant Lives in “The OC” and Beyond
The Libraries’ fall 2008 exhibit in the Muriel Ansley Reynolds Exhibit Gallery in Langson Library opens on November 18th with a lecture by Frank Bean, UCI Chancellor’s Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Research on Immigration, Population and Public Policy.
In recent years Orange County has become widely known via television and other media portrayals as "The OC," promoting perceptions of a largely homogeneous and wealthy “white” populace. In reality, our county has experienced dramatic demographic change in recent decades, largely due to the impact of immigrants from throughout the world. This exhibit depicts the lives of immigrants in our region, with a focus on Orange County, from the late 19th century to today.
Topics portrayed include the legacy of an often turbulent past, the changing face of the people, the contemporary debate over immigration, and issues affecting immigrant workers. The exhibit also highlights immigrants' own stories, the plight of the undocumented, public policy issues, and the role of gender in migration. Numerous books and articles by UCI faculty whose 
research centers on immigration are featured. Items on display also include photographs, posters, newspapers, pamphlets, and more.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, California’s immigrant population increased fivefold between 1970 and 2006, from 1.8 million to 9.9 million, including those who became naturalized as U.S. citizens. Today, one in four Californians is an immigrant, a higher proportion than in any other state. Most are from Latin America or Asia. The leading country of origin is Mexico, followed in rank order by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, El Salvador, Korea, India, Guatemala, Iran, Taiwan, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Immigrants represent a majority of residents in Santa Ana and five other California cities. In fact, according to UCI sociologist Rubén G. Rumbaut, who served on a U.S. National Research Council Panel on Hispanics, southern California has the largest concentration of immigrants anywhere in the world.
Immigrant Lives in "The OC" & Beyond is curated by Daniel C. Tsang, social sciences data librarian and bibliographer for political science, economics, and Asian American studies.
For more information about the exhibit or the opening event, contact Julie Sully, Associate Director of Development (jsully@uci.edu or x44658).