Immigration and Charlotte with Dr. Maggie Commins
TOPIC: Immigration and Charlotte: What does it mean to be a “welcoming city?”
SPEAKER: Dr. Maggie Commins, Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte’s population is growing and changing. We are often told that over 150 people move to the region every day.
What you may not have heard is that Charlotte attracts people from around the world. Almost one in five Charlotte Mecklenburg County residents was born in another country, four times the percentage in 1990.
This changing demography is transforming our city and challenging local governments to connect with and integrate people from many backgrounds. During the national celebration of “Welcoming Week” (September 10th – 19th), join us to explore what it means to be a “Welcoming City,” and whether the Queen City measures up.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Maggie Commins is the Shelton Professor of Political Science and chair of the Department of Political Science, International Studies, and Sociology at Queens University of Charlotte. Her research interests include U.S. immigration policy, municipal immigrant integration, U.S. policy toward Latin America, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, with a focus on pedagogies that encourage students’ civic engagement.
In 2020 Queens honored Maggie with their Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching award. Modeling what she encourages in her students, Dr. Commins is actively involved in the Charlotte community. She serves on the Charlotte International Cabinet, an advisory board for the mayor and city council that focuses on promoting both international business and immigrant integration in the Queen City.
She is also a board member of the Latin American Coalition, the city’s oldest immigrant-serving nonprofit organization, and of the National Issues Forum Institute, a national nonprofit that promotes civic dialogue and engagement.
