United in Differences: Multicultural Lessons for the New Labor Movement

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 4:30pm to 5:30pm

Ives Hall, Doherty Lounge B07 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

In the early 1930s, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) organized large numbers of Black and Hispanic workers through education, culture and community involvement. The ILGWU welcomed these new members – mostly women -- into racially integrated local unions and created structures to celebrate ethnic differences. "All Together Different," a new book by Dan Katz, revolves around this phenomenon of interracial union building and worker education during the Great Depression. Katz traces the ideology of “mutual culturalism” to the revolutionary experiences of Russian Jewish women. His fresh perspective on the nature of ethnic identity and working-class consciousness contributes new understanding about the historic origins of multiculturalism. Dr. Katz's talk on November 9, “United in Differences: Multicultural Lessons for the New Labor Movement,” is open to the public.