- The big questions around the world
and in the United States right now
all have to deal with immigration and migration.
- It's always been something I've been really interested in.
Especially the way it has affected my family.
- 40 to 50 million people around the world are living
outside the countries of their birth.
This is one of the most important factors
in changing society.
- 37% of New York City's population is foreign born,
and with the US born children, it's 60%.
- New York is an immigrant city par excellence.
There's a long history of integration and exclusion
to look at, and of course, here it is,
this laboratory at our feet.
- The academics blends in with our daily lives
here in the city,
and being able to see all of that in a real world context.
Really is incredible.
- The master's program in International Migration Studies
is an interdisciplinary program
which draws faculty resources from a variety of masters
and PHD programs throughout the CUNY Graduate Center.
So there's partially a demographic focus,
who's coming and why they're coming.
An economic focus, what the impact on economies is.
But also, in the cultural impact.
- And I think to understand who we are,
we actually have to learn about the different groups
of people who've come here,
who have made their lives here,
who have actually built the United States.
- The world is becoming globalized
and people are on the move.
So it's very important that folks have skillsets
around international migration.
And CUNY has an amazing bench strength.
- The master's program is new,
but it's part of a huge focus on immigration
in the PHD program in sociology and other disciplines
that's been going on for a long time.
- We're strong both in qualitative and quantitative methods.
- East Asians comprise three groups.
- So we really present the sort of spectrum
of collecting and using empirical materials.
- I train the students to go out and do interviews,
actual field work in neighborhoods.
So they got to see what immigrant communities are like,
and collect notes on their observations.
- I teach a basic course in immigration to the United States
where we sort of learn about the history of immigration,
the groups that are coming,
why they're coming.
And what we know about the changes that take place.
We've also taught a comparative immigration course,
which looks at the United States
in comparison to other immigrant receiving countries.
- [Phil] While there are four courses
the students take unique
to the International Migration Program,
the rest of their courses will be taken along with people
in other masters programs,
or more likely PHD students.
- All the different doctoral students and disciplines
that are offered in the JC
were all mixed in together in class.
And the range of topics and perspectives being studied
within this one building and the flexibility that we have
within our studies,
that's I think one of my favorite parts of this program.
- Germany's also very iffy with holding dual citizenship.
- The program is simultaneously small and large.
They draw on the resources of a much larger university.
But at the same time,
the faculty know all of the students personally,
and also the students all know each other.
- JC is a very, very nice community.
All the faculty, all the students, all the staff here
is very welcoming.
- The International Migration Studies Master's Program,
it allows for the understanding of migration as a key issue
in American life.
- What are the real effects of having birthright citizenship
versus not?
Some of our students are probably planning to go on
to PHDs.
But others are already working in the field.
- The students are learning about immigration
and applying that to the every day work world.
- You think about the way labor forces are changing
very rapidly,
and this brings together economic impacts of migration,
the social impacts as well as legal questions
about migration policy.
- Certainly now more than ever,
we need good analysis,
good research on immigration
to counter so many of the myths.
And also to provide programs for people
so that understanding about immigration
is not just an academic exercise,
it also has implications for life.
So CUNY is a wonderful place to be a student.