The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine will present Yearning to Breathe Free: The Immigrant Experience in Maine on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 5 PM at the Witherle Memorial Library, 41 School Street, Castine Maine; phone 207-326-4375; email refdesk@witherle.lib.me.us.

“On May 31st, 1607, about 100 men led by George Popham left England on ships bound for America – the New World. In August, they landed on Allen Island in Casco Bay, and by fall had established the colony at Popham Beach. They were Maine’s first official immigrants. Immigrants played a key role in our history long before Maine became a state. This workshop provides an overview of immigrant history in Maine, and highlights a few of the many growing diverse communities throughout Maine. The most important lesson of this program is that there is not just one history of Maine immigrants, but in fact, there are thousands in individual stories about immigrants. It’s likely that by the end of the workshop, nearly everyone in the room will realize that they are also an important part of the story of immigration in Maine.”

This program is hosted by the Witherle Memorial Library and offered as a free community event in in anticipation of the 30th Annual Camden Conference -Refugees and Global Migration: Humanity’s Crisis, February 17-19, 2017. The 30th Anniversary Camden Conference Community Events Series is supported in part by the Maine Humanities Council.