Sign Up For More InfoOn March 23, NYAM will present a free screening of Tom McCarthy’s "The Visitor", the critically acclaimed film portraying the life changing friendship between an illegal immigrant and a Connecticut based economic professor. Set in New York City, the film beautifully captures the complexities of understanding "the other" in a post 9/11 world where immigration laws reflect a nervous security response measure.
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| Richard Jenkins and Hiam Abbas in The Visitor. Come to NYAM for a free screening on March 23. Photo from Movieweb.com |
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone writes, "If I told you The Visitor reamed out our government for its shameful treatment of illegal immigrants, you’d say, ‘stop preaching.’ If I told you The Visitor focused on one man, a shy, sixtyish college professor who comes out of his shell, you’d say, ‘who wants to see that?’ And yet The Visitor, featuring an award-caliber performance by Richard Jenkins as the prof, is a heartfelt human drama that sneaks up and floors you… Oscar, take note.” Jenkins was nominated Best Actor for the 2009 Academy Awards.
Following the screening, a lively discussion on the public health topics the film raises will be lead by NYAM fellows, Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, Chair of the NYAM Section on Psychiatry, CEO and Medical Director of The Holliswood Hospital and Sona Euster, MSSA, CSW, member of NYAM’s Section on Social Work, Director of Social Work at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
According to the Census Bureau, over 35 percent (2.9 million) of New York City residents were born outside the U.S., and approximately 25 percent have limited English proficiency—over 100 different languages are spoken in New York City. This segment of the population experiences great difficulty maneuvering through the healthcare system. NYAM has long been an advocate for a just immigrant experience here in New York and hold events to help educate health professionals who come into contact with the immigrant population and while conducting studies that impact policies affecting this segment of the population.
Earlier this year the NYAM Author Night Lecture Series featured Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills and Advocacy by Fernando Chang-Muy, JD, and NYAM Fellow Elaine P. Congress, DSW. The book combines the work of highly acclaimed authorities on social work and immigration helping guide social service professionals and students to develop more cultural sensitivity and work more effectively with immigrants. On November 13, 2008 Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced that both CVS and Rite-Aid will for the first time make prescription medication instructions available in Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French, and Polish, to better serve their New York patients with limited English language skills. "NYAM’s research into this issue played a critical role at every step of our advocacy. The survey data reported in the study, when combined with testimonies from community members who did not receive language assistance in pharmacies, told a compelling story about the scope of the problem in New York City, which helped us secure the interest of the Office of the Attorney General as well as local elected officials," said Nisha Agarwal JD, Director of the Health Care Access Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.
Our next event in the series From Memory to Story: Writing Your Life is a non-fiction writing course over eight Thursday evenings March 26 - May 14 being taught by Richard Goodman author of The Soul of Creative Writing and the cult favorite French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France For more information on our Arts, Literature and Humanities Lecture Series, and click here to register for our free screening of "The Visitor."
Posted on 03/19/2009
Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
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