Center for Australian & New Zealand Studies

Dr. Alan Tidwell, director of CANZ, has initiated a new research project.  "We are collecting oral histories from people who've come from Australia or New Zealand.  We want to hear about their experience."  The project is entitled Coming to America: An Oral History of Aussies and Kiwis in the US and will run through 2010.   Much has been written about migrants to Australia and New Zealand, but relatively little is known about those who emigrate.  This project will help bring their story to the fore.  The project should also shed light on the depth of the binational relationships.  "I think that the Australian - American relationship and the New Zealand - American relationship are both more than a security relationship and more than an economic one.  I think there are some more fundamental links that we might be able to unearth in exploring people's reasons for coming to America," said Tidwell.

For the purposes of the study oral histories will be collected from any Aussie or Kiwi who lives and works in the US with no particular return date in mind.  "We're interested to talk with Australians and Kiwis who live and work in the US.  They don't have to be US citizens," said Tidwell.  He added, "We want to talk to everybody."

If you are interested to know more about the project contact Dr. Tidwell, 202.687-7347, or via email act35@georgetown.edu