Is there an “American creed,” and if so what does it consist in? What does it mean to be a “nation of immigrants,” and what challenges and opportunities does immigration present today? How has American identity been shaped by the legacy of racial oppression and exclusion?

This event is part of the 2019-2020 COMPAS series on What Is America? and is free and open to the public.  RSVP here (not required for attendance).

Schedule of Events

8:50-9:00am – Welcome & opening remarks

• Piers Turner (Philosophy, OSU; Director, Center for Ethics and Human Values)
• Eric MacGilvray (Political Science, OSU; COMPAS Coordinator)

9:00-10:30am – Session 1: The nature of American identity

• Elizabeth Cohen (Political Science, Syracuse University)
• Deborah J. Schildkraut (Political Science, Tufts University)
• Moderator: Marc Spindelman (Law, OSU)

11:00-12:30pm – Session 2: The boundaries of American identity 

• Michael W. Flamm (History, Ohio Wesleyan University)
• Angela M. Banks (Law, Arizona State University)
• Moderator: Benjamin McKean (Political Science, OSU)

COMPAS (Conversations on Morality, Politics, and Society) is a program of the OSU Center for Ethics and Human Values. The Who Is an American? conference is co-sponsored by the OSU Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA).