Ben Railton

Ben Railton is a public American Studies scholar and an expert in the histories of immigration and diversity in America. He is especially interested in changing our understanding and narratives of such histories and issues: helping us remember the recent and overtly discriminatory nature of our immigration laws, for example; and making us aware of how foundational diversity and cross-cultural exchange have been in American identity and community, for another. He also has expertise in the role that literature and culture can play in our civic life and collective memories, as illustrated by his involvement with the in-development American Writers Museum; and in the political and policy applications of all these histories and issues, as exemplified by his role with the Scholars Strategy Network.