Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines | A Public Lecture

Details

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman, in cooperation with the Embassy of Israel in Manila, will be holding a public lecture by Dr. Sharon Delmendo, “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines” on Tuesday, 3 March 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 am at the Seminar Room, Hall of Wisdom, GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. The lecture is free and open to the public.

In her presentation, Dr. Delmendo will examine the history of the Manilaner (Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany who came to the Philippines), focusing on the factors that affected the issuance of refugee visas; US immigration laws; the structure of the Philippine Commonwealth; US-Philippine relations and its impact on the refugee issue; and the profiles and experiences of some of the Manilaners. She will in particular share the story of Margot Cassel Pins and Lotte Cassel Hershfield, both of whom came to the Philippines as children and grew up in Manila.

Sharon Delmendo, Ph.D. is Professor of English at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. She is the author of The Star-Entangled Banner: One Hundred Years of America in the Philippines and two forthcoming books, When the Time of Need Came: Manuel Quezon and Holocaust Rescue in the Philippines and In Time of Need, an Open Door: Holocaust Rescue in the Philippines.  She teaches 19th-century American literature, multicultural literature, and film studies, and coproduced a documentary on the Manilaners.

Dr. Delmendo’s lecture is part of the Israeli Embassy’s Thank You, Philippines program. Seating is limited, and the organizers would appreciate it if interested participants confirmed their attendance via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian and in Philippine Studies. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center also offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.