Claudia Kolker: What we can learn from newcomers

A woman sits in front of a shelf full of books.
Journalist Claudia Kolker of Rice University, author of “The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America.”
Courtesy of the College of St. Scholastica

Journalist Claudia Kolker of Rice University conducted a lot of research about new Americans and the habits, rituals and problem-solving systems of their home cultures. She asked these immigrants, "what is the smartest thing that people in your country do... that you want to hold on to... and that other Americans should copy?”

She found that family ties, social networks, teamwork, and a sense of purpose were frequently the answers. Claudia Kolker wrote a book about all this, titled, "The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America About Health, Happiness and Hope."

She shared her ideas — by virtual connection — as part of the Alworth Center for Peace and Justice Lecture Series at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.

Kolker is the editor of Rice Business Wisdom, the ideas magazine at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in Houston.

Use the audio player above to listen to the program.

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