Author Brooke Hauser to speak on campus

November 21, 2012

The first day at a new school is always tough, especially when that school is thousands of miles away from home.   

Author Brooke Hauser will conclude UW-Whitewater's fall 2012 Contemporary Issues Lecture Series Monday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Young Auditorium with "The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens."  

"This novel is a modern-day story of immigration and looks at how students assimilate into culture," said Susan Johnson, chair of the Political Science Department. "As we're all children of immigrants, each and every one of us can connect to this story." 

Hauser has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Miami Herald, among other publications. "The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens" is her first book. Recently, People magazine selected "The New Kids" as one of its "Great Reads," and Parade magazine chose it as a "Parade Pick."  

In 2005, Hauser's interest in profiling characters not usually featured in the mainstream media led her to the city section of The New York Times.  Since then, she has tried to dig deep and tread lightly in many different worlds, from New York's juvenile justice system to Harlem's spirited Baptist community.  

The lecture is free and open to the public.