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"Go East, Young Man" - Imagining the American West as the Orient Dr. Richard Francaviglia, UT Arlington Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography

In the early 1500s, when Spanish explorers reached what is now the American Southwest, they characterized its native peoples and landscapes as Middle Eastern. When Anglo Americans moved west three centuries later, they called the Indians "Arabs" or "Turks" and even considered the Mormons to be "Mohammedans" (or Muslims). Why the American west was "Orientalized" is the subject of this illustrated lecture about how prejudices and preconceptions affect cultural identity.

Richard V. Francaviglia, Ph.D., was a Piper Professor Nominee in 2007 and the recipient of the UT Arlington Distinguished Record of Research Achievement Award in 2004. He has written seven books and co-edited others. His most recent book, Mapping and Imagination in the Great Basin: A Cartographic History, was published in 2005. He served as guest editor of the Journal of the West and has published numerous articles in geographical and historical journals. He is Founding Director of the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography and a professor of history at UT Arlington.

Location: Central Library sixth floor parlor Price: free and open to all Sponsor: University of Arlington Library Contact: Tommie Wingfield E-Mail: wingfield@uta.edu 817-272-2658

Information from venue's website