The seminar took place on Monday the 27th of September 2010 in the Kiek in de Kök artillery tower in Tallinn. Presentations were held by Candice Lau, Sander Jürisson and Kristiina Praakli. The anthology Eestlased ja eesti keel välismaal (’Estonians and the Estonian Language Abroad’) was also presented.
In connection with her debut in the world of Estonian museums, Hong Kong-born Australian Candice Lau spoke about her exhibition Memories Passed which features interesting technical solutions. The exhibition on the second floor of Kiek in the Kök presents the stories of Australian Estonians using audiovisual technologies, and is based on Candice Lau’s master’s thesis which she defended this spring at the Sydney University of Technology.
Sander Jürisson, master’s student at the Historical Institute at Tallinn University and Compatriots Programme stipendiary, spoke about his recent research journey where he visited Brazilian Estonians. Sander first covered Brazilian migration history in general and then went on to more detailed descriptions about Brazil’s Estonian community.
Kristiina Praakli presented the recent project European Language Diversity for All, in which the language use of Estonians in Finland and Germany is being researched. Together with Jüri Viikberg she also spoke about their jointly edited anthology Eestlased ja eesti keel välismaal.
Authors’ copies were presented to Aivar Jürgenson, Sander Jürisson, Mare Kõiva, Kristiina Praakli, Mart Rannut, Tiit Tammaru, Aune Valk and Jüri Viikberg.
After the seminar a free exchange of thoughts on the topic of diaspora research took place.
Maarja Merivoo-Parro