Kirsten Fermaglich
Associate Professor
An expert in American Jewish history, American memory of the Holocaust, and American antisemitism
Get in touchBiography
Kirsten Fermaglich has been teaching history and Jewish Studies at Michigan State since 2001. Her interests center around the historical meanings and problematic nature of ethnic identity in the United States. She is particularly interested in secular Jews as both members of and outsiders to the Jewish community. Fermaglich is also interested in the ways that gender, race, class, and family intersect with ethnic identity.
Read MoreSelected Press
Why Americans Change Their Names, And What It Says About Identity
WPR | 2018-11-28
Throughout American history, many men and women have sought to change their names. Some immigrants to the country have done so in an attempt to assimilate to America, while others who were born here have done it to escape certain connotations of a given name. Whatever the reason, our guest historian says the reasons behind name changes are often more complex than they seem. We look at who’s changing their names and why...and what it all says about identity in America.