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USC distinguished lecturer, native of Switzerland,
and blues musician Walter "Wale" Liniger was a featured
performer at the opening of an exhibition on Swiss
immigration to the United States at Ellis Island in New
York July 29.
The exhibition, which features a select number of
past and present Swiss immigrants, is one of the
flagship events of the Swiss Roots Project
(www.swissrootws.org) organized by the Consulate General
of Switzerland in New York.
Since the early 18th century, thousands of Swiss
citizens have migrated to the U.S. motivated by
curiosity, economic hardship, and hope for a better
future.
Among noteworthy Americans with Swiss roots are
actress Renee Zellweger, Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger, automobile pioneer Louis Chevrolet,
author Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross (On Death and
Dying), and Adolph Rickenbacher, inventor of the
modern electric guitar.
The exhibit opening included a variety of other
speakers and performers, including Federal Councilor
Pascal Couchepin, Swiss minister of culture, and pop
singer Jewel.
Liniger (bluesprof.com) has been a lecturer with
USC's Institute for Southern Studies since 1993 when he
started teaching his "Echoes in Blues" for the South
Carolina Honors College.
Before moving to South Carolina, Liniger worked on an
extensive oral history project at the Blues Archives of
the University of Mississippi from 1984 to 1993. In
1989, he received a W.C. Handy Blues Award for his
musical partnership with Mississippi bluesman James Son
Thomas (1926-1993).
Liniger's classroom presentations are a collage of
music, Southern literature, and stories. His music
reflects the teachings of his mentors, James Son Thomas
and Etta Baker; his stories are about struggles with
cultural migration.
This fall Liniger will teach Southern Voices: Tell
Me A Story (SOST 405D; sections 001 and 002), a
course in the Institute for Southern Studies that will
examine challenging encounters with tradition and oral
narrative. Interested students may enroll in either
section.
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