Emma Dalla Costa was awarded the Freedman Award for Undergraduate Research in Anthropology in May 2025. Emma is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Anthropology and Government. Emma used funds from this award to conduct fieldwork with immigrant communities and local stakeholders in Milan, examining how perceptions of immigration influence spatial organization and social dynamics.
The Freedman Award was also awarded to Remy Kageyama, Sayuri Pfeiffer, and Yvette Reyes for their research projects. The Freedman Award was funded by an endowment established by Randy ‘75 and Howard ‘74, MBA ‘75 Freedman. The Freedman Awards support undergraduate students in undertaking anthropological research.
Emma Dalla Costa describes her research below:
Over the summer, I conducted ethnographic research in Milan to understand how perceptions of immigration shape the city’s social and spatial life. Through interviews and observations, I explored how ideas of hospitality and belonging translate into everyday practices - in public offices, cafés, reception centers, and informal encounters across the city. I was especially interested in how perception becomes policy, and how immigrants navigate the moral language of accoglienza (“welcome”) that so often doubles as regulation.
Many of my interviews took place over shared meals, sometimes in restaurants offering food from different parts of the world. Talking over a plate of couscous, arepas, or just a coffee often made people more comfortable, and stories flowed more openly. Those moments of conversation and food revealed how experiences of migration are lived and remembered, and how hospitality itself can become a language of connection.
What I loved most was the opportunity to interact with people and listen to their stories. These conversations not only grounded my research but also sparked a lasting interest in life history ethnographies and in the power of personal narratives to illuminate broader social dynamics.
This project deepened my commitment to pursue a PhD in Anthropology and strengthened my desire to continue research that centers lived experience and questions of justice and recognition.
The Department of Anthropology is grateful for the generosity and support from Randy and Howard Freedman. Many students have received the Freedman Awards over the years, and the impact from these awards has been significant. The Freedman Awards make it possible for students to travel and dig deeper into their research.
