EXILE ACROSS BORDERS & GENERATIONS - San Antonio Book Festival
April 11, 2026

EXILE ACROSS BORDERS & GENERATIONS

  • 10:00 am - 10:45 am
  •    |   Location of Session: Rogers Hall
  • Adult Sessions
  • Start of Signing: 11:00 AM
  •    |   Signing Location: Adult Signing Tent

About the Event

Immigration journalist Daniela Gerson traces her and her wife’s intertwined pasts to unearth a history of how hundreds of thousands of Polish Jews survived Hitler’s Holocaust at the brutal hands of Stalin in The Wanderers: A Story of Exile, Survival, and Unexpected Love in the Shadow of World War II. Part genealogical detective story, part gripping history, and part contemporary reporting on war-torn territories, this session will unearth the past—and its echoes today. 

About the Author

Daniela Gerson - The San Antonio Book Festival Photo Credit: Kait Lavo

Daniela Gerson

Daniela Gerson is an award-winning immigration reporter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, WNYC, Der Spiegel, and Financial Times, among other outlets. An associate professor of journalism at California State University, Northridge and editor-at-large at Zócalo Public Square, she previously cofounded Migratory Notes and worked as a community engagement editor at the Los Angeles Times and as a staff immigration reporter for The New York Sun. Daniela lives in Los Angeles with her two children and her wife, who is an attorney specializing in immigrants’ rights.

Her new book is The Wanderers: A Story of Exile, Survival, and Unexpected Love in the Shadow of World War II.

Moderator

Daniela Gerson - The San Antonio Book Festival

Ashley Alvarado

Ashley Alvarado became president and CEO of Texas Public Radio in
December 2024, bringing more than two decades of experience in
journalism.

During her twelve years at LAist, Ashley led community engagement
efforts across a wide range of initiatives, from live events and art
installations to responding to thousands of questions from
community members. She oversaw teams focused on audience
engagement and newsroom experimentation.

An award-winning journalist and experienced newsroom coach,
Ashley has worked with Blue Engine, the Poynter Institute, and the
American Press Institute. She has also contributed to leadership
programs with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and
the Asian American Journalists Association. A former president of
Journalism That Matters, Ashley currently serves on the boards of the
Online News Association, Greater Public, and the First Amendment
Coalition.

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