The Kudzu Experience

Histories of Southern Migrations & Movements

<sub>Kudzu, a plant not originally "native" to the South, has become a complex and symbolic representation of southern life. First brought from Japan and celebrated for its decorative and agricultural possibilities in the early twentieth century, kudzu spread its vines and remade southern landscapes. A wide embrace of the plant gave way to suspicion and distaste as it grew uncontrollably by mid twentieth century. While kudzu remains "foreign" and "invasive" for some, for others it has become a well-rooted part of southern life.

For over a century kudzu has proven to be a strong metaphor for many southern journalists, poets, novelists, and others who found inspiration in the natural world around them. Whether beloved, embraced, disdained, or ignored, the history and symbolism of kudzu offers an entry point for thinking about and examining diverse histories shaped by migration. Like the "plant that ate the South," migrants from different places at different times have encountered both southern hospitality and hostility. The Kudzu Experience is our collective effort to show how, throughout southern history, migrants have established roots, (re)made landscapes, and raised questions — and possibilities — about belonging.</sub>