Immigrant Nation: People in Transit at The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art announces a film series, Immigrant Nation: People in Transit, from July 3–September 10, 2026; it is one of many programs MoMA has planned in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Moving people have always produced moving images. As collective efforts, films, like our daily lives, emerge from multiple cultures, languages, and origins—they are the result of an incessant flow of personal exchanges. Unsurprisingly, immigration is a recurring theme in cinema, reflecting the colossal efforts people make to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to find happiness and freedom—or to sacrifice their own for the benefit of others.

Immigration was at the heart of the country's evolution and transformation even before the founding of the United States 250 years ago. The pursuit of a dream—the American Dream—and the hope for a better future has come to define the lives of millions of people. This series highlights the illusions and disillusions of that dream: utopia and harsh reality, opportunity and mistrust, wealth and hardship.

While the films in this series focus on immigrants' experiences in—and journeys to—the US, Immigrant Nation also looks abroad to capture the global nature of movement across borders. In the communal space of the theater, we discover a common thread: a universal longing for acceptance and dignity that transcends national boundaries, and the hope that people in transit will see future generations lead better lives.