Anita Drever is an urban/population geographer. She focuses her research on the forces that shape how immigrant communities develop. She discussed these issues at Zócalo’s conference on race and immigration. Read more about her below.

Q. What music have you listened to today?

A. I heard some Zydeco out of one of the stalls on Bourbon Street. I have a son named Zy so I have a special relationship to Zydeco.

Q. What is your favorite word?

A. It’s Swiss German, and it means kitchen cabinet. I can’t spell it—I can only spell the German version.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. Fireman. We did a preschool tour of the local fire department, and the pole that you could get out of bed and slide down, I thought that was really fun.

Q. What is your favorite cocktail?

A. Gin and tonic.

Q. If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?

A. Greenland.

Q. What profession would you like to practice in your next life?

A. I have a list of my favorites. I’d like to be an architect in Vegas. That’s the one at the top of my head.

Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?

A. Backpacking.

Q. What promise do you make to yourself that you break the most often?

A. That I’m going to exercise more.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most like to meet for dinner?

A. Herman Hesse.

*Photo by Andy Levin.