Every week, the AWM is excited to bring you stories written by our visitors in our Story of the Day exhibit, which features typewriters that visitors can interact with directly, or our newest temporary exhibit, My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today. Check back weekly for new stories, and visit the Museum to try out our typewriters, see the exhibit, and possibly be featured here!
Part of our newest temporary exhibit features an interactive station that allows visitors to write their family’s story on a luggage tag and stamp it with the reason their family came to the United States or how they’ve moved within the country, whether it was Family, Refuge, by Force, for Freedom or Opportunity, or a different reason. Below are four stories shared in the exhibit, which opened to the public November 21, 2019. Visit the Museum or comment below to share your family’s immigration (or migration) story.
“I was adopted from China when I was 2. This, I believe, is quite a different experience from those who have immigrated since, for me, the US is the only home I know or remember. My parents believed my birth mother gave me up to an orphanage for better opportunity, but that is all speculation.”
1/30/20
Katherine Claufh
“Katie ‘Daisy’ Kane survived a shipwreck along the coast of Halifax, N.S. on her way to OH from Donegal.
Without her, no me. Courage. Struggle. Curiosity. Despair. A small life – No – majestic -“
2/8/2020
“I came to study in Michigan and completely fell in love with my friend, partner and now husband and father of my two beautiful daughters. America gave me not only a home, but the love of my life. Life is wonderful because I have the best family I could ever hope for.”
2/23/20
Shattered glass
2/1/2020
Shouting match
Religious oppression
Pogram session
Seek new lands
With empty hands
to the west
and from the east
Hopefully the journey ends with relief”