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.
“My family first fled France and migrated to Ireland due to religious persecution. They then later fled Ireland and came to America in 1858 because of religious persecution again. Our family’s history here has always been to live a liberated life w/ our family free of judgement.
02-29-2020
“My family comes from Mexican fortune yet my grandparents wanted to “Americanize” their family just to show them the fortune and opportunities America has to offer. We started living the ‘American Dream’ with yet many setbacks.”
– South Side CPS Chicago Student
“I’m from Durango too woooh!!! – Durango, Mex”
01/21/2020
“1928
Grandma – Gertrude Ruter from Germany at 8. COuld only bring one toy. Chose a ball. It bounced off the deck into the Atlantic 😞”
2/13/20
“My immigration story has proven to be one of lies and deception. Originally thought to have had Norwegian, Irish and German heritage the family’s story was germanic. 23 and Me tells a different story of my heritage and sends me on a path to Italy, Egypt and Great Britain to meet the family I never knew.”
01/03/20