Stories of immigration depict a city’s transformation.
On January 28, 2024, the Framingham History Center (FHC) debuted “Framingham’s Collective Journeys: Stories of Immigration, 1960-Present.” Approximately 100 people attended the grand opening at Edgell Memorial Library & Village Hall on the Common. The exhibit was produced by FHC and funded by an Expand Massachusetts Stories grant.
Through oral histories, interactives, and artifacts, the exhibit reflects the historical and contemporary demographics of Framingham and features individuals from numerous places of origin, including Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti, and China.
“This was the first exhibition in the town’s history that is multilingual,” said Anna Tucker, executive director of FHC. “This reflects the growing diversity of the town, and many of the contributions to the exhibition were made by and with the community directly.”
One of the exhibit placards reads: “A lot of time you walk in and you’re wondering if you belong, and you see a room full of white students and it takes one person to say, ‘No, I see you, and you’re welcome here.’” — Henri St. Julien, Haiti.
“Framingham’s Collective Journeys” was curated by FHC’s humanities advisor, Cheryl Hamilton. Patrick St. Pierre served as the exhibition’s artist co-curator.