The Minnesota Historical Society has launched a new website offering oral histories that describe the experiences of many recent immigrant and refugee groups in Minnesota.
The stories — which can be listened to online or downloaded, or read (via the transcripts) — come from members of the Asian Indian, Hmong, Khmer, Somali and Tibetan communities.
Stories include memories of the homelands, adjustments to living in the United States, and attempts to retain aspects of their culture in the new melting pot.
There’s also much information about the immigrants’ homelands, including photographs, maps, timelines, podcasts and classroom activities. It’s designed for teachers and students, but I’m neither of those at the moment, and I enjoyed listening to some of the tales.
The Historical Society used a grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Services to digitize the recording and put them online.
