Digging into History: Immigration Past and Present

Description

Since 2009, the Anthracite Heritage Project has been documenting the life and struggles of the new immigrants coming to work in the coal region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. During the summer of 2017 the Departments of Anthropology and Historic Preservation will perform an archaeology and preservation field school at Eckley Miner’s Village. Eckley is a well preserved mining town owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and original buildings and museum exhibits interprets the life of immigrant coal mining families.

Goal

While much of the region is suffering from deindustrialization, a new immigrant population is coming to the area, Latinos, mostly from the Dominican Republic. For six weeks UM students will document and record the existing outbuildings in the town and perform archaeology at selected sites. In addition to this field work we will recruit local high school students, including those from the new immigrant population to work alongside our college students. During this time we encourage mentoring to take place between the two groups of students, perhaps laying the groundwork to a new career, college and becoming a future Terp.

Impact

Contributions to this project would be an acknowledgment and affirmation of the importance of immigration, both in terms of our country's past as well as its present. By working with the local youth not only will we open their eyes to a history very similar to their own, but we have the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on their future by exposing them to a new field and mentoring them for college. This is a way to show how Terps support immigrants and the contributions they have made and will continue to make to the US. Every size gift to our project makes a difference.

Amount: $5,700

Housing 10 students for 6 weeks $2,300

Food for 10 students 6 weeks $3,400

To learn more about the Anthracite Heritage Program, visit: http://www.ahp.umd.edu/

Thank you for supporting our project!

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