Immigrant Journeys from South of the Border ¡Mi travesía hasta Wisconsin!
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Exhibition Continues September 9, 2019 at Madison’s Central Library
The Immigrant Journeys from South of the Border ¡Mi travesía hasta Wisconsin! exhibition will be on display from September 9 through October 4 at Madison Public Library’s Central Library at 201 W. Mifflin St. A project of the Wisconsin Humanities Council in partnership with Centro Hispano, this exhibit shares personal stories of Latino immigrants who make their home in Wisconsin today.
“While at the national level, immigration of people from Mexico, Central and South America is being hotly debated, here in Wisconsin many of us have had little opportunity to meet immigrants from these nations, and to add that kind of personal knowledge to our understanding of the policy discussion,” said Dena Wortzel, executive director of the Wisconsin Humanities Council (WHC). “The humanities help us deepen our understanding of individual lives and how each of us fits into the larger whole. That’s our goal with this exhibit, which shares stories of people whose lives may not be well understood or visible to many of their Wisconsin neighbors.”
To create the exhibit, the WHC worked with Centro Hispano who helped identify Latino immigrants willing to participate in the project. “We collaboratively invited respected journalist, Bill Berry and photojournalist, Gary Porter, to join the team,” said Karen Menéndez Coller, Centro Hispano Executive Director. “Together with eight immigrants, we created this powerful exhibition, called: Immigrant Journeys from South of the Border¡ Mi travesía hasta Wisconsin! We couldn’t be more excited to share this wonderful and important work with residents of Dane county and beyond.”
Eight individuals (who emigrated from Mexico, Uruguay, Honduras and Colombia) are featured in the exhibition. The exhibition began touring Dane Country June 19 with stops at Verona Public Library, Overture Center for the Arts, and Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum. It continues at the following locations through October 2019, and will then travel elsewhere in the state:
- Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum: August 19-September 8, 2019
- Madison Public Library’s Central Library: September 9 – October 4, 2019
- Driftless Historium & Mount Horeb Area Historical Society, Mount Horeb: October 5-25, 2019
When the Wisconsin Humanities Council completes its tour of the exhibit, it will be available for use by other Wisconsin nonprofits who are interested in using it for educational purposes. Contact Carmelo Dávila at 608-262-0706.
About Wisconsin Humanities Council
The Wisconsin Humanities Council was founded in 1972 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Its mandate is to support and create local and statewide public humanities programs of all kinds, and to help Wisconsin residents use the tools of the humanities to thoughtfully discuss public policy issues. The WHC’s matching grant program funds locally-designed humanities projects in libraries, museums, and other community institutions. The WHC also periodically develops its own programs, such as the Immigrant Journeys exhibit, to address topics of statewide interest. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhumanities.org
About Centro Hispano
Founded in 1983, Centro Hispano of Dane County's mission is Empowering Youth, Strengthening Families, Engaging the Community. Their vision for Dane County, Wisconsin is of a community where Latino families can reach their personal goals and dreams because they feel engaged and strengthened, and have the tools needed for success. Centro offers a variety of programs and services for youth and families. For more information, visit www.micentro.org
About Madison Public Library
Madison Public Library’s tradition of promoting education, literacy and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for more than 140 years. Our nine locations throughout the City of Madison are open six days per week and welcome nearly 2 million visits each year. For more information, visit madisonpubliclibrary.org, Madison Public Library on Facebook, @madisonlibrary on Twitter, or @madisonpubliclibrary on Instagram.
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