New Friends, New Histories

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Recently, the Tenement Museum’s Oral Historians Yadira Hazel Perez and Tommy Wu have been reaching out to current residents of the Lower East Side to record their stories and memories of the neighborhood. Many of the folks they’re talking to are neighbors who have walked by the Museum many times, but have never visited. Last night, we welcomed old and new friends for local food, free tours, and a chance to meet the Museum’s staff. In addition, about 20 guests expressed interest in sharing their own oral histories with us!

As the Museum works on ways to expand our narrative further into the 20^th century, we’ll begin to tell the stories of Chinese and Dominican immigrants and Puerto Rican migrants who have lived here since the mid-20^th century. We’ll also continue to research the experiences of the many Holocaust survivors who immigrated to New York City after World War II.

If you’ve visited the Museum, you know that the last residents left our historic building in 1935, so these more recent stories mark a new chapter in our own history. We’re excited to hear these stories, and to begin thinking about how we can share them with you.

— Posted by Kira Garcia