It will soon be much easier to research the paths of immigrants who arrived in Lowell, thanks to a project spearheaded by History Prof. Robert Forrant and Asst. Prof. Ingrid Hess of Art & Design. With the help of a team of UML students, they have gathered and curated hundreds of photographs, videos and essays, building a unique website that is designed to make it easier for teachers, students, academics and researchers to access a historically significant part of Lowell’s DNA—the arrival of waves of immigrants calling the city their new home.
The professors’ efforts recently got a boost with a $12,500 grant from Mass Humanities, an independent programming and funding organization. The website, which will be called the Library of New England Immigration, will be officially unveiled in the coming months and will be part of the UMass Lowell Library’s online resources. Initially, it will focus on Lowell immigration, especially over the past 50 years, but it will broaden to include all of New England over time, says Forrant.