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Preserving the Story of Immigrant Advocates

The Immigration Advocacy History Project at Loyola University Chicago is seeking people willing to be interviewed about their work standing up for immigrants.

The project (https://immigrationadvocacyhistoryproject.wordpress.com/about-the-project/) is designed to document both past and current immigration advocacy at Loyola and in the surrounding areas and to illuminate contemporary activism by understanding its roots, as well as to give participants a chance to have their work and stories documented. It received a grant from the Student Innovation Fund, part of Loyola’s Plan 2020 to enhance student success, social justice, and partnerships with the Rogers Park/Edgewater communities.

Interviews will be archived under secure conditions at the Loyola University Archives for future research use. They also will be used to produce an exhibit and special programs in Fall 2018. Interviews will be conducted by graduate students, including project leaders Ina Cox, Nathan Ellstrand, Kristin Jacobsen, Stephen Petrie, and Ella Wagner.

Interviewees will be asked about various aspects of their experience as activists and advocates, including how they became involved, the nature and extent of their work, its importance in their own lives, and its impact on their communities. Immigrant advocates who are interested in being interviewed can contact justhistoryloyola@gmail.com.

The project is sponsored by Historians for a Just Society, which is part of the History Graduate Student Association at Loyola University Chicago.