A museum sharing the stories of immigrants to promote dialogue and tolerance
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum in Manhattan is tenement building preserving the history of immigrant and migrant experiences. The museum presents their stories to promote tolerance, historical perspective, and public dialogue on contemporary issues. The building itself housed nearly 7,000 people from over 20 countries between 1863 and 1935. Its preservation and dedication to educating the public about the immigrant experience challenges the assumptions of what buildings and stories are worth preserving.
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum recognized the importance of honoring the untold stories of immigrants to America and found immigration to be a compelling and socially unifying theme.
2001 Selection Committee
The museum offers a variety of programs including interpretive and hands-on experiences, classes and workshops, and community services. Visitors are asked to set aside their assumptions and listen to stories of first-hand experiences of life as an immigrant in a low-income neighborhood on the Lower East Side. The museum fosters understanding and empathy while celebrating the bravery and resilience of the working class residents who have played such a profound role in shaping America’s identity.