Friends of the IHRC
State History Day Participation
2007 History Day (April 21, 2007)
Andy Urban, IHRC Faculty and Student Advisory Council member, worked with American Studies professor Lary May to select the 2007 winners (judges’ comments below). Congratulations to the following students:
Junior Division:
Winner: Ian Glidden - Horizon Middle School
Title: From High Spirits to Heartbreak:Medical Exams Curb Immigration
"This exhibit looks at European immigration to Ellis Island and the medical tests and quarantines that immigrants were subjected to. Designed in an innovative manner, the exhibit allows visitors to question the relationship between immigration and public health, and to explore how nineteenth and early-twentieth century officials linked these issues. This exhibit complicates the idea that the U.S. greeted all immigrants with open arms, showing that fears about disease weighed heavily in the government's mind."
Senior Division:
Winner: Marysa Lai, Joe Simon, Angel Rien from DeLaSalle High School
Title: The Vietnamese People: A Triumphant and Tragic Search for Freedom
"This documentary film on Vietnamese immigration offers a nuanced look at the tragedy and triumph that comes with having to leave one's home and establish a new one. The film uses oral histories and interviews to illustrate the difficulties immigrants faced as "boat people" fleeing Vietnam, as refugees in camps awaiting placement, and as immigrants forced to adjust and cope with different American ways and discrimination. The film explores how Vietnamese immigrants, despite being political refugees in part because of the US's Cold War policy, were nonetheless often forced to make it on their own. The film alludes to the present-day Iraq War and how American foreign policy there might provoke a new refugee crisis."
2006 History Day
The theme for 2005-2006 was Taking a Stand in History: People, Ideas, Events (PDF). Junior and senior high school students participating in the contest are invited each year to contact the IHRC for assistance if their projects involve immigrant or ethnic individuals/activities. Research may begin on this website—see research section—but usually involves one or more visits to Andersen Library to complete. The Minnesota state competition took place in April 30 at the U of MN Coffman Memorial Union, following local and regional contests; the national competition is held in June in Maryland.2005 Prize
The theme for 2005 National History Day was Communication in History: The Key to Understanding. Minnesota's History Day took place in Coffman Memorial Union, U of MN Minneapolis Campus, on Sunday, May 1, 2005. The Friends award prizes to the outstanding junior and senior high school projects relating to immigration history (when the judge(s) find worthy projects). Participating students are invited to contact the Center and to visit the IHRC to use its resources for their projects, which can be written paper, display, performance, or video-individual or group. This was the 13th year of Friends participation in History Day.Volunteer judge for the Friends this year was Marko Kirn, representative of the Croatian Cultural Society of MN on the Friends Board of Directors. He awarded one prize, on the junior high school level.
The IHRC has copies of the introductions/bibliographies for both junior performance projects, acquired by Marko from the performers. They may be read at the Center. Congratulations to Maggie Nolting for her award-winning performance
The 2004-2005 NHD national contest was held June 12-16 at the University of Maryland. The 55 Minnesota students joined 2,000 other grade 6-12 students from across the nation as they presented their research papers, exhibits, documentaries, and dramatic performances. Four Minnesota entries were recognized as national champions in their categories. In all, thirteen entries from Minnesota won national honors during the week-long competition.
Friends award State History Day Prizes for 2004
The 2004 State History Day was held at the U of MN's Coffman Union on May 2. The theme was "Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange in History." This was the 12th year the Friends participated in Minnesota's History Day, providing prizes for the best senior and junior projects relating to immigration history. Andrea Burns, IHRC COLLAGE research specialist and former coordinator of History Day for the U's History Department, was a volunteer judge for the Friends. "Aqui Me Quedo: Latinos on Lake Street," a group exhibit by Minneapolis South High School students Marley Alexis, Brian Fitzpatrick, Erik Underwood, and Emily Hager-Garman, was awarded the $100 senior prize. The exhibit explores the businesses and community institutions that have been created by Latino immigrants living in the culturally and linguistically diverse Lake Street neighborhood in Minneapolis. As part of their research, the South High students conducted interviews with Latinos living in the Lake Street community. The interviews explored issues such as what the Lake Street neighborhood means to them, why they immigrated to Minnesota, and why, as the project title indicates, "here I stay." "Coming to America: A Collision Between Two Worlds," a Junior Group Media project by Capitol Hill Magnet School (St. Paul) students Mary Vang, Janette Xiong, and Sai Vang, won the $50 junior prize. It is a documentary-style video project that tackles the history of Hmong immigration to the United States—and more specifically, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area—after the Vietnam War. The documentary, which is composed of many oral interviews with family members and Hmong American junior high school students, examines the cultural transitions and challenges that many young immigrants face, such as what it means when Hmong is spoken at home but English is spoken at school, the merging of Christianity and traditional Hmong beliefs, and the conflict and compromises that occur when one claims both a "Hmong" and an "American" identity. The History Day competition is a nationwide effort first held in 1980 that encourages young people to take an interest in history. Minnesota's State History Day is cosponsored by the University's History Department and the Minnesota Historical Society..About 30,000 Minnesota students in grades 6-12 take part each year, placing Minnesota among the top five states in participation. Students are always encouraged to use the Center's resources for their projects. An article about History Day in the Pioneer Press (posted 12/17/03) quotes Mark Robinson, spokesman for the National History Day competition, who said "Minnesota is one of the top programs in the country." According to the article, about 30,000 Minnesota students in grades 6-12 take part each year. For more information about History Day, including how Minnesota participants did at the 2003 national competition in June 2003, go to the Minnesota History Day website. For information on National History Day, see www.nationalhistoryday.org.2003 State History Day Award
For the 11th year the Friends participated in Minnesota's State History Day, providing prizes for the best senior and junior projects relating to immigration history. It was held May 3, 2003, at the U of MN; the contest had the theme this year of "Rights and Responsibilities in History." Judges for the Friends were Celeste Raspanti and Walter Anastas of the Friends Board of Directors. Here is information on the judging process from Walter. The winners are listed below.
State History Day: The Process
by Walter AnastasAs there were two categories of entries, Senior Division and Junior Division, we divided the judging duties between us. Celeste took the Junior High School Division and I took the Senior. [The Friends rule for prize-giving in this contest is to give preference to projects that deal with one of the 24 ethnic groups whose history is documented at the IHRC, while maintaining the highest standards for entry quality. So a project dealing with immigration/activities of members of any ethnic group could be a winner.
A problem we encountered was that the lists of entries we were given, although supposed to be limited to those dealing with history of immigration, were in fact not so limited. I suppose the people who put together our lists from the multitude of entries were themselves not sure and had to rely on guesswork based on the sometimes cryptic titles of the entries. So we started out with paring our lists down to those entries we really needed to look at. Then we parted company to first visit the media performances or video showings at their scheduled times, and then the "static" exhibits [and papers], which could be visited at any time.
We were finished just after noon, mainly because we had pared down our lists beforehand. Then we met again in the judges' room and filled out our form, on which we designated a "Top Choice" and an "Alternate Choice" for each of the Senior and Junior Divisions. By coincidence, we had the opportunity to view together the entry which was eventually chosen as the "Top Choice" in the Senior Division. I learned a great deal from being a judge. It was a very rewarding experience.
Junior Division ($50 prize):
Winner: "They Took My Father: Rights of the North American Finns" Performance by Sarah Stone, Cyber Village Academy (Twin Cities Charter School)Sarah did research at the IHRC, including interviewing Curator Joel Wurl at some length. Joel also lent her the video The Survivors, by Anita Middleton, the story of Anita's parents' experience as immigrants to Karelia, USSR (formerly part of Finland), during the 1930s to help develop the "workers' paradise." Sarah also corresponded with Mayme Sevander (recently deceased) and incorporated in the title of her performance the title of Mayme's book They Took My Father, on the experiences of her family and the other US Finns who were inspired to go to Karelia but ended up victims of Stalin's purges. [The Friends' judge was not aware of Sarah's research at the IHRC when she awarded the prize.]
Runner Up: "Inter Arma Silent Leges" (In War the Laws Are Silent); Display by William Johnston
Senior Division ($100 prize):
Winner: "Finnish-American Struggle with Individual Rights and Group Responsibility" Display by Ann Haataja, Katelyn Skoog, and Heidi Salmen - Menagha, MN, High SchoolBy coincidence, the senior prize was awarded for another project, this time a display, on the same subject as that chosen by the junior winner. The girls, all of Finnish heritage, read Mayme Sevander's three books and interviewed her before preparing the tabletop exhibit that contained photographs, maps, and text.
Runner Up: "Hmong Means Free: Gen. Vang Pai's Attempt to Keep Hmong Rights" Video presentation by four students from the St. Paul Open School
Students are always invited to use the IHRC's resources for researching topics that involve immigration or immigrants. To find out about doing research for History Day, look at the research section of this website or contact the IHRC for more information. The History Day competition is a nationwide effort that began modestly in 1980 to encourage young people to take an interest in history. Minnesota's State History Day is cosponsored by the University's History Department and the Minnesota Historical Society.
