Newton History Museum: Hyphenated-Origins

Newton is increasingly a city of immigrants. More Back

Newton is increasingly a city of immigrants.

   Between 1990 and 2000, the foreign-born population of Newton increased by more than 40 percent. As of 2000, more than 15,000 foreign-born people called Newton home.
   This exhibit, Hyphenated-Origins: Going Beyond the Labels, is a first attempt to explore the past, present, and future of an ever-growing number of Newton residents
   The seven young men and women who created this exhibit are the future of our city and our nation. Through their stories they ask us all to answer the question, "What makes us American?" They encourage us to see beyond what they look like and hear beyond what they sound like. They urge us to go beyond labels and to see people.

About the Exhibition • Credits • Close

Hi, I'm Beata and
I'm Russian-American

Due to the plethora of injustice and racism in Russia, my family and I emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1989 when I was one year old. Our first stop was Vienna, Austria. Then we went to Italy by train. After arriving in the US, we lived in Brookline and Roslindale before coming to Newton in 1996.

Beata's Story • Close


Hi, I'm Ken and I'm Chinese-American On the plane I was chewing gum to help ease my ears popping. I had wondered what my hew house would look like. And, you know, a small apartment on the end of a street certainly didn't help my big dreams. Ken's Story • Close


Hi, I'm Andrea and I'm Mexican-American I was four, and I thought I was going on vacation. but really my family and I were starting a new chapter in our lives. We were leaving the comforts of home and knew that a struggle was ahead, one that would take all of our energy and that we would have to overcome together. Andrea's Story • Close


Hi, I'm Chen and I'm Chinese-American For me, immigration is not an identity; it is a recurring experience. It is a story about the past — imagine an old scroll, covered in ancient calligraphy — but it’s also about the future — imagine the calligraphy turning into a contemporary computer font. This is a scroll, still unfolding. Chen's Story • Close


Hi, I'm Rachel and I'm Korean-American As a second-generation Korean American, I have felt the pressure of fitting into both worlds. If I could characterize my childhood, it would be a blend of The Beatles, kimchi, Disney classics, my grandma’s bijee, and The Sound of Music. But there was one thing that I dreaded every Saturday morning: Korean language school. Rachel's Story • Close


Hi, I'm Stephanie and I'm Chinese-American I try. I try to talk, but no one listens. I try. I try to tell who I am, but no one hears. I try. I try to be friends to the people, but they just walk away. Because I am different. What’s the difference? We are all human beings. What is the difference between us? Stephanie's Story • Close


Hi, I'm Yin and I'm Chinese-American After a long, long airplane flight, I thought I had landed on planet Mars until I realized there was a sign saying "WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." . . . I was only 11 years old then, without learning any geography, and I had no idea about the location of the so-called "United States of America." Yin's Story • Close