Since William Penn’s “Holy Experiment,” Pennsylvania has been a destination for a diverse range of immigrants and refugees, and our own time is no exception. Indeed, since 1965, the state’s demographics have shifted dramatically as new immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America have arrived and settled in large numbers for the first time. Here you'll find essays, exhibits, oral histories, lesson plans, resource guides and more related to these communities.

The African Immigrant Experience

Online exhibit
Community Profile (includes directory of community resources)
Oral Histories

Latino Philadelphia

Community Profile (includes directory of community resources)
Oral Histories 
Educational Guide

Arab Americans

Online Essay: "Ahlan wa-Sahlan! Welcome to Our Home!"
Resource Guide

Many of the resources offered here have been created as part of the Society's “New Immigrants Initiative,” a series of community-oriented projects.  Each project documents an immigrant community through field research, working with community members to collaboratively create a story of that community’s history and experience.