Mr. Speaker. my colleagues. today I introduced a bill that would designate the Lower East Side Tenement Museum an affiliate of the National Park Service. The Tenement Museum is located at 97 Orchard Street in Manhattans Lower East Side. the heart of Americas immigrant tradition. This building was erected in 1863 and. over the course of 69 years. served as the first American home for thousands of immigrants from around the world. Much of Americas immigrant history begins in New York. The museum on Ellis Island explains how families from around the world journeyed to and arrived in the United States. While many newcomers set out to settle our Nations rural frontiers. many more became urban pioneersmen. women and children who settled in the city. For this reason the next chapter of the immigrant tale. their lives in America. deserves closer exploration and recognition. Thus. in seeking a home for this story. the Museum sought the quintessential expression of urban. immigrant lifethe tenement. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum bill recognizes the museums efforts to preserve. maintain. and interpret the themes of early tenement life. the housing reform movement. and tenement architecture in the United States. Affiliate status would allow this private nonprofit museum to fully participate in the programs and activities of the National Park Service while complimenting the Park Services trinity of Ellis Island.
Keywords matched
immigrant immigrants