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Museum Interns Create Film about North Shore Immigration

Film premieres at Peabody Essex Museum Jan. 26

On Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem [Mass.] hosts the premiere of Old Places, New Faces: Immigrant Experiences Shaping Boston's North Shore - the latest film project by the museum's interns, part of the Museum Action Corps (MAC) Program.

The film is an oral history of North Shore immigrant communities and examines the impact of immigrants in some of the region's more diverse cities, including Lynn, Salem, Beverly, Peabody, Danvers, and Gloucester.

Created by area high-school and college students, the film offers a compelling look into the experience of North Shore residents touched by the issues of immigration.

The film shows at 11 a.m. on Jan. 26.

"The creativity of these young filmmakers was just astounding," said Rosario Ubiera-Minaya, manager of the MAC program. "Old Places, New Faces is the result of great dedication on their part. It is an honor for PEM to premiere this incredible work."

Abaigeal Duda at the Peabody Essex Museum said her Gaelic first name lends a touch of the Irish to the project.

"My dear mother, Ina Duda (born Albina McCarthy) was born and raised in County Kerry, near Cork," said Duda. "Her emigrant experience from Ireland took place during the 1950s, in post World War II predicaments."

But Duda reports there is more about the project that is Irish. The film partly considers Irish immigration to the North Shore in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as today.

She adds the student team felt it was important to address three main topics:
* What the North Shore offers.
* Continuing struggles and successes.
* Changing lives and changing perceptions.

Duda said Irish, Polish and Russian immigrants composed some of the most important 19th-century immigrants into the area, and the student group had great sources for the Irish experience.

The film's elements include: Irish music; contemporary step-dancing, courtesy of the Bremer School in Salem (Rince Cois Fharraige); the commentary of a contemporary Irish musician from Rockport, John Rockwell, and his performance at Salem's recognized O'Neill's Irish Pub with his collaborator, fiddler Larry Young.

"During the film's scholarly commentary about historic and continuing discrimination against immigrants, Avi Chomsky of Salem State College specifically mentions the historic discrimination against the Irish," said Duda.

After its premiere at the Peabody Essex Museum, Old Places, New Faces will be available at no charge to schools and communities interested in viewing the film.

The team responsible for creating Old Places, New Faces includes:

Sokleang Keo, a senior at Lynn Classical High School; Janelle Louis, a junior at Beverly High School; Melissa Miranda, a sophomore at Salem State College; Geraldy Olea, a junior at Salem High School and Martin Ozoria-Polanco, a junior at Salem High School.

Old Places, New Faces is the second film created by the MAC interns at the Peabody Essex Museum, and the first oral history project. The previous film, What's the Point?, examined "The Point" neighborhood of Salem, its immigrant history and current standing within the city. What's the Point? was honored by the 2004 Roxbury Film Festival, recognizing films and documentaries with a focus on minorities and diversity.
This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Ludcke Foundation. The Museum Action Corps is funded by Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations (ECHO), administrated by United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

About the Museum Action Corps (MAC)
Each year, the MAC program at the Peabody Essex Museum serves between 60 and 70 interns from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Moving beyond traditional models of work-based internships designed to develop job skills, interns in the MAC program also explore issues of leadership, creativity and responsible citizenry. As an institution whose mission it is to facilitate an understanding of and appreciation for world art and cultures, PEM is uniquely poised to help young people from diverse backgrounds make connections between themselves and the broader world.

About the Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum presents art and culture from New England and around the world. The museum's collections showcase American art and architecture (including four National Historic Landmark buildings) and Asian, Asian Export, Native American, African, Oceanic, Maritime, and photography collections.

The Peabody Essex Museum is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General museum admission: Adults $15; seniors $13; students $11. Members, youth 16 and under, and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission. Special exhibitions may require an additional fee.

The museum is located at the East India Square, Salem, MA 01970. Call 866-745-1876 or visit the museum's Web site at www.pem.org [3].

Source: IrishEmigrant.com/boston [4]

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