Traveling Exhibit Debuts November 1, 2009 at the City Museum



	Zarate family of West Chicago, Illinois.

West Chicago, Illinois: October 22, 2009 -
The West Chicago City Museum will debut a new exhibit on November 1, 2009. Creating Mexican American Identities: Multiple Voices, Shared Dreams is the story of West Chicago' s Mexican community, one which has until recently not been told. There are no written histories of Mexican immigration to West Chicago, so a gathering of oral histories was initiated.

With a generous grant from the History Channel, Community High School students were taught how to design and conduct oral interviews of community members. In addition, with the loan of family photographs and research conducted by the West Chicago City Museum staff, the project took shape.

An additional grant from the Illinois Humanities Council enabled the Museum to produce a traveling exhibit from the oral history project. By packaging this history in a traveling format, the City hopes to share the community’s story of diversity with other communities to expand cultural understanding. Viewers are invited to rethink issues of immigration, identity formation and the ways local history is presented.

Exhibit galleries are open Tuesday - Friday from 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. , and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit this page or call the City Museum at (630) 231-3376.

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West Chicago is a diverse, family-oriented community with a rich cultural mix and a proud heritage. It is the first Illinois community established by the railroads and continues to be a convenient transportation hub served by three major rail lines, Illinois' third-busiest airport and three state highways. West Chicago offers award-winning schools, a growing industrial park and convenient access to parks, shopping and restaurants. Additional information can be found on the City's website at www.westchicago.org or by calling Rosemary Mackey directly at (630) 293-2200 x 139.

CITY OF WEST CHICAGO 475 Main Street, West Chicago, Illinois 60185 T - (630) 293-2200 www.westchicago.org