Special Collections and University Archives: Ethnic Heritage and Immigration

See this guide for resources on migratory labor.

For resources on Jewish immigrants, see synagogue records in this guide.

Through its annual conferences, the Council for Human Services in New Jersey provided a forum for the exchange of information and ideas among persons from private charities, religious organizations, and government agencies who were involved directly "with the problems of human affliction and distress." Between conferences, the Council's additional work in studying both societal problems and the delivery of social welfare services in New Jersey was largely carried out through its committees. Agricultural laborers, older people, refugees, drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, public assistance (welfare), and public health were among the topics addressed by the Council. Separate from its conferences, the organization also disseminated information, study results, and revised standards through its publications. Its advocacy influenced the adoption of state regulations and legislation. Included in the records of the Council are constitutions and bylaws, minutes, resolutions, annual reports, financial records, a chrono file, conference papers and agendas, committee files, subject files, historical files, publications, files of the affiliated Social Welfare Research Foundation of New Jersey, photographs, a membership card file, a publications index, and scrapbooks.

The Pacific/Asian Coalition, New Jersey Chapter (PAC NJ), is a nonprofit group operating to promote the welfare and highlight the issues of the Asian-Pacific American community in New Jersey. The Coalition was one of the first Asian-Pacific American organizations in New Jersey. The records in this collection represent the work of the Coalition from 1974 to 2007, with the bulk of the documents dating from 1976 to 1986. Included among the records are meeting minutes, newsletters, directories, and festival programs, together with press clippings.

The Philippine Nurses Association of America is a professional organization of Filipino-American nurses working to unify its members and allow for professional development, facilitate a network of support, and advocate for all Philippine nurses in the United States. The records in this collection represent the work of the Association from 1978 to 2012, with the bulk of documents dating from 1982 to 2010. Among these records are oral histories with past presidents, newsletters, meeting minutes, reports, and convention documents.

Letters and postcards received from New Brunswick men of Hungarian descent serving in U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, some written in Hungarian and many addressed to Rev. Andrew Kosa, president.

The Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition (SCCDC) is a nonprofit group working to fight bias, prejudice, and bigotry in Somerset County, New Jersey, while promoting a greater understanding of cultural diversity. The Coalition was founded in 1995; however, this collection contains records from 1994 to 2011, with the bulk focusing on 1998 to 2002. Included among the records are meeting minutes, newsletters, resource directories, festival programs, press clippings, audio-visual materials, and photographs.

Records consisting of reports, correspondence, background documents, photographs, and notes created by the New Jersey Folk Festival staff. Since the early 1980s, the folk festival has celebrated the diversity of New Jersey by highlighting a particular ethnic culture each year. It aims to inform the public of the rich folk traditions of these ethnic groups with a variety of activities such as craft making, food demonstrations, storytelling, and musical and dance performances.

The collection documents the Farmingdale, New Jersey, Jewish community from the arrival of the initial settlers in 1919 to the demise of the community in the early 1970s. It includes oral history interviews with Farmingdale residents which document the origins, development, and social and economic aspects of the community. The interviews provide evidence of both the world of Farmingdale and the larger world surrounding it: Jewish ethnic, political, religious, and social identity; the effects of immigration; prejudice faced by the Jewish settlers in New Jersey; and the acculturation process of immigrants who come to America. The interviews cover the lives in Europe and the migration experience of those farmers who were immigrants, the early life of those who were native-born, the reasons for the decision to move to Farmingdale, how the settlers formed and maintained a cohesive community and the extent to which the community served their needs, individual evaluations of the Farmingdale experience, and discussion of the factors that contributed to the demise of Jewish farming in Farmingdale.

Includes writings of Alexis Ferm (1870-1971), principal of the Modern School (1920-1925, 1933-1948). Of particular interest is an autobiography entitled "Sven : the Ordinary Life of an Ordinary Boy," which describes the life of a Swedish immigrant boy growing up in Brooklyn in the late 19th century. In this manuscript, Ferm describes growing up as the son of Swedish immigrants in a working-class district of Brooklyn. He describes working conditions at the time and relations with other immigrant groups. The manuscript begins when Ferm was about six years old and ends when, as a young adult, he leaves Brooklyn to manage a general store in upstate New York.

The New Jersey Collection includes a significant body of New Jersey cookbooks written and compiled by various local and regional groups active throughout the state during the 20th century, with post-World War II publications constituting its most active area of development.

Includes copies of articles written throughout Weyl's career as a journalist and social economist. He achieved some success as a chronicler of the lives of the new immigrants in a series of popular magazine articles. The papers contain article drafts on the topic of immigration and printed articles with profiles of urban immigrants.

Includes papers "Ethnic Groups in New Brunswick: A Study," Manuel Robinson, Jr. and "Irish Catholic Immigration to New Brunswick in the Years 1830-1860," John J. Sutor.

Documentation pertaining to the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey and related background materials. Present are geographical files relating to the Klan in New Jersey; files on Klan and pro-Klan organizations, leaders, and publications in relation to New Jersey; files concerning the New Jersey Klan in relation to special subjects (such as immigration); files on target groups (Catholics, Jews, and African Americans) and their reactions to the New Jersey Klan; files on Nazism/fascism and race theory/eugenics in relation to the New Jersey Klan; copies of Pennsylvania State Police records (relating to the Klan's Realm of New Jersey); oral history interviews; photographs; additional contextual materials; and supplementary files primarily related to assembling the collection.

The papers include speeches and prepared remarks, wrap up and other memoranda, press clippings, and photographs. The wrap up and other memoranda, written by staff members, encapsulate Torricelli's agenda and accomplishments and provide summaries of his aides' activities. Some of the memoranda pertain to issues affecting Americans of various ethnic backgrounds. Also included with the memoranda are "dear colleague" letters and co-sponsorship forms.

The Williams papers consist of legislative working files and reference material, correspondence, project and case files, campaign files, photographs, press releases, speeches, memorabilia, audio and visual recordings, and more. Major themes in the papers include the involvement of the Federal government in managing the natural and built environment of the United States; the search for civil rights, economic equity and security, and the expansion of educational opportunities and initiatives; and national tensions over economic and social costs.