Quick Summary
With a shared commitment to highlighting voices and ideas, Winona Public Library hosts Green Card Voices Exhibit to bridge the gap and encourage dialogue within its communities.
Winona Public Library is located in Southeastern Minnesota, serving a community of over 50,000 residents. It is also Minnesota’s oldest continuously operating library in a purpose-built facility, and was recognized in 1977 in the National Register of Historic Places for its contributions to education and architecture. Established in 1886, Winona Public Library has always had a commitment to highlighting voices and ideas, with a dedicated space for public art and rotating gallery displays. This is seen even in the present day in its collaboration with Green Card Voices, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices and experiences of American immigrants and refugees.
Green Card Voices uses multimedia storytelling to uplift those with immigrant backgrounds and connect them to their communities. They hope to add a first-person perspective to the dialogue, encourage underrepresented voices to be heard, and dispel stereotypes. Through publishing books, traveling exhibits, and an extensive online video library, they have highlighted over 500 immigrant voices from 140 different countries, having reached over 1.5 million people through these efforts. Since 2013, they have fostered a relationship with educational institutions and community organizations across the country, including Minnesota Libraries.
One of their key community outreach initiatives is their traveling exhibits, which spotlight these immigrant stories. These exhibits have been hosted at branches of the Hennepin County Library, Washington County Library, and Ramsey County Library, and most recently at the Winona Public Library earlier this month. During a visit to Engage Winona and SEMCAC, Green Card Voices exhibit director Krista Pearson connected with Samantha Berhow, Winona Library Director, who offered the library’s second-floor gallery.
Green Card Voices exhibits feature various voices and experiences from diverse communities across Minnesota and surrounding regions. This exhibit was inspired by two acclaimed books, Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a St. Paul High School and Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a Minneapolis High School, both of which were produced and published by Green Card Voices. With over 20 first-person narratives, they explore a wide range of topics, including the process of seeking refuge, experiencing xenophobia, leaving loved ones behind, and reuniting with them. “Throughout it all, each of them has shown tremendous resiliency, ample courage, and unabashed hopes as they imagine their futures in this new country,” says Pearson, speaking of the individuals who shared their stories.
This exhibit ran from September 1 to September 22, culminating in a Story Stitch Program at the library, a guided story exchange that invites patrons and members of the community to listen, share, and build empathy through understanding. The traveling exhibit and Story Stitch program were made possible with support from the Minnesota Humanities Center. When asked about the goal of these exhibits and collaborations, Krista said, “We hope this exhibit will generate awareness and facilitate dialogue that will promote understanding and acceptance.”
Interested in bringing this initiative to your library or community in 2027–2028? Learn more about Green Card Voices traveling exhibits and reach out to Exhibit Coordinator Krista Pearson at Krista@greencardvoices.org.
