2024
In December 2023, HORA was awarded a Legacy Grant to conduct the sixth oral history. The project is made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The project encompasses the video production and distribution of a documentary based on 13 oral history interviews recorded during a previous grant, showing Romanian immigrants’ journey to Minnesota after the fall of communism in 1989.
The project team is led by Gina Popa (HORA Vice President), with support from Dana Voller (HORA President), Raluca Octav (former HORA President), Bogdan Filipescu (HORA member), Diana Gregory (HORA Treasurer), Andrei Hahn (HORA Community Engagement Director), Radu Rimbu (HORA Technology Director) and Teodor Stan (IRF and FORA President).
The project team selected Town Square Television as the documentary producer, Business Development Incorporated BDI for marketing services, Delite Web Design for website design and Vicki Albu as production consultant.
You can be a part of this project by making a donation here. Your small gift of $10 creates an opportunity for learning, growth, and understanding with this documentary inside and outside of the community. Your donation of $100 or more will be recognized on the documentary website. For a gift of $500 or more before May 10th, your donation will be acknowledged in the credits of the film
Oral History Project #6
The work continued in 2023 for completion of the third documentary. We worked on the documentary script. We pursued further grants for the completion of this project.
We live in unique times, when U.S. immigration levels are comparable to the ones from 100 years ago. HORA is working on a documentary aiming to show the multiple and complex layers of this unique American story of Romanian immigrants’ journey in search of their identity, and adapting to the new culture, while maintaining their connection to their home country and heritage. Immigration is not just the polarized issue that is splitting families apart, but a deep and complex conversation that we should all be having.
With the help of RUF Chicago, we have raised $6,741 to help create the script for the 3rd Romanian Immigration documentary. You can continue to support the creation of this documentary. Your gift now is an investment in preserving Romanian heritage in the US. Any amount will make a difference and will be highly appreciated. Your support will be recognized on the documentary’s website. Use the Support Us tab on this site or the campaign link below:
Who am I? – Documenting Romanian Immigration to the US – RUF (romanianunitedfund.org)
2022
Oral History Project #5
In 2022 HORA engaged specialists through a hiring process following the grant program’s procurement guidelines. The project was managed, from the inception to its final completion by a dedicated paid project manager, Vicki Albu who was be responsible for on-time, on-budget execution. Vicki is a founder for both HORA and Romanian Genealogy Society and has previous experience in leading oral history projects for Romanian immigrant population in MN.
Teodor Stan, founder and President of Immigration Research Forum reviewed the interview questionnaire, offered feedback and perspective on US and global immigration trends and helped with the interview process. Our lead moderator for this project, Bogdan Filipescu, President of Romanian Genealogy Society conducted 13 interviews in collaboration with immigration consultant, Teodor Stan. As a professionally trained historian, Bogdan Filipescu also had a critical role in selecting the final interviewees and completing the final questionnaire.
We collaborated with Town Square Television to complete high-definition audio and video recordings that were archived and made publicly available. We engaged High Fidelity Transcription to produce English transcripts. We held 2 informational sessions about this project on Romanian immigration to Minnesota, the first through Ramsey County Historical Society and East Side Freedom Library and the second through Chaska Human Right Commission.
The project was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Thanks to all our partners above mentioned, as well as our donors, volunteers and supporting partners: Romanian United Fund and Immigration Research Center at the University of Minnesota.
Special Thank YOU to all the interviewees who gracefully accepted to come on camera and share their personal stories, reliving the emotions of a daring period in their lives! Their contributions will be instrumental in filling in the gaps of Romanian immigration stories.
2021
Legacy Grant Awarded
In January 2021, HORA has launched the work on the third project documenting Romanian Immigration in Minnesota. This will follow the previous two projects that focused on the beginning of Romanian immigration in Minnesota (“A Thousand Dollars and Back”) and immigration during the communist era (“Through the Iron Curtain- from Romania”). The goal of this project is to continue documenting Romanian immigration to Minnesota after the fall of communism in 1989, by recording, transcribing, and preserving critical elements of their settlement experiences.
We intend to have first-generation immigrants interviewed by their (adult) children, thus generating a rich and necessary conversation. Unlike previous immigration waves that had little or no choice of ever going back to their country, Romanian immigrants that came to Minnesota after 1989 could decide where to immigrate, whether to remain or move back, or just come to visit relatives. They came for a variety of reasons in a more global and open world, but their experiences are still unique and worth sharing. Children of these immigrants have their own identity struggles, as they belong in two worlds, which comes with great benefits, but also with a never ending search for belonging. We would like to record the difference of perspective between first and second generation immigrants, their choice to come and settle in Minnesota, their sense of belonging and community involvement.
In December 2021, HORA was awarded a Legacy Grant to conduct the third oral history. The project was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The project encompasses video recording, transcript generation, file storage at the Ramsey County Historical Archives along with two training community events. The interviews will be conducted between May and August and the project will be completed by December 2022.
The project team was led by Gina Popa (HORA President), with support from Monica von Geldern (HORA Board member), Dana Voller (HORA Vice-President), Raluca Octav (RACC Director), Bogdan Filipescu (HORA member), Vicki Albu (HORA member and RGS President) and Teodor Stan (IRF and FORA President).
Very warm thanks to all the volunteers for their immense passion and hours donated to this project and partners – Town Square TV, Ramsey County Historical Society, Romanian United Fund, Immigration Research Forum, The East Side Freedom Library and Immigration Research Center at the University of Minnesota.
HORA board members are considering future grant applications in 2022 and 2023, with a potential long-term goal of creating a third documentary film.