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How Ethnic Media Shaped America
On May 16, 2014, the Newseum, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, will open “One Nation With News for All,” a new exhibit that tells the dramatic story of how immigrants and minorities used the power of the press to fight for their rights and shape the American experience.
Ethnic newspapers, radio, television and online publications have helped millions of immigrants to America become part of their new country while preserving their ties to their native lands. As ethnic populations in the United States have grown, so has the power of their presses. Today, one in four Americans turns to ethnic media for news. “News for All” will reflect the vibrancy and diversity of today’s ethnic media, from ImpreMedia, the largest Spanish-language news company in the United States, to the black-owned Radio One network to the “Angry Asian Man” blog.
“News for All” will display rarely seen historic newspapers including El Misisipi, the earliest known Spanish-language newspaper in the United States, founded in New Orleans in 1808; Freedom’s Journal, the first black newspaper, launched in 1827 to fight for equal rights and demand an end to slavery; the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper, published in 1828 to champion the rights of Indians; and the Chinese-language Golden Hills’ News, the first Asian American newspaper, launched in 1854 to help Chinese immigrants who came to seek their fortunes in the California gold rush.
The exhibit will also tell the stories of crusading journalists who fought to dispel stereotypes and tell the stories of their communities, including Ida B. Wells, who campaigned against the lynching of black men in 1892; Ignacio E. Lozano, who in 1926 founded La Opinión, now the country’s leading Spanish-language newspaper, to fight mistreatment of Mexicans; and Bill Hosokawa, who published The Heart Mountain Sentinel for two years while he was confined to a relocation camp for Japanese American citizens during World War II.
Video productions in the exhibit will explore the role ethnic media play in major news events. The films will present some of the most significant moments in the history of ethnic media. An interactive component of the exhibit will encourage visitors to explore ethnic media throughout the country, from their inception to the present.
“News for All” will be on display at the Newseum through Jan. 4, 2015.
