Gislaine Portrait
Gislaine Portrait
The story of immigration to the Vineyard is still being written, by newcomers from Asia, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and Brazil. In 2017, the Museum exhibited photographer Mila Lowe’s “Local Immigrants Project.” A Moldovan immigrant herself, Lowe undertook the project to document the wide diversity of recent immigrants to the Island. She wrote:
Immigration is not a concept that is unfamiliar to this region, and many generations of newcomers found themselves on the shore of the Vineyard over the centuries. Each person’s story has the ability to make a profound contribution to the Island’s community. Through accepting our differences while in pursuit of harmony we can promote tolerance and openness. The ongoing exchange of stories and values is what has shaped the historical process of cultural evolution.
One of her subjects is Gislaine. When interviewed for the project, Gislaine emphasized her fondness for the English language and for this place:
I was an English Teacher in Brazil…I always loved the English language and the American way of speaking it…English is a language that so many people speak around the world, and it’s so universal in a way. I think the Vineyard is very inviting. We have so many people from different countries here that I think everybody who gets here can find themselves.
DETAILS
| Artist | Mila Lowe |
|---|---|
| Title | Gislaine |
| Date | 2016 |
| Type | Photograph |
| Credit | Gift of the Photographer |
| Ref No | 2019.026.015 |
| Thematic Collection | 100 Years, 100 Stories: Island of Immigrants |