Migration Stories: Facilitated Community Conversations About "How We Came To Clark County" (Photo) - 04/26/18

Vancouver, WA – Grab a snack, don a smile, and get to know one another! Whether you’ve lived in Clark County all your life or arrived more recently, we invite you to come meet your neighbors, share how you and your ancestors came to the area, then let’s discuss changes that are happening all around us.

• May 26, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Migration Stories, Vancouver Community Library - Columbia Room, 901 C Street, Vancouver, WA 98660 (ASL Language Accessible)
• October 11, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Sharing Our Stories, WSU Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686 (ASL Language Accessible)

Participants will visit in facilitated small groups and come together in a larger group to explore our shared history.

These conversations are part of the series, Clark County Stories - How We Came to this Place:

Recognizing a growing gulf of understanding between recent arrivals and Clark County residents with deeper historical roots, Washington State University Vancouver professors, Sue Peabody and Donna Sinclair, in collaboration with CCHM and Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, began a series of community conversations to identify bearers of these stories of change, foster community dialogue, and facilitate mutual understanding.

Given that the population of Clark County has more than doubled in the past three decades (from 221,654 to nearly 500,000 in 2017) and more than half (54 percent) of the current residents being born in another state or country, they got to thinking: “How did all these people come to Clark County?” and “How is Clark County changing in response to this growth?”

Born out of those questions, “The theme – How We Came to This Place – is both literal and metaphorical,” says Sinclair. “We are looking at stories of migration: how residents and their ancestors arrived here. But, we are also interested in exploring together the historical question: how is `this place’ the result of historical forces, both local and global?”

Adds Peabody: “Each of us has a story about how we came here. Each of us can see the rapid development and changes in our communities. These facilitated conversations are designed to help us explore our connections to Clark County and our shared recent history. It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and share what’s on your mind.”

Brad Richardson, CCHM Executive Director, notes that while the older history of Clark County has been well documented, the oral histories and stories of these newcomers need to be captured and shared with our community.

This series is an opportunity to begin adding these new stories into our collective history.

The full calendar of Clark County Stories events can be found here:  www.cchmuseum.org/category/upcoming-events/

Donna Sinclair, Ph.D. is an independent scholar specializing in oral history and the history of the Pacific Northwest.
Sue Peabody, Ph.D., is Meyer Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and History at Washington State University Vancouver.

Sponsored by: CCHM, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, Humanities Washington “Washington Stories” Grant, Peabody’s College of Arts and Sciences Meyer Distinguished Professor Fellowship, Washington State University Vancouver, and Washington State University History Department’s Pettyjohn Fund.

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The Clark County Historical Museum is operated by the Clark County Historical Society (CCHS), which is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees. CCHS works in partnership with Clark County and the City of Vancouver to operate the museum in a 1909 Carnegie Library building. Each year they raise over 70% of the museum’s annual operating budget via contributions and earned income like this event. Our vision is to facilitate a more educated and connected community through meaningful engagement with history.