Voting instructions to recent immigrants
Above, left to right, are posters in Swedish, French, and Polish.
In celebration of the new “Becoming Minnesotan” web site at the Minnesota Historical Society, we are highlighting pieces from the Collection which reflect the immigrant experience and relate to contemporary immigrants.
These posters, in a multitude of languages, are some of my favorite things in the Collection. We’ve all seen recent instruction to voters in Somali, Hmong, and other languages; these posters remind us that immigration has been part of life in Minnesota for a long time.
Above, left to right, are posters in Finnish, Norwegian, Russian.
These were issued by the Secretary of State’s office between 1920 – 1930. Not only were they written in the language of the particular immigrant group, but they also used a specific font where appropriate.
Above, left to right, are posters in Bohemian and German.
October 23rd, 2010 at 2:40 am
I was proud to see these featured at the museum on Ellis Island as part of our nation’s history.
Mark Ritchie, Secretary of State
Reply
February 8th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
[...] of languages. In the 1920s and 1930s — a time of huge budget deficits and high unemployment —Minnesota printed voting instructions in Swedish, French, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Russian, Bohemian and German, reflecting the [...]