Opening Reception for Exhibits Exploring Latino Labor and Love in the Blackstone Valley
Wednesday, July 6, 5-7pm
Museum of Work & Culture (42 S Main St, Woonsocket, RI 02895)
Museum of Work & Culture Celebrates New Exhibits with Public Reception
Smithsonian Panel Exhibit and Collaborative Exhibit with RI Latino Arts Feature Stories of Labor and Love in Rhode Island and Beyond
(WOONSOCKET, R.I.) – The Museum of Work & Culture, a division of the Rhode Island Historical Society, invites the public to a reception celebrating its current exhibitions, Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964 and “This Kind of Love, Our Love”: Latino Stories in the Blackstone Valley, 1960s-Today. Attendance is free, and refreshments will be served.
About the Exhibitions
Facing labor shortages on the home front during World War II, the United States initiated a series of agreements with Mexico to recruit guest workers for American farms and railroads. The Emergency Farm Labor Program, more familiarly known as the Bracero Program, enabled approximately 2 million Mexicans to enter the United States.
Also on display will be brand-new panels that present the history of Rhode Island’s own Braceros. Complimenting the Smithsonian poster exhibit, the Museum, in partnership with Rhode Island Latino Arts, will present “This Kind of Love, Our Love: Latino Stories in the Blackstone Valley, 1960s-Today.”
“This Kind of Love” continues the themes of “Bittersweet Harvest” locally, presenting the history of Latino settlement and community-building over the past half-century in Rhode Island’s Blackstone Valley region, from Central Falls to Woonsocket.
“Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964” was organized by the National Museum of American History in partnership with the SITES, and received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Funding provided in part by a grant from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, through the Rhode Island Culture, Humanities, and Arts Recovery Grant (RI CHARG) program. This program was made possible thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts, via funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state’s oldest and only state-wide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting, and sharing Rhode Island’s past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st-century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest.
As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, and the Aldrich House.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for 60 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition descriptions and tour schedules visit www.sites.si.edu.
The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, visit
For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
The Smithsonian Latino Center is dedicated to ensuring that Latino contributions to arts, sciences and the humanities are highlighted, understood and advanced through the development and support of public programs, scholarly research, museum collections and educational opportunities at the Smithsonian Institution and its affiliated organizations across the United States.
Rhode Island Latino Arts is Rhode Island’s leading nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development and cultivation of Latino arts. We celebrate and promote Latino art & artists through our Rhode Island Latino Artists Network events, and each year we coordinate the sharing of information and activities to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Through strategic partnering with local community organizations, we ensure our mission’s fulfillment: To raise awareness and preserve Latino arts, heritage and cultures in Rhode Island and to build community pride.