Ramsey County Historical Society issued the following announcement on April 8.
In 1911, the first International Institute was opened in New York City in partnership with the YWCA. Eight years later, in 1919, the St. Paul branch of the International Institute opened to serve residents and new immigrants after WWI. At that time, St. Paul reportedly had over 17,000 “aliens,” many from war-torn Europe. Located near the corner of Rice and Como Avenues, in a former saloon, this first Institute helped newcomers from at least 13 countries learn English, find jobs, and even provided a health clinic and cultural activities, assisted by the Wilder Health Center and the Shubert Club. Moving within five years to a new location in the basement of the YWCA in downtown Saint Paul on West Fifth Street, the Institute was mostly run and staffed by dedicated women. In 1933 the Institute sponsored a Folk Festival at the St. Paul Civic Auditorium to highlight the many cultures that passed through its doors, and by 1936, the Festival of Nations was established – a tradition that continues to this day.
Image: Poster from the 1942 Festival of Nations. Courtesy of the International Institute, Ramsey County History magazine.
For more on the International Institute, see “One Hundred Years Serving New Americans: The Centennial of the International Institute of Minnesota” by Krista Finstad Hanson at https://publishing.rchs.com/.../ramsey-county-history.../
Original source can be found here.
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