Heritage Building and the Ethnic Divide in the Anthracite Region of Pennsylvania

Abstract

Anthracite coal extraction developed in northeastern Pennsylvania’s in the early nineteenth century and by the late nineteenth an early twentieth centuries the industry attracted immigrants from eastern and southern Europe. Today the anthracite coal industry is nearly extinct, and the area is impoverished. There is now a new wave of immigrants coming from the Caribbean and South America to the region to work in low skilled jobs. The new Latinx community has brought new economic life to the region, although they have been confronted with racist attitudes by the descendant community and its politicians. They see the newcomers bringing a new language and customs as well as influencing the way the region will memorialize anthracite heritage. The Anthracite Heritage Program, based in the University of Maryland, focuses on the region’s archaeology and works with students from diverse backgrounds from the local high school and NGOs. It is part of a larger movement to include the new immigrants in discussions of heritage building. By developing an interpretive message that emphasizes universal values related to the historic and contemporary immigration experience it works to create a platform that bridges the differences between the newcomers and the descendant community.