Smithsonian exhibits on display at Elkhart County Historical Museum

BRISTOL, Ind. -- The Elkhart County Historical Museum is currently showcasing two poster exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) that paint the picture of rural America in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. 

With most healthy, able-bodied men away at war in the early 1940s, the U.S. government made an agreement with Mexico to recruit guest workers to work on American farms and railroads. The "Bittersweet Harvest" exhibit shows the journey and struggle of those men and women who became part of what was formally called as the Emergency Farm Labor Program, but better known as the Braceros Program. 

From the Elkhart County Historical Museum:

The two exhibits: Journey Stories and Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program 1942-1964, tell the compelling stories of people moving for a better life: for opportunity, for work and for survival.

America, and its history, is a patchwork woven over time from the voyages of people – both voluntary and involuntary – who traveled from city-to-city, state-to-state and around the world to find new opportunities. Whether by air, land or sea, travel has played a crucial part in our economic and cultural identities. Journey Stories is a set of seven posters designed to encourage dialogue and engagement on how movement has defined America.

The poster exhibit takes a broad look at American expansion and migration, from the earliest European settlers and Native American displacement to the effects of transportation advancements on modern mobility – themes with significant local relevance.

Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964, is a colorful set of six bilingual posters with images and interviews by documentary photographer Leonard Nadel. The posters celebrate the impact and achievements of migrant farm workers by sharing the compelling story of the Braceros.

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. While the work was often grueling, the program offered participants economic opportunity. The contributions made by these laborers have had significant impact on the political, economic and social climate of both the United States and Mexico. Locally, the Bracero program was instrumental in leading to the growth of the Latino population in Elkhart County and across Michiana.

The exhibits will be on display at the Elkhart County Historical Museum through late April 2025. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is free.