Lowell National Historic Park

What does it mean to be an American? The city of Lowell, like our nation, is fundamentally shaped by immigration and the experience of negotiating immigrant identities in American society. A century ago, thousands of families from around the world settled in Lowell, navigating work in the city’s textile mills, life in its culturally diverse neighborhoods, a charged political climate surrounding immigration, and efforts to “Americanize” the newcomers. Today, Lowell remains a city deeply characterized by immigrant experiences, a community wrestling with questions of who has access to “Americanness” in a continued political landscape.  On a dialogue-driven walking tour of Lowell, Lowell National Historical Park invites visitors into dialogue on how our communities approach integrating new Americans, and how we each fit into the larger landscape of creating American identity.