Preserving Our Stories: Starting Your Family Archive
This project was developed as part of my capstone for the Master of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership at the University of Minnesota. In my graduate work, I focused on the ways institutions and community partners can collaborate, and the significance such partnerships can have on individuals and their cultural histories. Through this lens, I share my methodology, research findings, and practical approaches to support and encourage others in preserving their own family histories. I also expanded this work to include archiving my own family history and, through a fellowship with the Ramsey County Historical Society and the Center for Hmong Studies, created a guidebook to help others begin building their own family archives.
To purchase the book or a starter kit for your family archive, head to Shop tab or head over to Blurb Books to get your copy.
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Download the Family Archive Inventory Template here.
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Download the Family Archive Action Checklist here.
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Download the Preservation Resources List. This list does focus on the Twin Cities area as well as Hmong culture but can easily be adapted and features helpful resources.
Read up on my capstone research Practices for Preserving Family and Cultural Histories on the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy
Family archives reveal how personal possessions and stories intertwine to shape both individual and collective identities. Families act as “curators” of their histories, carefully managing objects like photos, medals, and documents to preserve memories and pass down identity across generations.
(Woodham et al. 203)
May 1st - May 27th, 2025
XIA Gallery & Cafe
422 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103
This exhibit comes from sorting through the things my father left behind.
After he passed away, I began asking questions I had never asked before:
What do we keep? Who decides what matters? How do we remember stories that were never written down?
I am a 1.5-generation Hmong American daughter of refugees from Laos. In our home, history lived in memories, everyday objects, and spoken stories. There were no official records—just things passed down and held onto.
This project shares items from my family archive: photographs, documents, and belongings that tell stories of my father’s life, and of my own.
These pieces may seem small, but they hold deep meaning. They help me understand where I come from—and what it means to remember.
