Global Boston

A Portal to the Region’s Immigrant Past and Present

Boy saluting, immigrants arriving in Boston, photograph by Edmunds Bond. Courtesy of the Trustees of Boston Public Library

Global Boston is a digital project chronicling the history of immigration to greater Boston since the early nineteenth century. Examining different time periods and ethnic groups, the site features capsule histories, photographs, maps, documents, and oral histories documenting the history of a city where immigrants have long been a vital force in shaping economic, social and political life. To get started, try clicking on the Eras of Migration box below to explore different time periods in the region’s history.

Immigrant Rights at the Crossroads

Under the second Trump administration, the country is seeing unprecedented changes in immigration laws and policies. Mass deportation, challenges to birthright citizenship, the potential defunding of sanctuary cities, and many other issues are at stake. To help you keep up, Global Boston features a curated list of recent news articles on how deportation and other immigration issues are unfolding around Boston and at the state level.

To explore these issues from a historical perspective, we’ve also compiled a list of Resources for Educators, which includes information for teachers on supporting immigrant-origin students and parents in these stressful times. We’ll continue to update these resources in the coming months.

Eras of migration

For a good introduction to immigration in Boston and beyond, click here to explore four different eras of migration history from 1820 to the present. And for more detail, try out our interactive timeline of key events.

Ethnic groups

A perpetual immigrant gateway, Boston has been home to dozens of immigrant groups over the years. Click here to discover the histories and personal stories of the region’s principle ethnic groups.

A photograph of Hanover Street with various decorations in the air spanning the length of the street, including decorative lights, crests, and scarves.

Immigrant places

Immigrant communities have flourished across Boston as well as in nearby cities, towns and suburbs. Explore these immigrant places and how newcomers have inhabited and transformed them over the past two centuries.

A photograph of many individuals protesting in their winter clothing. Many individuals hold various letters to spell out #No Muslim Ban. There are other various signs and posters throughout the photograph, such as one that says, "We won't turn our backs. Refugees are all welcome."

Nativism and Racism

While often described today as an immigrant-friendly city, Boston was once at the forefront of nativist political movements. These anti-immigrant movements helped shape national immigration debates and laws that would significantly change the racial/ethnic make-up of Boston and the nation.

Global Eats: The Rise of "Ethnic" Restaurants in Boston

Immigrants have been feeding America for generations. They’ve run restaurants, introduced new foodways, and shaped the dining culture of our cities. To better understand this history, Global Eats explores the rise of “ethnic” restaurants in Boston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dig in and browse our menu of restaurant stories, maps, photos and more.

For Teachers

Interested in using Global Boston in your classroom? This page has been developed especially for educators, making use of the website’s growing set of resources on immigration history in greater Boston. It features a unit plan that includes seven ready-to-use lesson plans on different aspects of immigration history, plus a final project.