International institutes, 1910-1945

Documents concerning YWCA of the U.S.A. international institutes, clubs for immigrant women in the United States. Documents include materials on conference with the Foreign Community Department and Nationality Community Department, a proposal for an ethnographic museum, folk festivals and the history of the institutes. International institute conference materials include minutes, reports, and correspondence. Documents concern the administration and organization of institutes and departments, policy initiatives, work involving congress, program themes and actions, and methods of service. Initiatives include war work during World War II, employment assistance and training for immigrants, working with families of immigrants, education programs including language and citizenship. Ethnographic museum materials are comprised of correspondence relating to and a proposed plan for an ethnographic museum in Minnesota. Following this there are materials regarding folk festivals hosted by various associations or institutes including, Boston, St. Paul, Fresno, Pittsburgh, and others. Program materials include descriptions of cultural traditions and include several pamphlets describing Christmas traditions from many cultures. The history materials are entirely comprised of the master's thesis of Julia T. Bird to the faculty of Yale University graduate school describing the history of the International Institutes and the current state.