The Ethnic Heritage Center (EHC) of New Haven will host a launch event on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. to announce a community-wide effort to update its exhibit on New Haven’s ethnic history and expand its Walk New Haven Cultural Heritage Tours as part of the city’s America 250 celebration.
Based on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, EHC is a nonprofit ethnic heritage archives, museum, and research center, arising out of the two-decades-long association of five Connecticut-based ethnic historical societies. EHC also sponsors the Walk New Haven self-guided cultural walking tours of several of New Haven’s historic and ethnically significant neighborhoods.
The new project will update the Center’s current exhibit panels, which trace significant events, places, people, and contributions to New Haven’s ethnic history from before 1638 through 2000 and beyond. The updated exhibit will add new census data, stories, and historical material reflecting the city’s changing ethnic populations and cultures from 2000 to the present.
The July 1 event will invite community members, cultural organizations, historians, neighborhood leaders, and residents to help identify new stories, sites, and materials that should be included. SCSU Interim President Sandra Bulmer will be among those who welcome visitors to the event.
“The Ethnic Heritage Center has been a valued part of Southern’s campus for many years,” said Bulmer. “Southern is proud to serve as the Center’s home and to support its mission of ensuring that every member of the community feels welcomed and valued. Preserving and sharing our diverse histories strengthens both the university and the larger community.”
Along with Bulmer, the program will include voices reflecting the diversity and history of New Haven, including:
- Gloria Horbaty, president, EHC and Connecticut Ukrainian-American Historical Society
- Michael Morand, city historian and director of community engagement at Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library
- Rhoda Zahler Samuel and Aaron Goode, EHC board
- Jeanne Criscola, Criscola Design, project consultants, and Lucile Bruce, editorial consultant
- Rayna Walters, president, Greater New Haven African-American Historical Society
As the country prepares to mark 250 years since its founding, EHC is working to tell a fuller story of New Haven — one that recognizes the immigrant, ethnic, African American, neighborhood, and cultural histories that have shaped the city.
In addition to updating the permanent exhibit, EHC plans to develop a portable exhibit highlighting America 250 themes of democracy, freedom, and human rights, connecting those ideals from the colonial era to the present day. The Center also plans to introduce new neighborhood sites to its acclaimed Walk New Haven Cultural Heritage Tours.
The project is made possible through a grant from New Haven’s 250 Commission, sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Yale University.
The Ethnic Heritage Center is located at 270 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515, on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University.
About the Ethnic Heritage Center of New Haven
The Ethnic Heritage Center (EHC) was established in 1988 as the Ethnic Historical Archives Center of New Haven, Inc., and consists of five member societies:
- Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven, established 1976
- Italian-American Historical Society of Connecticut, established 1979
- Connecticut Ukrainian-American Historical Society, established 1983
- Connecticut Irish American Historical Society, established 1988
- Greater New Haven African American Historical Society, established 2003
EHC Vision: To cultivate pride and celebrate cultural differences, as well as commonalities, among different groups in our community.
EHC Mission: To preserve and share the histories of the ethnic groups that have contributed to the vitality of the Greater New Haven community, promoting the values of human dignity and social justice.
For more information, visit the Ethnic Heritage Center and Walk New Haven websites.
