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OARBAC Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest Collection
Description: Photograph showing Vietnamese and Laotian immigrants practicing conversation with their teacher. The image was submitted by photographer Jean Orr of Columbus, Ohio, in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. A caption provided by the photographer reads, "Central Ohio welcomed families from Laos and Vietnam during the Bicentennial Year, and Westerville City Schools initiated one of the first programs to help them gain enough English to apply for jobs and shop for household needs. Here, young adults practice conversation with their American teacher during a break in the twice-weekly evening class. The Ohio Department of Education approved the use of Federal funds for the Westerville program." In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F115_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Immigrants--Ohio; Immigration and Ethnic Heritage; Conversation;
Places: Westerville (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)