The Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia Photo Book Project

 Documenting Philadelphia’s Rich Cultural Diversity

Background Information

The Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia Photo Book project is re-starting with a dynamic Volume II

For those of you who enjoyed the unique Cultural Fabric Volume I, you are aware of the dynamic photos and compelling stories of the six immigrant communities that were included in Volume I; Chinese, Dominican, German, Indonesian, Liberian and Vietnamese. If you haven’t yet seen Volume I, you can view the entire photo book at this website; www.lifeworkphoto.org.

Volume II of the project is now starting, after the pandemic kept us all quarantined for so long. This time, the immigrant communities include; Antigua/Barbuda, Haiti, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico and Sierra Leone.  This Volume II project actually got started before the pandemic and some photos from these immigrant communities can also be found on the website listed above.

What is the Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia Photo Book Project All About?

The City of Philadelphia prides itself on being a World Heritage City, welcoming to all people who choose to call it home. From the first immigrants who founded this City in 1682, to those that continue to join our community today, Philadelphia is better for its diversity and inclusiveness.

Philadelphia is often referred to as a city of neighborhoods, where communities of many different cultures put aside their differences and work together to create a better place for their families to live. Our neighborhoods are also home to the many unique cultural traditions that bring life to our city.

Immigrant communities contribute to Philadelphia in many ways—sharing their values and traditions, religious practices, food, music, customs and arts which broaden and strengthen our communities. Their work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit also helps drive our local economy.

The Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia, provides a glance into Philly’s immigrant communities and highlights their contributions to the cultural and economic development of our great city. More importantly, this Project’s photo books illustrate the commitment of these six immigrant communities to our city. The Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia photo books will provide all of us with a unique opportunity to see the world from one another’s point of view.

Philadelphia has a rich immigrant past. Based on the increasing numbers of immigrants still arriving in Philadelphia, the City will also have a rich immigrant future. Philly’s immigrant communities add not only cultural richness to our City, but also monetary wealth, contributing considerably to the City’s economy. The Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia shows Philly’s immigrants from the inside, using photography to immerse the reader in these smaller worlds within the City. This is the story of Philly’s immigrant Americans, told in t heir own words.

Immigrants and their communities are now experiencing a challenging time throughout the country. Greater education about and awareness of immigrant communities is now necessary, nationally, as well as here in Philadelphia. People need to recognize the value of immigrants as people, as neighbors, and as economic drivers.

The Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia photo book project was designed to highlight the

stories of these selected communities. It seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the immigrants in our City, to show who they are and what they bring to the City of Philadelphia.  An important project goal is to build community pride, self-respect and empowerment through community outreach and engagement in the book-building process, using community (and cross-community) meetings that foster cultural development and problem solving. 

The overall goal of the Cultural Fabric of Philadelphia’s program, however, is to increase the understanding and awareness of Philly’s immigrant communities—for all Philadelphians.