The Montgomery County Immigrant Archive

Since its founding in 1776, Montgomery County has been tied to global events drawing people from across the world to live in what has become a notably welcoming and international community.

Maryland’s historical legacies of opportunity and openness to diverse immigrants continue to characterize Montgomery County, as a third of its residents are foreign born and over forty percent speak a language besides English. Concurrently, Native peoples and the descendants of colonial settler families continue to be part of the fabric of the county.

The Montgomery County Immigrant Archive is a community collection of material donated by individuals or groups that have contributed to the history and legacy of the immigrant population of Montgomery County, Maryland, past and present. The material in this collection is representative of the lived experience of immigrants with longevity or significance in Montgomery County and/or their descendants, and can include oral history interviews, documents, photographs, artifacts, artwork, and many other types of documentation.

We believe this community archive can begin to address a large gap in the historical record of our increasingly diverse county, bring attention to underrepresented communities and individuals with important stories to share, and unite residents of all ages in the shared celebration of inclusion, representation, and diversity in Montgomery County.

Explore the collections below to learn more about Montgomery County’s diverse community

The Immigrant Experience Collection

In a joint effort by Montgomery History and the Antropology Department of Montgomery College, these interviews were conducted between 2018 and 2023 by Dr. Maria Sprehn and MC student assistants with first- and second-generation immigrants whose families settled in Montgomery County over the last century, representing more than 15 nationalities.

The Gaithersburg History Project

This collection is comprised of interviews conducted from 2025-2026 for Latine Gaithersburg, part of the Gaithersburg History Project. This phase of the project includes conducting research and creating reports about the City’s Latino/Latina/Latine people – their culture, heritage, immigration and settlement stories, businesses in the greater Gaithersburg vicinity, and contributions.