Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945)

The Tampa Bay History Center presents “Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945),” an exhibition exploring the overlooked history of Spanish immigrants.

The exhibition Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945) recovers a long-overlooked connection: the migration of Spaniards to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Organized by the Fundación Consejo España – EE.UU., it is the first exhibition dedicated to this unknown chapter of history.

Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945) presents a selection from a photographic archive documented over more than a decade by researchers and curators Luis Argeo and James D. Fernández. The images come from family albums of hundreds of descendants of Spanish immigrants in the United States.

After touring in Spain for five years, the exhibition arrives stateside to reveal the hidden history of the Spanish American diaspora at the turn of the 20th century. This history has been carefully preserved through the legacy of thousands of Spanish immigrants, passed down from generation to generation.

Check out the Invisible Immigrants’ website to learn more about the shared history between Spain and the US (Spanish only).

About the Curators

James D. Fernández (Brooklyn, New York, 1961) is a Professor of Spanish Literature and Culture at New York University and the director of NYU Madrid. The grandson of Asturians who emigrated in the early 20th century, Fernández earned his Ph.D. in Romance Languages from Princeton University in 1988. He was the founding director of NYU’s King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center from its establishment in 1995 until 2007. For the past 30 years, his research and publications have focused on the historical, literary, and cultural ties between Spain and the Americas.

Luis Argeo (Asturias, 1975) is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. He contributes to print media with articles on culture and society. A Journalism graduate from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Argeo is the author of more than 15 books and travel guides published by Anaya Touring. As a screenwriter, producer, and director, his films include AsturianUS (2006) and Corsino, por Cole Kivlin (2010), which have been featured at various international film festivals. Since 2012, he has co-directed the project Invisible Immigrants: Spaniards in the United States alongside James D. Fernández.