What does it mean for a city to be “welcoming”? Lancaster has embraced that identity, but its history tells a more complicated story.

This summer, 10 Franklin & Marshall College students contributed to that story as part of Reckoning With Lancaster, a humanities-based project supported by a Humanities for All Times grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Kicking off Phase Three of the grant, the students spent eight weeks exploring the people, places, and experiences that illuminate Lancaster’s evolving relationship with immigrants and migration.

Supervising the students were faculty fellows Giovanna Faleschini Lerner, professor of Italian and film and media, and Anne Stachura, teaching professor and coordinator of the Spanish community-based learning program. F&M alumnus Roger Avila-Vidal ’22 and Matt Johnson of Church World Service provided guidance as community fellows for the project.

Below, meet three students who conducted research on aspects of immigration in Lancaster.

Bella Torres ’28 Finds Unexpected Connections

For Bella Torres ’28, of Lancaster, the project offered a chance to investigate the history of the place she has always called home.

“I have lived in Lancaster my whole life,” said Torres, who is majoring in government and psychology. “So when the opportunity came to do research on my own town, I couldn’t pass it up.”

Her project, “Religion and Resettlement: Catholic Parishes in Lancaster City,” examined the role Catholic parishes played in the experiences of immigrants and the development of Lancaster communities. Her research also revealed an unexpected connection between F&M and the Catholic Church: One of the longest-serving priests at St. Mary’s Catholic Church served on F&M’s Board of Trustees alongside his friend James Buchanan.

The research reinforced Torres’ belief that Lancaster’s history is fundamentally a story of migration. “Historically, immigration to the U.S. was how most everyone settled in Lancaster,” she said. “Everyone was an immigrant.”

Torres hopes her research encourages people to look beyond familiar perceptions of Lancaster and recognize the many cultures and communities that make up the city.

Mickey Duggan ’27 Explores Being an Immigrant in America

Mickey Duggan ’27, a joint studies major and English minor, is working toward a Forced Migration certificate at F&M. She was studying abroad in Spain when she discovered the summer research position and was drawn to the opportunity to continue exploring the narratives of immigrants.

Her research led her to consider how immigrant stories are presented — and how those narratives can shape public perceptions.

“There is no correct way to be an immigrant in America,” said Duggan, whose project focused on the framing of immigrant narratives. “The idea that there is a perfect American immigrant only harms everyone involved.”

She hopes people approach immigration with greater curiosity, seek out a wider range of perspectives and, most importantly, listen to immigrants tell their own stories.

That lesson became particularly tangible when Duggan volunteered at the Pennsylvania Immigration Advocacy Clinic. During one intake, an asylum seeker described an assassination attempt that had prompted him to flee his home country. He had carefully written out his story, but the clinic’s forms required short, uncomplicated answers. A language barrier further complicated his ability to explain what had happened.

“He had to tell his story using someone else’s words,” Duggan said. “The whole situation definitely struck a chord with me and with what I ended up doing with my research.”

Dafni Vitsou ’27 Discovers Overlooked Dimensions

Dafni Vitsou ’27, who is majoring in anthropology and film and media arts, examined another often-overlooked dimension of the immigrant experience through her project, “The Experiences of Mentally Ill Immigrants and Refugees: Not Everyone Fits the Same Box.”

After conducting research on immigrant and refugee populations in Lancaster in 2025, Vitsou returned to the subject this summer. She enjoys engaging with people from different cultures, and her research also has a deeply personal dimension.

“The entire project was very personal to me,” said Vitsou. “The reason I chose to do it was because I thought I understood some of these situations better, and I also wanted to raise awareness because I have experienced this struggle myself.”

Through interviews with people who work with mentally ill immigrants and refugees, Vitsou was struck by the dedication of service providers who continued their work despite significant challenges.

Learn more about Phase Three of Reckoning With Lancaster, including a full slate of events throughout the 2026-27 academic year, by visiting the project’s website and following on Instagram.