Michelle Illescas - Process Paper

I was first introduced to the theme for this year’s National History Day competition in September of 2014. Before deciding on my topic, I brainstormed by making a list of topics that I was interested in. I used that list to find certain people fit both criteria of leadership and legacy. After the initial brainstorming, I chose David Dubinsky over Albert Bandura because I had a stronger interest in Dubinsky’s work as a labor leader. His work fit my interest in social issues concerning the rights of workers. Additionally, I found it compelling to learn about how a young immigrant rose to lead a powerful labor union as its president. Furthermore, I found out that my grandmother had been a member of the ILGWU when she was a seamstress. This is what convinced me to conduct research on David Dubinsky.

After deciding on a topic, I had to begin collecting both secondary and primary sources. Some of the research for primary and secondary sources was easily conducted online. I used programs such as JSTOR, Cornell University’s ILR website, NARA, and LOC to gain access to scholarly journals, pictures, videos, letters, and speeches. I visited the Rosenthal Library at Queens College to locate a print version of a biography. Additionally, I located a printed version of a different biography in the NYC Municipal Archives. Aside from that biography, I also acquired  other primary sources, newspaper clippings, at the NYC Municipal Archives. I also visited the New York Public Library to locate more secondary and primary sources. In addition to visiting libraries and archives, I interviewed Michael Mulgrew, president of the UFT in New York. He provided insight on the requirements that the president of a labor union has and on the condition of labor unions now. I also conducted an interview with Professor Soyer of Fordham University to discuss the history of the ILGWU and David Dubinsky’s personal involvement.

The exhibit board category seemed most appropriate for my project. I did not find a substantial amount of audio or video sources to use in a documentary, and I wanted the project to be tangible, so the website category was not suitable either. The exhibit board category allows for the use of all the pictures, letters, interviews, and speeches that I found to be a part of the final project. Additionally, the organization of before and after that I planned for the project is easily shown using the three panels of the exhibit board.

My project on David Dubinsky and his presidency at the ILGWU meets this year’s theme of leadership and legacy. His leadership is seen through the reformation of the union during his term and his involvement in founding the Liberal Party and the American Labor Party. His legacy was the ILGWU, but at present, it is the density of union members in New York.