America! America!

Over the centuries the land of unlimited possibilities has attracted the majority of Swiss emigrants. Since 1800 some 400'000 persons or 70 percent of all Swiss emigrants chose the U.S. for their new homeland. Currently some 1,2 million U.S. citizens have Swiss roots. Compared to the millions of immigrants from Ireland, Italy or Germany and their descendants this is a “small number” indeed. But many of them left a lasting legacy in their chosen field – hence “big impact”. The exhibition follows the traces of 26 Swiss-born personalities successful in the areas of music, science, economy, art and politics.

The exhibition by the Migration Museum Association, supported by Präsenz Schweiz and originally shown in 2006 on Ellis Island, New York, has been expanded by the Swiss National Museum. Under the reverse title “Big Number – Small Impact” the Zurich version also shows the anonymous side of Swiss migration history by highlighting mass emigration from the cantons of Glarus and Ticino. Moreover, video interviews present a number of expatriate Americans actually living in Switzerland; they were filmed in the rooms of the recently re-arranged permanent exhibition of the Swiss National Museum.