Luxembourg American Cultural Society Inc

THE MISSION OF THE LUXEMBOURG AMERICAN CULTURAL SOCIETY, INC. IS SYMBOLIZED AS "ROOTS AND "LEAVES." "ROOTS" WHICH PRESERVE LUXEMBOURG HERITAGE/CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES AND "LEAVES" WHICH FOSTER ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS OF FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, CULTURE, EDUCATION, TOURISM AND COMMERCE BETWEEN LUXEMBOURG AND THE UNITED STATES.

THE LACS CONDUCTS A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP AND GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN 2023, WE HOSTED AN IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CULTURAL CONFERENCE WITH THE THEME, LUXEMBOURG ANCESTRAL HOUSES, WE WELCOMED GUEST SPEAKER JEAN ENSCH FROM LUXEMBOURG. THE SOCIETY HOSTED ONE CULTURAL IMMERSION TOUR OF LUXEMBOURG IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL DAY. WE HOSTED 6 EDUCATIONAL VIRTUAL PROGRAMS THROUGH THE YEAR, WITH GUESTS SPEAKERS FROM LUXEMBOURG. WE ALSO WELCOMED 25 STUDENTS FROM LUXEMBOURG WHO ARE A PART OF THE VIRTUAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM WITH LACROSSE HIGH SCHOOLS.

DOOLEY - WAGNER RESEARCH CENTER - THE LUXEMBOURG AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER'S "DOOLEY - WAGNER RESEARCH CENTER" IS ALSO A CENTRAL PART OF THE SOCIETY'S MISSION. THE DOOLEY - WAGNER RESEARCH CENTER OPENED IN AUGUST 2009 AND IS THE LARGEST RESEARCH CENTER FOR LUXEMBOURG STUDIES OUTSIDE OF THE GRAND DUCHY. THE RESEARCH CENTER CONTAINS ARCHIVAL AND RESEARCH MATERIALS PERTAINING TO LUXEMBOURG, PAST AND PRESENT, AS WELL AS TO LUXEMBOURG HERITAGE, CULTURE, AND GENEALOGY IN THE UNITED STATES. THE RESEARCH CENTER IS AFFILIATED WITH INSTITUTIONS RUN BY LUXEMBOURG'S MINISTRY OF CULTURE INCLUDING THE LUXEMBOURG NATIONAL LIBRARY AND NATIONAL ARCHIVES. VISITORS FROM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND LUXEMBOURG, INCLUDING INTERNS AND STUDENTS, HAVE FOUND THE DOOLEY - WAGNER RESEARCH CENTER TO BE A TREASURE TROVE OF UNIQUE INFORMATION ABOUT LUXEMBOURG AND LUXEMBOURG - AMERICAN RELATIONS.

IN 2008, THE LUXEMBOURG PARLIAMENT ENACTED LAW WHICH ALLOWED FOR DUAL NATIONALITY. THIS LAW FURTHER ALLOWED THAT FROM 2008 - 2020, QUALIFYING INDIVIDUALS OF DIRECT-LINE LUXEMBOURG ANCESTRY, WHO WERE NOT LUXEMBOURG CITIZENS, COULD RECLAIM THEIR LUXEMBOURG NATIONALITY AND ACQUIRE A LUXEMBOURG/EU PASSPORT. BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES AND COMPLEXITIES OF THIS PROCESS, THE LACS OFFERS A FEE-BASED CONSULTATION PROCESS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN DETERMINING IF THEY QUALIFY FOR RECLAMATION OF LUXEMBOURG NATIONALITY AND TO ASSIST THEM THROUGH THE RECLAMATION PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH. THE LACS HAS SUCCESSFULLY ASSISTED DOZENS OF AMERICANS OF DIRECT-LINE LUXEMBOURG ANCESTRY IN RECLAIMING THEIR LUXEMBOURG NATIONALITY AND IN ACQUIRING A LUXEMBOURG/EU PASSPORT.

ROOTS AND LEAVES MUSEUM - THE LUXEMBOURG AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER'S "ROOTS AND LEAVES MUSEUM" IS A CENTRAL PART OF THE SOCIETY'S MISSION. THE ROOTS AND LEAVES MUSEUM GRAND OPENED IN AUGUST 2010 AND IS ONE OF A KIND IN THE WORLD. THE MUSEUM PORTRAYS THE HISTORY OF LUXEMBOURG, PAST AND PRESENT, AS WELL AS TELLING THE UNIQUE STORY OF LUXEMBOURG EMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES AND THE IMPACT OF LUXEMBOURG IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS UPON AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE. THOUGH IT TELLS THE STORY OF IMMIGRATION THROUGH THE EYES OF LUXEMBOURGERS, THE MUSEUM IS A PLACE OF EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS. SINCE ITS OPENING, THE MUSEUM HAS WELCOMED GUESTS, YOUNG AND OLD, FROM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND LUXEMBOURG AND FROM PLACES AS FAR AWAY AS SOUTH KOREA AND TANZANIA.