Unearthing Hidden Histories: Jarita Bavido Wins John Anderson Award

Jarita Bavido and Assoc. Prof. Kyle Neill The UWSP Libraries and the John Anderson Spirit of Community Award Selection Committee are proud to announce that Jarita Bavido, a standout student on our campus, is the recipient of the 2025 John Anderson Spirit of Community Award . Her winning submission, “ Gold Mountain in the Pinery: Chinese Laundries in the Small Towns of Wisconsin, 1878–1940 ,” is a remarkable piece of original scholarship. Jarita's project shines a light on the often-overlooked lives and labors of Chinese immigrants who operated laundries across Wisconsin’s small towns. Her research uncovers connections between entrepreneurship, migration, and belonging in communities where these laundries once stood—and where traces of their presence linger today. The selection committee, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Kyle Neill, praised Jarita's project as a "methodical and exhaustive" undertaking, one that relies not only on secondary sources, but also deeply rooted p...