Researcher from Argentina connects with Johnstown's history, adds to region's culture
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Yamila Audisio is an immigrant from Argentina who has developed a deep appreciation for Johnstown's history.
She has studied the Great Flood of 1889 that took the lives of more than 2,200 people. Her exploration of the region's past has led her to the stories of generations of immigrants who came before her.
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On a professional level, Audisio contributed to the 'Forging a Nation: Johnstown Iron & Steel' exhibit that was put on permanent display at the Frank & Sylvia Pasquerilla Heritage Discovery Center in 2024. It chronicles the history of the local steel industry from the 1700s through modern times.
'It was wonderful for me to do that research because I was able to connect things that were happening in Johnstown during the 19th century and connect them to the Industrial Revolution,' said Audisio, a Westmont resident who is pursuing a master's degree in history from Slippery Rock University. 'And then, of course, the stories about the flood. Those are impactful.
'This is my nerd in me. What I think about Johnstown historically is it's fascinating how the engineering advancements that happened at that time here were things that allowed the country to expand to the west.'
Faces of Immigration | Yamila Audisio
Research historian Yamila Audisio, Argentina native, shown here at her home in Johnstown on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Audisio lived in Alcira Gigena, a small agricultural town where she and many other residents were descendants of Italian immigrants.
So much of the local culture seemed familiar to her when she moved to Cambria County in 2017 with her husband, a Windber resident who spent some time in Argentina.
'I was excited about the adventure of moving elsewhere, and meeting new people and being exposed to different environments and cultures,' Audisio said. 'I was excited. But, at the time, I didn't think about all the other parts that involve moving away to a place that is so, so far away.'
UPJ Mountain Cat statue
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Mountain Cat statue sits in an empty courtyard during spring break March 11, 2020, at the campus in Richland Township.
Like many local immigrants, education played a role in Audisio's new life in the United States, as she attended the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
'My experiences were very good at UPJ,' Audisio said. 'UPJ has a faculty and a student community that is very welcoming of immigrants.
'There I was able to meet people from other countries as well, ranging from professors to other students. They were very helpful in navigating the change from one country to the other. I feel like I was sheltered a little bit, and they helped me transition from one place to the other. That was wonderful.'
There have been challenges, too, adjusting to the culture.
UPJ Book Team
Book Team members standing in front of the Jennerstown Mountain Playhouse theater, at left, include (from left) Erin Whyte, Jonathan Van Dermark, Kelsey Chabal, Cameron Carr, Yamila Audisio and Paul Douglas Newman.
But she has developed a 'network of support' by being involved in numerous organizations, including The Learning Lamp, Cambria County Library System, the Center for Metal Arts and the former Johnstown Area Heritage Association, now known as Heritage Johnstown.
She also has a 'diverse group' of international friends who help each other handle the day-to-day tasks often faced by immigrants.
'Having friends that went through the same process makes a huge difference,' Audisio said. 'I have to say, it was hard to find that group of people. It took many years to connect and be included in these groups.
'Then there is a group of Hispanic people that are my friends. I created a group during the pandemic. Most of them are moms who are here because either their husbands are working here at a school or they're moving around. Some of them don't even speak English, so I think it's very helpful to have people who do speak English and who went through the whole thing.'
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