Lucia Erins (d. 1989) was a Latvian immigrant to Grand Rapids, Michigan. This collection includes research that Erins conducted regarding the Latvian community in Grand Rapids. Her research began with a brief student paper in December 1985 followed by a longer paper in 1988. These papers are included along with 16 accompanying poster boards with photographs, original and photocopied materials used for research and copy negatives of research images. Some of the material is in Latvian.

The Seven family immigrated from the Netherlands to Grand Rapids, Michigan circa 1880. Family members operated several businesses, including the John Seven Paint & Wallpaper Co. (later Seven's Paint & Wallpaper). The collection includes 66 4x5 glass plate negatives depicting Grand Rapids, Michigan area views, Grand River flood views and images of Seven family members, homes and businesses, primarily on the West Side.

The Stegmier (also spelled Stegmeier) family emigrated from Germany to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 1890s. The collection contains a family history by Jack Stegmier, news clippings regarding Irwin Stegmier and photographs dating circa 1890 to 1910, plus 1980 images of Jack Stegmier. The material provides information on the Stegmier relatives and their lives in America. Photographs include interiors of a tailor shop and saloon during the first two decades of the twentieth century.

This collection was built by James Goode, a faculty member in the History Department at Grand Valley State University, with the periodic assistance of some of his students. The main contents are select oral histories and the Arab American / Syrian Clipping Index of Grand Rapids Press and Grand Rapids Herald Newspaper Articles. The index was done by students from one of Goode's courses.