About Us

New York City was built by everyday people who struggled, dreamed, fought, and sometimes won. The spoils of their victories belong to all of us. These are their dramatic stories…

People’s Heritage Tours are designed and led by scholars, educators, and history makers who delight and wonder at the exciting layers of history hiding in plain sight in every neighborhood of New York City. We have spent decades exploring the forgotten histories of women, native peoples, enslaved people, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+, youth, and other marginalized people. Our expert guides lead individuals and groups of all ages through the streets, telling the stories of our city’s ancestors as they unfolded. Our deeply-researched tours reveal how New York became one of most beautiful, exciting, and important cities in the world.

Our Founders

Daniel Katz, Ph.D.

Founder and Chief Historian

People’s Heritage Tours was founded by Daniel Katz, Ph.D., who serves as the Chief Historian. Dr. Katz teaches history at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, and he is the author of All Together Different: Yiddish Socialists, Garment Workers, and the Labor Roots of Multiculturalism and and co-editor of Labor Rising: The Past and Future of Working People in America. A licensed New York City tour guide, he has developed and conducted walking history tours for more than 30 years.

May Ying Chen

May Ying Chen was a leader of Chinese garment workers during and after the events of 1982. She is an American labor organizer and advocate for immigrant workers. Before retiring in 2009, she was an officer and founding member of the AFL-CIO’s Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), and the International Vice President of UNITE HERE.

We are proud to partner with these social justice organizations that keep alive the memory of the people and the movements that built New York and the country. We are proud to partner with these social justice organizations that keep alive.