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The Latinx Voices Project

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_FOLK COLL 38

Scope and Contents

2007 interview subjects include: Delina Carpio Amestoy, Arian Baquero, Ana Barragán, Mario Barragán, Yolanda Bates, Leo Bravo, Robert Cruz, E. Arce Cuevas, Ernesto De La Hoz, Lucy Delgadillo, Alicia S. Espinoza, Luis Espinoza, Gustavo Estrada, Clara Galeano, Zuri Garcia, Sara Hargreaves, César Hernández, John Hernández, Laura (pseudonym), Laura Linares, Ginny McKee, Elisaida Méndez, Héctor Méndiola, Enrique Mendoza, María Montalvo, Ena Murillo, Rolando Murillo, Nestor Niño, Eduardo Ortiz, Melanie Domenech Rodríguez, Samuel Rivera, Jorge Rodas, Ariel Rosario, Elizabeth Rosas, Germán Sabillón, Noemí Sabillón, Enrique Sotelo, J. P. Spicer-Escalante, Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante, Anna Trujillo, Julio Vergara, Maureen Winn, Carmen Yupanqui.

2012 Youth Perspectives interview subjects include: K. Franco, H. Hernandez, L. Madrigal, F. Pacheco, A. Pineda, Y. Pineda, Marie R., S. Vasquez, V. Vega.

Project director: Randy Williams. Project asst. director: Elisaida Méndez. Project recruiter: Jorge Rodas. Project interviewers include: Patricia Winn, Desireé Martínez, Vanesa Webb, Ginny McKee, Corina Jiménez Gómez, Karl Germeck, Ana Neves, Daniel McQuiston, Nathon Allred, José Camilo, Juan Trujillo, Lucy Delgadillo, Lía Inoa, Mary Gedge, Jeff Harding, Rubi Rodríguez, Elisaida Méndez, Shane Russell.

Project directors for 2012 Youth Perspectives: Eduardo Ortiz, Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante, Randy Williams; with help from Kris Hart (counselor), Emmie Staker (ELS teacher) and Katie Pickett (ELS teacher), Mountain Crest High School.

The materials in this collection include the original cassette tape(s), the typed transcription, photo (if available), compact disc(s) for each recorded interview and translated transcripts. Cassette tapes are attached to the inside front cover of each folder and compact discs are attached to the back of each folder.

Latinx Voices in Cache Valley is a USU DigitalCommons publication about the Latinx Voices Project and themes. The publication includes three essays: Voices: USU’s Latinx Voices Project by Randy Williams, Perceptions of “community” about Hispanic/Latinos living in Cache Valley, Utah by Eduardo Ortiz, and Voices of Struggle and Success: Latinos in the Work Place in Cache Valley, by Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante. The publication is an outgrowth of a 2008 symposium on the Latino/a Voices Project hosted by USU Special Collections and Archives and attended by LVP interviewees, interviewers, project directors and USU Library personnel.

Dates

  • Creation: 2005-2013

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Restrictions

Open to public research. To access the collection a patron must have the following information: collection number, series number, sub-series number, if applicable, box number and folder number (or image number).

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Permission to publish material from the The Latinx Voices Project must be obtained from the Curator of the Fife Folklore Archives and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Historical Note

The Latinx Voices Project is part of Northern Utah Speaks, a collection of oral histories captured and preserved in USU's Special Collections and Archives that works to tell the story of all Northern Utah's citizens. The Latinx Voices Project (LVP) began as a way to better understand and acknowledge the local, state and national story for the largest minority group in Cache Valley. The Latinx population in Utah is made up of many communities including those born and raised in Utah to people who have immigrated to Utah from all parts of Mexico, Central and South America, and those who moved here from other U.S. states, especially California, Arizona and Texas.

Through funding from Utah Humanities Council/Utah Division of State History, Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board and the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation, a workshop was conducted to train bilingual community members to identify, collect and record the oral history of Cache Valley's Latinx community members. Oral history fieldworkers each conducted oral histories in the local Latinx community. The interviews covered topics such as family traditions, religion, jobs and interests, as well as challenges associated with relocation, cultural identity and cultural differences. The oral historians recorded the oral histories on cassette tapes, which were then transferred from tape format to Wave files for digital storage. All the interviews were translated from the original (either Spanish or English) into English or Spanish. In 2012, Youth Perspectives were added to the collection.

Extent

5 linear feet (12 boxes)

Abstract

The Latinx Voices Project contains 54 oral history interviews with Cache Valley Utah Latinx community members. The collection was created in two phases. In 2007, 45 adults (46 interviews) were conducted. This first phase includes the original interview cassette tape(s), typed transcription, photo (if available), compact disc(s) of original cassette tapes, and translated transcripts (Spanish interviews translated into English and English interviews translated into Spanish). Also included in this phase are administrative correspondence and papers, newspaper articles, release forms, and training materials for interviewers. The 2007 materials are housed in boxes 1-11. In 2012, phase two was created, with youth perspectives. These materials include eight interviews with youths (15-18 years of age) from Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah, during November 2012. The Latinx Voices: Youth Perspectives are housed in box 12.

Organization

Recorded interviews, transcripts, and photographs arranged alphabetically by the narrator's surname.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

To better represent the voice of Northern Utah's Latinx Community, Randy Williams and Brad Cole, of USU Special Collections & Archives, spearheaded an initiative to collect oral histories from Latinx citizens living in Cache Valley, Utah. In order to do this, they worked diligently to gain community support and help. A community advisory board was created and Elisaida Méndez and Jorge Roads, both native Spanish-speakers, were hired to help direct the project, conduct the oral history workshop, recruit interviewees and oversee the interviewers. Randy, Ellie and Jorge trained 21 bilingual community members and USU students to conduct the oral history interviews. Between April and October 2007, 46 oral history interviews were conducted. In the fall of 2007, the sound was transferred from cassette tape to .wav file and listening CDs and all the interviews were transcribed by Workforce Language Services, LTD. All of the Spanish language interviews have been translated to English by Ubiqus. In 2012 all the English interviews were tranlsated by Ubiqus.

In an effort to understand the life experiences of Latinx youths, in November 2012, Randy Williams (Fife Folklore Archives Curator) and USU professors Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante and Eduardo Ortiz, conducted eight interviews with Latinx youths from Mountain Crest High School (15-18 year olds). The eight oral histories (one of a focus group with nine students, and seven interviews with individual students: K. Franco, H. Hernandez, F. Pacheco, L. Madrigal, A. Pineda, Y. Pineda, Maria) were added to the collection January 2013.

Existence and Location of Copies

Along with this physical collection, a digital version is available at the Latinx Voices Project Digital.

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid created by Sara Skindelien, March 2008. Finding aid updated by Randy Williams, May 2012. The Latinx Voices: Youth Perspectives was processed by Randy Williams, January 2013. Updated by Michelle Jones, March 2019.

Title
Guide to The Latinx Voices Project205-20132005-2013
Author
Finding aid created by Sara Skindelien, March 2008.
Date
©2008
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding guide is in English in Latin script.

Revision Statements

  • 2009: January 2013, the Youth Perspectives interivews were added to the collection by Randy Williams.

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)