Latino History Project

The year-long study will begin with a youth summer program in 2011. It will be based on  The Latino History Project: A Pilot Youth Program For Collecting Community History, conducted by the Oakland Museum of California in partnership with two agencies from that community – the Spanish-speaking Citizens’ Foundation and the Hayward High School Puente Project – in 1999-2001. A detailed case study with recommendations for project directors is available from the American Association of Museums. It can be ordered through any of the more than 25 museums in the greater Austin area, or from any of several thousand museums across the U.S. Just ask for the Latino History Project.

We shall attempt to briefly describe and “overview” the project here.

The program engaged high school students, working with professional historians, to conduct original historical research. The process included interviewing community members and using libraries and other local community resources. The students and their mentors applied the research to the creation of educational posters, a related special exhibition, an anthology, a handbook for educators, and a website related to the project.

We already have a website set aside for this project. It is: www.MexicanHeritage.info . At the present time, it is simply linked to our currently-operated website, www.BattleofPuebla.com . The “heritage” website will be made available to the museums and other area institutions participating in the study.

One of the two Oakland-area groups operated as a summer paid jobs program, since it involved low-income teenagers. The other was an after-school program at Hayward High School, followed by a brief paid internship at the Oakland Museum’s education department. The area of study was defined as the cities of Oakland and Hayward, California, in the 1900’s through the 1970’s.

The task of the youth historians was to help document and collect twentieth century Latino history in that part of California, partly by conducting oral histories of Spanish-speaking elders.

The students worked closely with such people as cultural historians, museum educators, curators and various community representatives to collect first-person accounts of Latino history in their area, and to acquire important historical photographs and artifacts for the museum’s collection. Among the goals were:

• To address an urgent need to collect and preserve primary source materials on the history and culture of the area’s Latino community.
• To teach high school students how to collect and preserve such materials.
• To enable young community members to see themselves as “history makers,” contributors to and stewards of their community’s cultural heritage.
• To establish a “base” for further documentation, preservation and exchange of community history.
• To produce and distribute educational resources on Latino community history for broad use by schools, libraries, community organizations and the general public.

Geneological and historical societies can be of great help in mentoring these students. The Oakland project came across elders who were the last living eyewitnesses to the Mexican Revolution. They were people who had fled the violence as children or young adults. In any case, the stories from such interviews include the origins of the area Hispanic community and the struggles against discrimination and poverty as they sought to improve their lives and those of their families. It’s now ten years after the Oakland project, but there’s no doubt that many similar stories are waiting to be brought to public view in the Austin area.

In order to be successful in mounting such a project in Austin, the Mexican Heritage Consortium seeks to form partnerships with community organizations that have compatible missions and goals – as well as available personnel and resources – to contribute to the project. This does not necessarily mean financial help, although that would be welcome. Even single members of a partnering organization will benefit from such things as: building mentoring relationships, developing a sense of pride and stewardship for the Hispanic community, building additional career awareness and skills, and not only honoring but understanding the role of Hispanic elders in building the past and preparing the future.

We will be recruiting a project team similar to the one described in the Oakland plan. It will include directors from several partnering organizations, advisory committees, historians, educators, museum staff, graphic artists and photographers, and other experts and consultants. College students can play an effective role in mentoring, and then there are the high school students who will complete the projects for presentation in May of 2012.

In the Oakland project, an English teacher was brought in to help students refine their writing. Editors and evaluators helped with proofreading and assessment of the students’ final products. Arrangements were also made for student transportation and for work spaces and materials.

The Oakland people report that their teens became highly motivated when they learned about the lack of materials available on Latino history. (Many teachers can tell you about their frustration at what’s missing from the history books.) The students were also concerned about the inaccuracies found in many published sources. They became aware of how Latinos were excluded from the area’s history, or at least were portrayed only in a negative light.

We face a similar situation here in Texas. Until we discover and then disseminate  information which demonstrates the important and positive role that people of Mexican heritage play in not only the local area but in American society, the general public, civic leaders and politicians will make policy toward Mexicans and Mexican-Americans based on traditional stereotypes and misconceptions.

This is an opportunity not to be missed!