Latino Oral History Project

When the project began, the contractors and NHS staff were sure that collecting Latinx stories would generate excitement and interest within the community. Unfortunately, a level of fear remained within the community and many community members were hesitant to share their stories. The momentum we hoped to generate from the project never materialized.

Due to the secretive nature of the project and the legal status of some immigrants telling their stories, NHS did not inform the public that these interviews were taking place for fear that publicity would jeopardize the project or even the lives of those we were hoping to interview. The political climate has been too volatile toward immigrants to comfortably celebrate the small achievement NHS has had in collecting these interviews and preserving the voices of the voiceless.

While we envisioned the Latinx community as benefiting from the project as we predicted our outcomes, we never considered the personal journey of growth that the contractors would take in facilitating the interviews. The contractors - who are part of the local Latinx community themselves - feel that they learned a great deal about the community. They plan to share their experiences with the public, and while they would not use names, they would share the themes that became universal in recording the stories. In addition, at least one article is being drafted on the understanding and empathy the contractors felt at being immigrants, themselves, and hearing the stories of those around them. They hope to bring out a greater sense of unity from within the community and use this experience to begin the conversation locally about how we can all better support each other. While that was not an intended outcome, it very well may be the beginnings of a powerful community movement in Northfield.