Retrofitting Latinxs into the Wisconsin Historical Narrative
Latina/o/xs have a long-rooted presence in Wisconsin but their histories are largely absent in institutional archives. To provide more visibility to Latinxs, informed by the Wisconsin Idea, we created the “Wisconsin Latinx History Collective,” an academic and community partnership to document Latinx history. Our goals are: 1) increase primary sources on Latinxs for the Wisconsin Historical Society, 2) train collaborators to conduct oral histories, and 3) make these histories widely accessible to students, researchers, and the general public. In short, the Wisconsin Latinx History Collective is committed to retrofitting Latinxs into the Wisconsin historical narrative.
Outcomes
We will contribute primary sources to the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) through recorded oral history interviews, transcriptions, and cultural artifacts that capture the diversity of Latinx communities. We are collaborating with students, staff, and faculty at UW-Madison, at other campuses, and state-wide community partners. We will train students in oral history methodology and ethical best practices through community-based research courses. To disseminate the collected primary sources, we are partnering with K-20 educators to implement this collection in their curricula. The Wisconsin Historical Society Museum will create an exhibit. All data will be searchable in the WHS' website and we plan to develop a project website as well.
Focus Areas
- Agriculture
- Arts and Culture
- Economic Development
- Education
- Environment
- Health Care
- Outreach Activities
- Quality of Life
- Research
Project Leader
Marla Ramirez Tahuado
Assistant Professor of History and Chican@ & Latin@ Studies
- Department/Unit
- Department of History / Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Program
- School or College
- College of Letters & Science