An Oral History Collective
A Google Document with our drafted interview questions may be accessed via password here.
A PDF of our drafted questions as of 2/24/18 may be accessed here. (PDF has been included for the inevitable time when the Google Doc will be updated, outdated, or deleted, and thus no longer accurately reflect our writing and research at this stage.)
My research partner Megan Kraus’ personal blog may be accessed here.
Hello all!
So, we have began to venture into the world of multimedia. I have come to the conclusion that although, there are some “alternative facts” roaming the internet, multimedia has become that easiest way to reach more people. So, I have attached a YouTube video. This video has condensed the migration topic tremendously however, it does open the door to conversation. In the topic of migration conversation is always a plus. Enjoy!
Hello all!
So, Sarah and I met with the archivist this week. Finally! So, for UNCA it’s actually Gene Hyde. We focused on speaking about our migrate population. Our migrate population isn’t a set place or a date in time. Our migrate population is from all place, mainly from Latin America, and different times in history. Some may be here since yesterday while others have been here decades. The one thing that connects them is working in the agricultural fields. That is their day to day life.
So, back to Mr. Hyde, we went over specifics about contracts and consents that the interviewee has to fill out. However, what mainly surprised me was the fact that he knew about our migrate population. He read from a report on 2015 from the American Immigration Council that the biggest migrant group in NC were from Mexico, India, Honduras among other i was mainly surprised about the fact that India had actually made that list. However, in 2016 there were 30,000 DACA applicants. Who knew that in nC we had immigrants?! 
There is also, a list created by NC state that shows the main location of migrant groups in NC. Finally, Sasha who works at the library that is really good with WordPress and we should contact him if we had any issues with WordPress.
Until next time!
Jacob and I were provided with a variety of local resource connections through our initial meeting with USCA’s Instruction/Reference Librarian, Deborah Tripp. As we expressed initial interest in examining post-war industrialism and the impacts of SRS on local migration, Deborah provided us with connections to George Wingard, a member of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, and recommended that we visit the Savannah River Site Museum, as well as the Aiken History Museum. In addition, she suggested going through the digital archives of local newspapers and review the archival collections of Gregg/Swint Memorial Room, which focuses on Southern economic, social, and labor history. After spending hours scouring through decades worth of newspaper articles published by the Aiken Standard and sorting through census data, I felt defeated. We couldn’t substantiate the ties between migration and SRS and, as such, Jacob and I decided to approach this from a new angle. Researching migration within South Carolina is not a simple task, given the state’s hostile racial landscape and complex history of racism, nativism, isolationism, and ethnocentric values. However, we were finally able to locate a few studies that pointed to a growing population of Mexican immigrants in Aiken and the surrounding areas. We are currently in the process of scheduling an additional meeting with Deborah Tripp to gain additional resources and instruction.
From here, we plan to gain insight into the implications of southern identity and the state’s post-war industrialization on Latino immigration. As Latino migration to the South is a relatively new trend compared to other areas of the nation, very little research has been done on the micro level. For South Carolina, and Aiken in particular, this research is virtually non-existent. We know the migration trend exists, but little attention has been given to the personal experiences of these migrants. While exploring the implications of post-war industrialization and labor, we’d like to shed light on the processes through which Mexican migrants experience South Carolina’s unique social, political, and cultural systems and how they are navigating social and cultural life in the deep south. Some possible research questions include:
Jacob and I were provided with a variety of local resource connections through our initial meeting with USCA’s Instruction/Reference Librarian, Deborah Tripp. As we expressed initial interest in examining post-war industrialism and the impacts of SRS on local migration, Deborah provided us with connections to George Wingard, a member of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, and recommended that we visit the Savannah River Site Museum, as well as the Aiken History Museum. In addition, she suggested going through the digital archives of local newspapers and review the archival collections of Gregg/Swint Memorial Room, which focuses on Southern economic, social, and labor history. After spending hours scouring through decades worth of newspaper articles published by the Aiken Standard and sorting through census data, I felt defeated. We couldn’t substantiate the ties between migration and SRS and, as such, Jacob and I decided to approach this from a new angle. Researching migration within South Carolina is not a simple task, given the state’s hostile racial landscape and complex history of racism, nativism, isolationism, and ethnocentric values. However, we were finally able to locate a few studies that pointed to a growing population of Mexican immigrants in Aiken and the surrounding areas. We are currently in the process of scheduling an additional meeting with Deborah Tripp to gain additional resources and instruction.
From here, we plan to gain insight into the implications of southern identity and the state’s post-war industrialization on Latino immigration. As Latino migration to the South is a relatively new trend compared to other areas of the nation, very little research has been done on the micro level. For South Carolina, and Aiken in particular, this research is virtually non-existent. We know the migration trend exists, but little attention has been given to the personal experiences of these migrants. While exploring the implications of post-war industrialization and labor, we’d like to shed light on the processes through which Mexican migrants experience South Carolina’s unique social, political, and cultural systems and how they are navigating social and cultural life in the deep south. Some possible research questions include:
Today I met with the special collections archivist at my university. I find that the more research I conduct for my investigation, I become increasingly overwhelmed and can’t seem to focus on one group in particular. The meeting really helped me in identifying what groups are located in my area and organizations that work with migrants.
I learned that in 2015, the American Immigration Council reported that the most prevalent migrant groups in North Carolina were from Mexico, India, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Also, in 2016 there were 29,584 DACA applicants living in North Carolina.
The organizations that I feel will help me connect with migrants in my area are Coalicion de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas (COLAS) and Asheville Latin Americans Achieving Success (ALAS).
I want to record the stories of Latin and Central American migrants in my area. I would like to ask them: “Were there any political or economic factors that led to your migration?” “Did you receive any help from friends, family, or coyotes?” and “In the current political climate in the United States, what should people remember when debating migration?”
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Hoy me reuní con el archivero de colecciones especiales de mi universidad. Me parece que mientras más investigación realice para mi investigación, me siento cada vez más abrumada y no puedo centrarme en un grupo en particular. La reunión me ayudó a identificar qué grupos están ubicados en mi área y organizaciones que trabajan con migrantes.
Aprendí que en 2015, el Consejo Estadounidense de Inmigración informó que los grupos migratorios más prevalentes en Carolina del Norte eran de México, India, Honduras, El Salvador y Guatemala. También, en 2016 había 29.584 DACA solicitantes que viven en Carolina del Norte.
Las organizaciones que me ayudarán a conectar con los migrantes en mi área son Coalicion de organizaciones Latino-Americanas (COLAS) y Asheville Latinoamericanos Logrando el éxito (ALAS).
Quiero grabar las historias de los migrantes latinoamericanos y centroamericanos en mi área. Me gustaría preguntarles: “¿Hubo algún factor político o económico que condujo a su migración?” “¿Recibió alguna ayuda de amigos, familia o coyotes?” y “En el clima político actual en los Estados Unidos, ¿Qué debe recordar la gente quien están debatiendo la migración?”
Savannah and I have had a preliminary meeting with the USCA Archivist, Deborah Tritt. At this point, we are trying to make an inventory of our resources and schedule dates where we can visit the archives. We are also in the process of scheduling interviews with two contacts: George Wingard, from the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, and Thomas Gardiner, the SRS correspondent for the Augusta Chronicle and USCA alumni. By communicating with them, Savannah and I are hoping to get our feet in the door, so to speak, and develop a wider range of resources. As for the archives, we are looking at scheduling a visit to the university archive, as well as the Gregg/Swint Memorial Room. This an archive intended for research “in Southern economic, social, and labor history for the period 1845 to 1985”. This is important for us because we are aware that our research interests and questions regarding the Savannah River Site may not fall within the purview of the COPLAC task, or are unanswerable at this point in time; however, our intent is to investigate the intersection migration with southern society and labor, there are many facets to explore in our region.
As it stands, Savannah and I have found it difficult to find less generalized information about migration and our area. There is a decidedly hostile attitude toward migration, whether it is our southern neighbors or refugees from abroad, that permeates the south. In Southern Hospitality?
Islamophobia and the Politicization of Refugees in
South Carolina during the 2016 Election Season , Caroline Nagel, Professor of Geography at the University of South Carolina, underscores why these tensions exist from a political standpoint and on an existential front. Second, South Carolina attracts a lot of Mexican migrants. Dr Elaine Lacy’s Mexican Immigrants In South Carolina: A Profile, elucidates …( To be completed: 2/20)
My partner and I had a really helpful meeting with the archivist/special collections librarian on our campus. I wasn’t expecting much because Farmington, Maine is not known for its vast populations of migrants. However, librarians always have another trick up their sleeves so we weren’t left in the dark; she pointed us in the direction of how to get a good start on our search.
Firstly she suggested that we could start off with census data for the state of Maine to get some broad unspecific data. As we narrow it down we could look into info that county or city governments have available online, because it would be much more specific. She said that local libraries are also a great way to get our finger on the pulse of a community. We also looked at a tool called the Maine Memory Network which is a place that contributors all across the state can upload information and images about the history of Maine and its residences. This tuned up some really interesting information about immigration going back 400 years. As we clicked on exhibits and pages more and more useful links were suggested, such as some information about the Somali populations there is in the Lewiston/Auburn area of our state. The best part of using the Maine Memory Network is that the contributors are all people we can find within Maine and talk to for more information.
Now that we had some basic information and a few directions to head in, the next big question came up. Once we identify a community we want to focus on, how do we go about contacting individuals? Our lovely librarian did not let us down! To meet and speak to individuals within an immigrant community we can contact organizations and charities that provide them with support and services. This would be a good first step that would allow us to be sensitive to people’s privacy.
Cali and I started this class with really no specific connections, so we have a lot of work ahead of us, but our local librarian was an invaluable piece of getting us started in the right direction. The lesson to be learned from this, is librarians are the greatest and helpful in any sort of research capacity. I am excited for the challenge ahead of us, and how it will unfold.
Morrison and I recently met with our library’s two special collections librarians to discuss how we might go about conducting our research for the project. Between the two meetings, we received a huge amount of information and tips regarding what migrant communities we can learn about and reach out to, as well as how to go about doing that. Some migrant communities in Berkshire County that the librarians mentioned include Greek communities, Chinese communities, and Italian communities. One of the librarians also noted that the county is actively trying to attract young migrants from inside and outside of the United States, in order to counteract the aging population in Western Massachusetts. Generally when people think of migration, they think of it in terms of what pushes and pulls the migrants themselves. People also frequently explore the sometimes less-than-welcoming reception that migrants encounter in their new locations. Communities making a concerted effort to bring in migrants, however, does not come up as often in discussions and academic studies, so this could be a unique and interesting concept to explore.
The librarians also provided a number of resources for getting underway with our research. For information on local immigration, they suggested the archivists in the local libraries of nearby cities and towns, the local historical society, and the local chamber of commerce. As far as getting into contact with local migrants, the librarians suggested the Berkshire Immigration Center, immigrant support groups, local churches, and immigrant faculty-members that may be able to offer stories of their own experiences as well as contact information for their family members. In meeting with the special collections librarians, we were able to obtain a wealth of information and suggestions.
Questions for the local Chinese immigrant community:
For this assignment, my partner and I met with two MCLA reference librarians to ask questions about migrant communities in the area and resources available for our research. As a disclaimer, MCLA does not employ a campus archivist; instead, the reference librarians take upon the responsibilities of managing primary source documents and helping students prepare for research.
Through speaking with the librarians, my partner and I learned about many migrant communities in North Adams and the Berkshires in general. We were told about historically strong Italian migration into North Adams, whereas the children and grandchildren of the migrants keep alive an Italian-American support organization.
Referring to Pittsfield (south of North Adams), we discussed vibrant Jewish and Greek communities. Historically, Jewish migrants owned many Pittsfield businesses (I am unclear on the histories/present conditions of those businesses) and remain connected through synagogues in the area. Similarly, Greek migration into Pittsfield has helped solidify a strong community, strengthened by church organizations and annual festivals. In addition, we were told the Berkshires region is suffering from an aging population and is encouraging more migration into the area. Perhaps this aspect could be included into our overall final project.
As for resources, the reference librarians gave us many different outlets to explore. For community knowledge and primary source documentation , the North Adams Public Library, the Berkshire Athenaeum, and the North Adams Historical Society were recommended to us. Specifically for their business acumen, the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce was mentioned, as well. In addition, we discussed the Berkshire Immigration Center and different places of worship as organizations pertaining specifically to immigration/community support. Lastly, for updates on current migration news, the Berkshire Eagle Daily Newspaper was suggested.
The final part of this blog post is dedicated to the brainstorming of potential interview questions for our oral history project. While the following questions are created specifically for the Jewish migrant community, my partner and I have not yet decided which community we intend to focus on for our final project. However, due to my own ethnic background and family history, I am interested in learning about the Jewish migrant community’s experiences in Pittsfield. As a side note, I have not conducted any research so far; therefore, these questions are hypothetical, academic exercises in creating well-formed interview questions, and represent my general curiosity.
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