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At Hola Cultura this summer, we’re investigating where Washington D.C. Latinos live and have lived over the years, and what people have to say about this history.
We’ve been taking the Oral Histories of our friends, families and neighbors—and invite you to share your story too!
We’re also mapping how the city’s Latino neighborhoods have changed—from residents to rents—and talking with activists and experts about how to preserve affordable housing. Our work is still in progress but we’d like to share what we’ve learned so far. Join us tonight for a work-in progress presentation at the Mt. Pleasant Library! 7 p.m. presentation. Come at 6:30 to record your own oral history. Invitation here
The Washington D.C. Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs which has included Hola Cultura in its 2015 Summer Youth Employment Program, enabling us to include DC teenagers to our team of interns.
Humanities DC, (formerly the Humanities Council of Washington DC) which awarded Hola Cultura with a Soul of the City grant this summer.
The University of Maryland: We’d like to thank the University of Maryland and UMD professors Dr. Ana Patricia Rodriguez and Dr. Ronald Luna who lead, respectively, the oral history and online mapping segments of the program. The University’s Department of Geographic Science also provides crucial support.
We are honored to have won a grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities to host screenings of the PBS documentary, Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, a six part PBS documentary that will be a great compliment to Hola Cultura’s exploration of local Latino history. Come watch an episode. The first screening is next Wednesday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Hola Cultura is a frequent user of the DC Plublic Library—from our LEER DC book reviews to trainings and special events in library spaces. So we’re excited to partner with the DC Libraries on the Latino Americans screenings and discussions at the Mt. Pleasant, Petworth and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial libraries this summer and fall. (stay tuned for more screening dates!)
We’d also like to thank the 14th Street NW Trader Joe’s for donating healthy snacks to help keep interns going during our busy summer schedule.
OUR TEAM: Leading our investigation into local Latino history are Dr. Ana Patricia Rodriguez and Dr. Ronald Luna of the University of Maryland; Hola Cultura’s Christine MacDonald; and Senior Intern Byron Marroquin. Drs. Rodriguez and Luna designed and implemented the Oral History and GIS mapping components, respectively. Marroquin, a UMD graduate student, completed the initial research in the Spring of 2015. We also have a group of high school, college and graduate school interns working on everything from mapping and web design to interviewing, writing and presenting our findings. Hola Cultura’s Summer 2015 Interns are Antonio Garcia, Cristian Cruz, Emily Birnbaum, Elvis Herrera, Esteffany Lemus, Ingrid Serrano, Jasmin Avila, Julie Hollinsed, Nancy Reyes, Nicholas John, Oliver Garretson, Raul Guerra, and Ronal Reyes.