Skip to content

2015 D.C. Latino History Project

Mapping D.C.’s Latino History & Affordable Housing  |

La Historia de los Latinos y la vivienda de bajo costo en el Distrito

During the summer of 2015, Hola Cultura put together a team of local high school and college students to examine the history of Washington, D.C.’s Latino community and the role housing costs have played and continue to play in where the community has settled. Led by our staff and University of Maryland Professors Ana Patricia Rodriguez and Ronald Luna, these young investigators recorded oral histories with longtime residents and mapped D.C.’s Latino community.

Their work culminated in a special presentation at the GALA Hispanic Theatre in July 2015 and a four-day special issue published on this website. Below, you will find links to the articles, interviews, maps, and photos originally published in September 2015.

Browse the Stories

Video Minutes: Hablando de Vivienda de Bajo Costo / Talking Affordable Housing

To better understand why D.C. has lost so much of its affordable housing in recent...
2015 District of Colombia Map of Hispanic Services, Churches, and Businesses by Neighborhoods

Making the Maps

Mapping Change in Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights Difficulties, Set-backs and Perseverance in...
Map showing the median rent in the District of Columbia in 2010

¿Próximas RENOVACIONES? La ley de vivienda de bajo costo

Read in English. Organizadores de inquilinos, empujan por la modernización de la legislación destinada a...
Graphic explaining the intersection of body, mind, spirit, and health

La Salud y El Barrio: How our homes & neighborhoods dictate our overall well-being

Leer en español abajo. What is health? It depends on who you ask.  Increasingly health...

Oral Histories: Juana, a wife & mother from El Salvador

Interviews and oral history narratives by Hola Cultura interns. Edited by Ana Patricia Rodríguez   ...

Special Issue: Team Hola Cultura!

This special issue was produced thanks to the hard work of several people and the...
Zoomed in map of Hispanic Services, Churches, and Businesses by Neighborhoods

D.C.’s Latino Community Spaces | Espacios Culturales

Click on the maps above to explore some of D.C.’s Latino Cultural Spaces. Maps by...
Exterior of the 26-unit apartment building at 2724 11th Street NW in Colombia Heights (photo by Herbert Ramirez)

Una amenaza para la vivienda de bajo costo

Read in English. El edificio de apartamentos de 26 unidades, ubicado en la 2724  11th...

Understanding DC Latino history through oral histories and online mapping

HOLA CULTURA SUMMER 2015 SPECIAL RESEARCH PROJECT | HOLA CULTURA PROYECTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN, VERANO 2015...

Los Mapas y la Historia

El barrio no es sólo un lugar físico que pueda destruirse con buldozers, altas rentas...

The District Ramps Up Efforts to Preserve Affordable Housing

Leer en español. Inside the District’s affordable housing crisis: Is it the worst of times...

Home Sweet Hogar: Additional Resources for finding Affordable Housing

Finding a casa to call home sweet home… → Where to look for affordable housing...

DC Latino History: Signs of change along Mount Pleasant Street

Last night we launched our Summer 2015 Special Research Project on DC Latino History with...
D.C. resident in her home (photograph by Herbert Ramirez)

Foto Retratos | Neighborhood Portraits

Over the summer, we interviewed dozens of D.C. residents about their homes, neighborhoods and personal...
Exterior of the 26-unit apartment building at 2724 11th Street NW in Colombia Heights (photo by Herbert Ramirez)

The long hard fight over 2724 11th Street NW

Leer en español. The 26-unit apartment building at 2724 11th Street NW is a bedraggled-looking...
Zoomed in map showing the median rent in the District of Columbia in 2010

RENOVATIONS NEEDED? Rent control could get a makeover this year

Leer en español. Tenant advocates want reforms designed to preserve the District’s low-cost housing Hola...

Aumento en el presupuesto al programa de vivienda de bajo costo

Read in English. Alrededor de la mitad de todas las familias de Washington DC pasan...

Expiring Subsidies: Thousands of low-income apartments could be lost

Maps by Byron Marroquin In Washington D.C., there is a lot of talk about how...

Meet the Team

Members of the summer 2015 project 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 Alberto Roblest; 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, and Ronal Reyes.

Acknowledgements

We’d like to thank the funders and supporters who made this project possible.

  • The Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs included Hola Cultura in its 2015 Summer Youth Employment Program, enabling us to include D.C. 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.
  • At the University of Maryland, we’d like to thank 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 provided crucial support.
  • 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.