Latina Practices of Oral History - Panel Presentation

Theory and Functional Skills-Everything a University Class Should Entail

As an Anishinaabe woman who has been inculcated in the importance of knowing the history of her family, community, and nation, I was very interested in taking Latina Oral History with Professor Cotera. The very first day of class I realized that the adventures upon which we were about to embark would be applicable to my own interests and projects in language and cultural revitalization in my home community in that I would be gaining skills that I could use to preserve the unique experiences of the members of my tribe. The theoretical background on the construction and preservation of history was important in that it emphasized the need to preserve the histories of marginalized people. The readings from Archives Power demonstrated the importance of archives as places of power and truth that can authenticate historical narratives and preserve and disseminate knowledge. I learned that archives are subject to the same biases that permeate our society in that some archives are deemed more valuable than others based on the interests of those who may or may not choose to house a collection. I discovered the archivists have an immense responsibility to make sure that a multitude of histories are preserved.

            One of the most valuable things I learned about oral history is that there is more than one way to conduct oral history interviews, although there are some conventions, such as open-ended questions, that make the process run more smoothly. When Elena Herrada was discussing her oral history project, “Los Repatriados,” she discussed how the framing of the project or a question can encourage or inhibit participation or a response. I also became aware of how an interviewer and interviewee can have different ideas about what may or may not be important and that it is sometimes best to let the narrative take its own course. A good oral historian helps the interviewee to begin the narrative, asks only enough questions to sustain the narrative, and, most importantly, listens carefully.

            When it came to assisting in the oral history of Elena Herrada, I found that our lessons about the Chicano and Chicana history gave me a more complete understanding of Herrada’s experiences. Being familiar with labor movements like the United Farm Workers union and government initiatives like the repatriation of Mexican immigrants and Mexican-American citizens allowed me to comfortably follow the trajectory of Herrada’s life and would have assisted in determining what types of follow up questions would be the most appropriate to the Chicana Por Mi Raza project. This class made me familiar with the logistics and resources required of embarking on such a project. We found that having to borrow equipment from the university’s media lab was problematic in that often times the video cameras reserved for the project were not always available. This lead to our group’s specific problem of being unable to upload the video files from the media cards. We also discovered that an immense amount of planning goes into each potential interview, and that the best laid plans often fall apart at the last minute. We were definitely shown how to be flexible when circumstances change.

            Creating the digital archive was very informative. While sorting through the archive, my group and I thought a lot about what would be useful to future scholars. We found a very old newspaper and a funeral program that gave insight into some of the people who working on labor issues in Detroit during the 1980’s. We also found quite a

 bit of information about the planning of “Los Repatriados” oral history project and materials that related to issues that were touched upon in Herrada’s oral history interviews. I wish we could have had a little more time to go through the archive because I was worried that I may have scanned some superfluous items. The actual scanning lent me several real world skills. I was taught appropriate formatting of media files and resolutions for high quality scans that translate well into a digital archive. I also learned to be flexible in the type of scanners that were available for us to use but found that I preferred the more complex scanner upon which we had originally be trained.

            The cataloguing of the archive was far more tedious than the scanning, but we benefitted from the easy to use catalog that Maria Seiferle-Valencia put together and her catalog guidelines. Tina and I did our best to catalog while we were scanning, but I had to spend several hours after the scanning was complete to finish the catalog. I found that using two computers was very efficient for when I did not have the archive with me. One computer displayed the scans from the external hard drive, while I put the data into the spreadsheet on the second computer in order to avoid having to switch between windows. I might have enjoyed the cataloging more, and with far less eye strain, if I had had the actual archive with me. However, there is risk associated with carting someone’s personal archive to different locations. Despite my dislike for the catalog, after being very intimately acquainted with it for such a long time, it was very helpful when the scans were uploaded to the Medici site. Instead of having to gather and type the information from the archive as the scans were being uploaded to the site, all we had to do was copy and paste the information from the spreadsheet.

            In addition to the real world skills of archiving and conducting oral histories, our focus on Chicana feminism led to a greater apprehension of women of color feminism and social movements. Chicana history was very important to this class as many of the things that we read about came up in many of the oral history interviews. Our readings, like 500 Years of Chicana Women’s History, gave us brief glimpses of how Aztec ancestry, “La Malinche,” Indigenous women’s acts of resistance against colonization, women’s roles in the war for independence, the Mexican-American war, and the Mexican Revolution informed the Chicano movement and Chicana feminism. Shared Aztec ancestry and a mythical homeland gave Chicanas and Chicanas an identity around which to organize. “La Malinche,” a woman who assisted Cortez and became known as a traitor among Mexicans, became a term for Chicanas who were deemed divisive to the Chicano movement of the 1960’s for their demand for equality within the movement. We learned that there is a long history of women’s resistance to patriarchy and colonialism and how those women served as inspiration in later labor and social movements. Maylei Blackwell’s book, Chicana Power, and Kimberly Springer’s book, Living for the Revolution, gave us further insight into feminist organizing within nationalist movements and demonstrated how oral histories are utilized to bring marginalized voices into the common historical narrative. This class has meant a lot to me, and I look forward to utilizing what I’ve learned in my future endeavors.

A Few Last Words

When I first enrolled in Amcult 498: Latina Oral History, I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe I anticipated a brief history of the Chicano Movement and the Michigan Latinas involved, or a semester full of lectures and community panels — whatever it was, the journey I embarked on surpassed my highest expectations and brought to life a fascinating, intricate history about a diverse group of Chicana women. From their work with United Farm Workers to their involvement with the Brown Berets, Chicana activists were empowered and active players in the movement — challenging the traditional status quo and constructing a unique Chicana identity.

As an International Studies and Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience major, I have never been very passionate about history — regardless of the focus. Though I struggled through AP World History in High School and enrolled in a few quasi-history courses at the University of Michigan, I’ve always felt disengaged from the mandated textbooks and lecture-style history courses. However, this past semester’s experience completely transformed my appreciation of history, as well as the archival process of recollecting “hidden” memories.

What struck me most during this process was the way in which the Chicano Movement sprang to life and developed in scope and detail right before my eyes. From my initial reading of 500 Years of Chicana History, to Maria Guadiana’s inspiring interview this past weekend, my understanding of the Chicano Movement grew immensely over the course of the term. As I developed a deeper interest in the movement and had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the Chicana activist’s experience during the 1970’s, I became invested in the stories I encountered. Ms. Guadiana’s involvement with organizations ranging from the Brown Berets to the United Farm Workers, illuminated the vast responsibility women held and the active role they played within the movement. Drawing connections from our readings and class discussions, I was able to truly appreciate the narratives Ms. Guadiana shared with us last Saturday morning.

I think the first time I really engaged with history and appreciated it’s narratives was back in September, sitting at the Bentley Historical Library searching through local archives. It wasn’t until I read the first-hand accounts and put names and faces to the stories, that history took on a different role for me. I was no longer the passive listener in a giant lecture hall or the fatigued reader of a dry, complicated textbook — all of a sudden I was an active participant in the historic process. Here I was, an undergraduate student with relatively little knowledge about archiving and even less about the Chicano Movement, actually engaging with history. I had the opportunity to make my own connections, draw conclusions and paint a picture that truly came to life. This is what I find so intriguing about oral history — the chance to become fully wrapped up in another person’s stories, to appreciate the narratives they share, and record them for generations to come.

The role of the archivist in unearthing and documenting these stories for future generations is invaluable. As we discussed in class, the state largely controls the “official” history and therefore has a monopoly on collective memory and societal understanding. However, by uncovering these hidden memories that are so often ignored by the state, archivists and oral historians are able to construct a counter-history. These counter-histories are not only powerful in combating the official memories of the state, but influential in shaping future activists and the changes they strive towards.

Another theme I’d like to reflect on is this notion of story telling. Not the basic, surface-level story telling we engage in when catching up with friends or updating a sibling on recent events, but the deep, multi-faceted narratives that are shared when historians and interviewers ask tough questions. I hadn’t realized the full scope of such stories until I was seated in Ms. Guadiana’s living room, listening to the detailed accounts of her work with countless organizations across the United States. Spanning California to Southeast Michigan, I was surprised by just how vivid Maria’s memories were and the intricate ways in which she detailed these stories. Professor Cotera’s questions were met with delicate accounts of Maria Guadiana’s life, as she weaved a web of stories and memories to share with us. From previous students’ experience with such interviews I was expecting more of a disconnect between the questions asked and answers that followed, however Ms. Guadiana was exceptionally detailed and enthusiastic in her responses. I believe the energy she shared with us in that room will be clearly evident in her oral history.

From what I’ve grasped of the archival process thus far, the interview was definitely the less tedious part of the process. Professor Cotera only needed to ask Ms. Guadiana a couple broad questions to spark her memory and begin spinning the beautiful web of stories she sat down to share with us. As note taker I did my best to jot down the major individuals, events and organizations she mentioned, as well as specific places and names. With Ms. Guadiana’s superb memory and detailed descriptions my job as note taker was straightforward, though I wish I had spent a bit more time working with the camera equipment and recording device so that in the future I would have a better understanding of the technology.

Where I encountered a few stumbling blocks was cataloguing. After reading and rereading the cataloguing guide we were given in class I thought I was well equipped to begin the scanning and cataloguing process. However, the spreadsheet was a lot more complex and time-consuming than I originally imagined. Before this class I hadn’t considered the vast time and energy that goes into projects like this. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for archiving and similar anthropological endeavors that seek to unearth and record these diverse histories.

This journey has also illuminated my own skills — and weaknesses — that proved essential in recording Ms. Guadiana’s oral history and cataloguing the archives she shared. Patience proved invaluable in scanning the various documents and images to our hard drive and updating our team’s spreadsheet. Though the process may be slow and a bit tedious, it forced me to remain patient as I moved through Ms. Guadiana’s archive.

Additionally, the opportunity to work closely with a motivated community is something I truly cherish. All too often I am just a number in a giant lecture hall or a quiet student sitting in a disengaged classroom, silently observing my surroundings. But the small makeup of this course, coupled with the three-hour class block allowed us to come together as a community — bouncing ideas off one another, asking each other for help, and expanding our knowledge and understanding of the Chicano Movement together. It is classes like this I’m most thankful for. The open-minded atmosphere we fostered created a space for critical, engaged discussion.

What I enjoyed learning about most this semester was the transformation of feminist thought and the Chicana identity. On the one side of the equation fierce feminists were active in the Chicana Movement eager to play a critical role. While on the other side, some activists such as Maria Guadinana didn’t identify as feminist at all and found it irrelevant to their work as a Chicana activist. I find this binary extremely interesting considering the radical nature of the movement and the ideals it was striving to uphold.

Though I’ve only taken a few Women’s Studies courses here at Michigan, I find the common theme of intersectionality intriguing. I believe that each woman’s experience in the world is distinct from one another, based on the intersection of her multiple identities — whether is be race, sexuality, socioeconomic class, religion, etc. Just as you can’t assume all women share the same life experiences and face the same societal challenges, you cannot group together all Chicana women or all women of color. Many identities shape a woman’s experience and the way she is viewed (and treated) by others. The development of Chicana Feminism in the 1960’s and 1970’s illuminates the contrasting ways in which Chicana women identified with or distanced themselves from this notion. Reflecting once more on Maria Guadiana’s experience as an activist and role model within the movement, I think the fact that she doesn’t identify as a feminist herself proves extremely thought provoking.

Growing up without any sisters, Maria always considered herself a “tom boy.” She was not brought like a “traditional Mexican girl” and given enormous freedom by her parents. Because of this she explained how her culture played a critical role in shaping her understanding of feminism and the problems associated with such an identity. This draws on the diversity of Chicana women within the movement and speaks to the challenges many organizations faced internally. Whether it was the women of the Brown Berets being disrespected by men, or being treated as inferiors within the organization, the power struggles at play within the movement are worth thinking about.

This also makes me think about how I view feminism in contemporary society — the negative connotations often associated with it — and the backlash I receive from some of my girlfriends when I tell them I personally identify as a feminist. Women have a come a long way since earning the right to vote, however still have a ways to go. Taking this course helped expand my knowledge of Feminism as a whole and fueled a curiosity for the continued exploration of Feminist thought and the ways in which my experience as a woman differs from others because of my race, sexuality and socioeconomic status.

In closing, I gained more from this class than I ever thought possible. Through engaging class discussions, weekly readings and my role as an active participant in the creation and documentation of Ms. Guadiana’s oral history, I explored previously uncharted territories — the Chicano Movement. Having no knowledge of this movement before I enrolled in the course, I can now confidently say that though I may not be an expert, I have beyond a basic understanding of Chicana activism during the 1960’s through 1970’s, particularly within education reform and the farm worker’s movement. This class also acted as a gentle reminder to consider who is constructing official U.S. histories and collective memories, and more importantly the organizations and individuals that have the power to counteract the status quo and bring to light hidden memories. Our nation’s history cannot be understood by ignoring some stories and highlighting others. If we want to progress as a society and prosper as a unified nation we must learn form the experience of our peers as well as from past generations.  If we continue to keep certain histories suppressed our country’s collective memory will be warped and broken.

Moving forward as an international studies student into life as a graduate, I know I will carry the knowledge and understanding gained in this class with me. On a global scale it’s important to remember how women’s identities are shaped by the intersection of various factors. As women we are not a homogenous mass facing the same challenges and fighting the identical battles, but we are ultimately striving towards a similar goal — a world in which gender constructs don’t hold us back but allow us to flourish and live an empowered life.

If I can achieve half of what Ms. Guadiana has accomplished I will be immensely thankful. Her activism and dedication to education reform, the Chicano Movement and Farm Workers Association is truly remarkable. She is an inspiration to all individuals hoping to engage in social justice work, and I know regardless of where I end up — whether it be the Foreign Service, public policy or international social work — the ideals she lived by will be something I strive to embody. 

Thank you for a fantastic semester, I'm so happy to have shared this experience with you all!

Tom's Emotional Farewell

This course has by far been the best course I’ve taken throughout college. I know I didn’t speak all that much in class or contribute much to conversations, but I have taken so many things away from the last few months, it’s actually quite ridiculous.  We’ll get to all that in due time though. For now, the prompts.

The Methodologies of Archival Research and Oral History

To start with, archival research had never even crossed my mind as a ‘thing’. I know that to a lot of people in the class that may seem crazy, but it’s true. I had never really (and this shows great ignorance on my part) thought about how history was created. I understood that there were biases in how it was created, that the history we know is never infallible, but I had never thought about the actual process in which people go about researching (and perpetuating) these stories and ideas.

Well, now I know a little better. For a start, I have an improved understanding of how actual physical documents create narratives. I was always of the thought that it was largely people’s opinions and personal biases that shaped the way they wrote about or perceived certain events. Archiving, however, seems to be what shapes history before these opinions and personal biases can get to it. That is to say that the existence of certain letters, photographs or other documents directly inform those who make history, who in turn inform those who draw knowledge from these secondary sources. I know this is nothing revolutionary, and I must be sounding like that guy who’s way behind the times (have you guys heard of myspace yet?), but as this has been entering my consciousness, it’s made a huge difference to how I think.

This kind of leads to my next point, which is basically that archivists and librarians are way more incredible than I had ever imagined. From the very brief sorting experience that I had with archives in this class, I realized how difficult it is to determine exactly what to archive without a thorough knowledge of the specific topic. I can’t even imagine how those at the Labadie or Bentley manage to make these decisions with the huge variety of topics they must receive. That these documents go so far toward determining how the past is remembered only makes their decisions that much more difficult, I’m sure.

Oral history was also a relatively new concept to me. I had only had a brief experience with the field just before arriving to the States, but it was enough to peak my interest and make me want to take this course. All the basic critiques of oral history were floating around my head; the unreliability of memory, the personal biases of memory – everything we read about early on. But I as I learnt, oral history is more than anything else an opportunity to challenge existing collective beliefs and expose different realities.

Oral histories to me appear to be the best way to capture individual viewpoints, which is crucial considering the extent to which any group movement inevitably glosses over diversity within its ranks. Further to this, I had previously never contemplated the role that individual realities play in shaping the present. These realities, based on an individual’s past experiences, are made real by virtue of their influence on individual behavior. In a way, whether or not they actually occurred isn’t important, instead what matters is that somebody perceives them to be true and acts as if they are. Oral history is an incredible way in which to gain an insight into what has motivated individual behavior in the past. It can recognize diversity of opinion, opening the doors to new ways of explaining why things have happened, and in which direction things are moving.

Working in “real world” situations

There were three main learning points for me here; 1) working in the real world means relying on other people, and other people make mistakes; 2) You’re crazy if a big part of your organization isn’t initially figuring out how to utilize everybody’s distinct abilities; and 3) things take time, and it’s usually more than what you plan for.

People get things wrong sometimes. Sometimes it’s avoidable, sometimes it’s not. In working with other beautiful, fallible human beings, it’s best to take this into account. I was lucky in that I had a good partner who was on top of everything, so my main problems were with the ISS Media Center, and, frankly, with myself. I’ve concluded that it’s safer to assume that something will go wrong and over-prepare. The problems with myself were that I didn’t do this – I didn’t prepare in a way that would nullify any last-minute issues. This is hard to take into account, and yes, you live and learn, but I was really annoyed that there weren’t do-overs.

I think Sarah and I did a good job of allocating roles early on, which made things run pretty smoothly for the rest of the semester. In any real world situation, I see this as such a crucial factor in creating efficiency. Had we swapped a few things around, perhaps life would have been a tad more difficult. Participating in this project has reinforced this viewpoint.

Things take time. My word, do things take time. I’ve basically learned to guestimate how much time something will take, and then double it. From there, once you times it by ten, you should only have to double it once more in order for it to almost be accurate. I suppose this falls into the over-preparing category as well.  I will never forget this lesson.

Chicana Feminism

I started this course with no knowledge of Chicana feminism, and little knowledge of feminism and feminist theory in general. As such, almost everything we learned was a new concept, which (honestly) gave me that adrenaline fueled rush you get from being terrified.

It’s a real struggle for me to know where to start, but I suppose an important thing to mention is that having had no experience in this area, I never learned the idea that Chicanas played an insignificant role in the Chicano movement. Instead, I learned from the outset how important Chicanas were to the movement. It’s like I have the opposite bias to what I’m supposed to. Related to this is that I never learned that the Chicano movement was exclusively a South-West U.S phenomenon. Instead, my knowledge started with books about Chicanos in Michigan, teaching me that there was a false perception of how S.W centric the movement was.

From a knowledge perspective, it’s important for me to say how difficult I found this class. It complicated things more than it explained them, but I think that’s a good thing. The term ‘Chicana Feminism’ is remarkably daunting to me, only because I realize how layered (and loaded) the term actually is. Trying to figure out what constitutes a Chicana is difficult enough, throwing ‘Feminist’ in there creates a whole new level of identification. The truth is that I have no idea what Chicana Feminism actually is.

So many of the woman that were interviewed and those that we read about don’t identify with these labels. I think that’s absolutely crucial to take into account because it highlights one of the most important things we have learned this semester – that often internalized identity clashes with external narratives of what a particular identity should be. Essentially, this is a question of agency. Who can determine what it means to be a Chicana feminist is? Can you be a Chicana feminist without knowing?  

This comes up in the nationalist/feminist dichotomy that occurred within the Chicano movement; could one both be a feminist and loyal to the Chicano nationalist cause, or were these identities at odds? The intersectionality of these marginalized identities was something that fascinated me. It really made me question the reality of a ‘Chicano’ movement – it seemed to become more of a reductionist term as semester went along. Further, is any name given to such a diverse group of individual experiences reductionist, and therefore problematic? This poses huge questions (to which I do not have the answers) about how the dichotomous framing of ‘Chicanismo and ‘Feminism’ affected the Chicano movement in general. Certainly though, this framing appears to be one of the biggest influences on the evolution of ‘el movimiento’.

I could be completely wrong about this, but one other thing I took away about Chicana feminism (whatever you want that to mean) is that it is a natural human behavioural response to oppression, not just a framework or theory. I feel that the concepts we were learning about were not merely ideological frames through which behaviours can be understood, but rather behaviours from which ideological frames are derived. My take on the subject is that there is a certain way of being, I suppose you could call it a form of resistance, which develops in the face of oppression; meaning Chicana feminism did not develop before the act of resisting patriarchy within the Chicano movement.  

The problem, therefore, arises when you start labeling this resistance to oppression. All of a sudden, what could be considered a normal response to oppression becomes an ideology – and all ideologies are remarkably divisive. As soon as you start labelling something, it inevitably develops a contested exterior that is separate to its uncontested core. I feel like the core of Chicana feminism is the act of resisting unjust patriarchy. The uncontested exterior is derived from the label; to be a Chicana feminist do you also have to be against Chicano nationalism? Against men? Against being a feminist? Against middle-class white women? 

The contested exterior which inflates the importance of ideology seems to mean that you can’t be a Chicana feminist without also being a whole lot of something else that you never agreed to. I’ve often wondered how this affected the cohesiveness of the Chicana feminist movement. Maybe this is part of the reason why some who appear to espouse what some may call Chicana feminist values or ideas refuse to identify as such? Rather than actually finding answers though, I’m once again left feeling confused and uncomfortable, albeit in the best possible way.

What I learned about myself

I want to start by saying that there are a lot of intelligent cats in our class, so I was always looking forward to hearing other people’s opinions on readings and topics. Unfortunately, this also led to me being a lot quieter in class than I usually am; I grew up in the ‘if-you-don’t-know-shut-your-mouth’ school.  Couple this with me feeling like the more I learned, the more I realized I didn’t know, and you had one quiet lad. But that’s not to say I didn’t learn or engage. In fact, I’m amazed at how much I actually picked up on this subject throughout the semester (which doesn’t mean I know a lot, of course).

This course, without any hint of exaggeration, completely changed my planned path after college. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that it actually gave me one. As a Political Science and International Relations major back home, I really had no idea what it was that I wanted to do. After reading and hearing all these incredible stories about groups like the United Farm Workers, the Brown Berets and Las Adelitas de Aztlan, my eyes were opened to the immense power of organizing as a tool for social change.

This course made me realize that it is in this area that my passion lies. It’s funny, I’ve been involved in multiple projects that could have been the catalyst for this realization, but it took hearing the first-hand accounts of the amazing women that we interviewed for me to actually say to myself ‘that’s what I want to do’ (when I grow up). I suppose I had always focused on the big organized groups, assuming that they were the real change makers within society. I brushed off smaller efforts as ineffective and in some cases a complete waste of time. At times, I guess this may be true. What I didn’t realize though, was that these large organized groups are but the sum of multiple smaller efforts by a range of incredibly dedicated people. I now want to be one of those people. It is also for this reason, and I know it sounds stupid considering we interviewed her only a few days ago, that Maria Guadiana is somebody who I really look up to whose actions I hope to one day be able to emulate.

All that’s left now is to say thanks for a rad semester, team. You guys are awesome.

The End of an Awesome Semester

           Before taking this class, I knew very little about feminism, very little about Chicanas, and even less about Chicana feminism. When I told my dad I was taking this class, he laughed audibly and asked me why the hell I was doing that. To be honest, I joined him in laughing and said “I have no idea, it was all that was available and I need to graduate.” I think that the reason people have this kind of reaction and scoff at feminism is that in popular culture and media, feminists have been whittled down to a caricature of themselves. People see them as bra-burning, non-shaving, penis-hating, whiny, lesbian bitches.  This may be why one subject of our interviews threatened violence if anyone ever called her a feminist and why my own subject said she didn’t identify as a feminist.

            Now after reading that first paragraph, most of you reading probably hate me and are upset with what I said. However, this class has taught me that feminism is much more than that. Before this class, the idea that there were different branches of feminism and that feminism for women of color was different than it was for white women would never have even crossed my mind. I know now how ignorant this was and the fact that I would never have even thought about it is laughable now. Feminism is much more than that string of adjectives that I threw together in the first paragraph.

            One major thing that I have learned in this class is that feminists don’t all fit into one well-defined group with the same values and principles. It seems clear to me that Jane Garcia is indeed a feminist but simply does not want to identify with that preconceived notion of what a feminist is supposed to be.

What I learned about Chicana Feminism

            Everything that I know about Chicana feminism, I learned from this class. The most eye opening thing for me was that it even existed. I know that makes me sound ignorant and disrespectful, and maybe that’s true, but I honestly had no knowledge of the movement before taking this class. I had always just assumed that feminism was one movement by one group of people. However, just like feminism comes in many forms, Chicana feminism comes in many forms.

            Mine and Abraham’s subject, Jane Garcia, identified as a Republican. I would bet money that it would be nearly impossible to find another who would say the same. This just goes to show how it is irresponsible to group such a large amount of people into one category; as in, putting all women into one feminist movement. Chicana women had different problems than white women, black women, and all other women. Just like the individuals are unique, so are the problems.

            The point that was raised in our latest class about the three steps to feminism really stuck with me. Who is oppressing us?, How are they oppressing us?, and What do we do about it? It is that last question that really stuck with me. Too many times in my American Culture studies have I heard talk about everything that is wrong with society with no proposed solutions or ideas on how to improve the situation. This is simply not the case with these women. They didn’t stand around and complain about their situation, they got out there and did something. Jane Garcia didn’t bitch and moan about how she got the short end of the stick, she went out and made her stick longer. That is what I respect about these women.

            If this class taught me one thing, it is that these women bring meaning to the root of activist. They weren’t passive, they were active. They realized that they were being mistreated and went out and did something about it. Jane Garcia infiltrated the Republican Party (though she may not call it that) and exacted change from the inside. Jane Garcia took a different approach than many. Hers was a combination of “kill them with kindness” and annoy them until they give you what you want.

What I learned About Archiving and Oral History

            Although I have interviewed many subjects in the past, these oral histories were like nothing I have ever done. I thought that I had some sort of advantage going into this class but that proved to be more of a hindrance than anything. What I mean by this is that I got lazy and relied on my experience and almost didn’t leave myself enough time to recover. The thing that I most neglected originally, but turns out to be one of the most important things is the research that is needed before conducting your interview. Without the pre-interview research, you could find yourself wasting time asking superficial questions instead of getting down to the better, deeper stories.

            Researching before an interview allows you to skip over the mundane details of their life and allows you to ask questions about more specific topics. If you know something about your subject before the interview, you can specifically target the stories that you want more details about. Although I learned a lot about taking oral histories, I would say the thing that I learned about most in this class is about archiving and why it is important.

            I didn’t really know a whole a lot about archives before taking this class. I knew that they were a spot where you keep old documents. I guess I never really considered the importance of archives. I think it’s a bit harder for people of my generation to think about how these stories and documents could be lost if we don’t do something about it because almost everything we do has a digital record. It wasn’t until we did the interview with Jane Garcia that I really realized how important it is to keep an archive and to digitize hers. If you were to google Jane Garcia, one picture of her pops up and almost nothing else. If you look at Jane’s archive, this makes no sense. Jane has done everything. She has letters from presidents, she has won elections, she has served on the board of a major community outreach program in a major city for decades yet there is almost no record that she ever existed.

            If we were not doing this project, in 20 years, there might literally be no record that Jane Garcia ever existed. Think about that for a second. This awesome woman, who has lived through so much and been in the middle of revolutions, would just cease to exist. This woman who fought oppression and fought hard for the hardest city to fight for, would be some distant memory. If Jane didn’t get to tell her story, if we didn’t preserve her record, people in the future wouldn’t know whom to thank. That is crazy to think about.

            That, to me, is all you need to prove that what we are doing is important and that archives themselves are important. We are helping to preserve the memory of these amazing women who, for whatever reason, haven’t been acknowledged in the history books. These women helped lead a revolution and now they’re finally getting they’re stories down on record. These documents that we’ve all complained about scanning, cataloguing and uploading give a glimpse into these women’s past that is hugely important.

Applying What We Learned in the Real World

            There are three major things I’ve learned through “real world” implementation: archiving is painfully tedious and frustrating, interviews are never perfect, and no matter what you plan for, something will go wrong. I realize that that seems like a very negative outlook on the process, but once you learn to accept these things, you can more easily adapt, and make the process a success.

            First, I will discuss the archiving. By the end of our 5-hour scanathon, I was like a zombie. The repetitive task of putting a document in the scanner, pushing a button, taking the document out, stacking it neatly so they didn’t get out of order, and doing it all over again 85 or so times was tedious to say the least. However, the really exhausting part was going over all of the documents again and filling out each cell on our catalogue. It was a tedious task that required patience, attention to detail, patience, organization, patience, accuracy, and patience. However, as I discussed earlier, this was a very necessary evil. Although archiving is tedious, it is so important that it is impossible to overstate. While we all bitched and moaned, we knew that what we were doing had a purpose and a very important one at that.

            Interviews are never perfect. After spending about 20 minutes with Maria trying to get the perfect back drop and framing, we were ready to interview. However, the pre-set framing didn’t last long. Jane liked to rock back and forth and was very animated when she talked. This required constant micro-adjustments by the camera operator. The hard thing about that is that you want to panning to look smooth but don’t want to move too slowly and have her head cut off for too long. Jane also liked to clink her rings against her glass and cross her arms. The issue with the is that the microphone was at the same level as the glass and the clinking was loud and clear on the audio. Also, when crossing her arms, Jane would dislodge the microphone. This caused me to stop the interview several times to change her coffee cup to Styrofoam so you couldn’t here the rings and the readjust her mic after she crossed her arms.

            No matter what you plan for, something will go wrong. From what I’ve heard, each group either had to work with a different camera or had to scramble and fight to get the right one. This caused an issue because not all of us know our way around cameras and were counting on being able to use the ones that we were trained on. Like true Michigan students, though, we all seemed to be able to overcome that obstacle. Another issue was the uploading of the video files. Some of these files we so large that in order to upload them anywhere, you would either have to decrease to quality or break it up into tiny segments. A few groups had trouble with rescheduling, location changes, late arrivals, and one subject disappeared altogether. However, each group was able to overcome these obstacles and do a great job. (Go us!)

           

We were the first class to go through this and we were kind of the guinea pigs. There were things that went wrong, some things that had to be adjusted, but overall I think we succeeded in our mission and made this class a success. I have never been in a class with so much collaboration and teamwork between the students, the professor, the “assistants” and everyone involved. It was awesome seeing all of us come together, help each other out, give advice, and be a team.

            I think we all learned a lot from this class and we will all take away something different. This class was filled with people from very diverse backgrounds (an Australian in an AC class?) that came together to create and very enlightening and awesome experience and class. I still can’t say that I identify with the struggle and probably never will. However, I love learning about things like this (especially when they happened in my own area and I had no idea). It has opened my eyes to a struggle I never knew existed and, I think, made me a better person for it. Before deciding to be an AC major, I was an ignorant, conservative white kid from West Bloomfield. I am still a conservative white kid from West Bloomfield but classes like this are helping to make me less ignorant and helping me try to make the people I associate with less ignorant too. 

This is the end... Grace's Final Reflection

This semester was a growing experience for me because it complicated my view of history and the history making process. I learned to embrace forms of history that might be rejected by some historians as imprecise, untrustworthy, or illegitimate. I learned to focus more on whose stories are being told and who is telling those stories. I found that the ability to disperse one’s own interpretation of events to a wide audience is inextricably intertwined with power over narrating the past and how that past relates to the present. Studying oral histories and archiving in the context of Chicana feminism was fundamental in getting a solid understanding of these issues of power that we learned about. Being able to apply these strategies in the real world to contribute to interpretations of history and to tell the story of mid-Western Chicana feminists was an opportunity that few get and an experience that I will never forget.

Methodologies of Archival Research

Like I mentioned in my blog post from the beginning of the course, my first impression of archival research was not a positive one. Before this semester I conceived of archives as dusty collections with few pieces of interesting material and mostly information that would be used by scholars to, say, estimate how many people were killed during the Civil War. This class changed my perception of archives and the methodologies of archival research entirely. I learned through cataloging Elena Herrada’s archive that archives certainly do not need to be boring and that the stories they tell can be extremely interesting and full of revelations for the reader.

Before this course, the process of archival research was entirely hazy for me. I had no idea what organizational systems were used or how people found useful information. I also did not really have a concept of personal archives. Our trips to the Bentley Historical Library and the Labadie Collection were very instructive (and fun) experiences that taught me much more about public access to archives and how personal archives can contribute to a broader understanding of a topic (such as radical politics). The trip that Ari and I took to the Burton Historical Collection also illustrated another common use of archival research: ancestry research. We researched alongside a group of Daughters of the American Revolution who were researching the ancestors of their group (focusing on past leaders and their accomplishments). I was surprised by the number of people who were at this collection, fully engaged in archival research. This was evidence to me that more people are engaged in archival research than merely college students and academics and that archives serve a valuable purpose beyond the realm of academia.

I really appreciated being able to engage in archival research myself and also experience the other side of this process by organizing and cataloging an entirely new archive. I learned about how much attention to detail is required in organizing and creating a finding system for an archive. Specifically attention to what tags might be relevant and considering how people might want to use these histories in the future. I know from my own experience of looking for information on Elena Herrada on the websites for the Reuther library, Burton Collection and quite a few others that it is important to include tags that might be valuable for researchers and the importance of specific descriptions. On the other hand, from a research point of view I learned the necessity of putting oneself in the mindset of the cataloger to perform a successful search.

Methodologies of Oral History

            I again had little understanding of the methodologies or even the concept of oral history before this course. Through this course I was able to learn quite a bit of practical information that synced neatly with course readings on the topic of oral history. It was valuable for me to learn all the necessary techniques and all of the back-up procedures. I gained a useful skillset through the process of creating oral histories: from the ability to manipulate a sophisticated camera to understanding the effect of surroundings on film quality and adjusting surroundings accordingly.

We learned in both our practice run and in Elena Herrada’s interview that ambient noise can provide a distraction and that there are different options for different types of noise. In the case of the initial location we planned to film at, when we realized that the building (the Boulevard House) was undergoing repairs that promised to be loud and distracting exactly during the time we planned to do the interview, the best thing to do, we decided, was to abandon that location in search of a newer, quieter one. In this case we were not able to adjust the noise level in our surroundings by stopping the source of the noise but rather by replacing our film environment entirely. In other instances, we had more power in controlling extra noises in our filming. When the mic changed positions on our interview subject or made other problematic noises, we were able to pause the interview and make appropriate adjustments. Some other types of ambient noise we were not really able to control at all. The heater, for instance, turned on and off during our interview and made noise during these times but we just had to accept that as part of the oral history. During our practice run, Ari and I also encountered noisy chipmunks, but again, in some cases there is no way to control for external noises and they end up becoming a part of the oral history.

            I was impressed by how well our experience of oral histories stood up to what we had read and heard about oral histories. For instance, we learned that subjects will usually be able to tell their entire story with the interviewer just asking a question or two and found this to be the case in interviewing Elena. Our experience also coheres with the “Doing Oral History” reading which says: “The passage of time enables people to make sense out of earlier events in their lives” and “Actions take on new significance depending on their later consequences” (Ritchie 34). We could see this in Elena Herrada’s oral history because she would describe certain people and tell us what happened to them after the point in time she discusses in her story. She did this because part of their character is defined by events that occur after a certain memory or certain point of time. For instance, the fact that a person (in an extreme case) committed suicide later on in their life is an important piece of information about who that person was and what they might have been dealing with throughout their life. Therefore, although it is not part of the chronological flow of a story describing something that person did earlier in their life; it is still an important detail that contributes to how the subject has come to view the person who committed suicide and their interactions with each other. We saw how time can influence people’s memory in these types of non-chronological descriptions that were included in the memories we heard.

            Through this class I learned both about the technical side of oral history and the more abstract, including how memory works in relation to time. I learned also how academics integrate oral histories into their works through reading Maylei Blackwell and Kimberly Springer. Both of these authors use oral histories among other sources of information to help create a more inclusive concept of the respective movements they analyze. Through this course we learned about the methodologies of oral history from all angles: the point of view of the recorder, the subject and the historian analyzing the history. We also gained the confidence to be able to perhaps conduct our own oral history projects in future, or at least play a supportive role or advise others who may work on similar projects.

Working in “Real World” situations

            I would have to say that I feel I learned the most about “real world” situations when all six of our group members arrived at the Boulevard House with all the equipment and eventually realized that the oral history would not be very good film quality if we filmed it there. The flexibility we needed to have in order to change locations (and Elena Herrada being gracious enough to allow us into her home on an unplanned filming visit) spoke “real world” to me. This experience taught me that something is most likely going to go wrong and you have to be willing to do whatever you can to recover it. Even (and maybe especially) the world of oral histories has times when you become thrown into different circumstances than you had planned for and you have to try to redeem the situation as best you can. I learned from the other members of the team who blended seamlessly into the new location that carrying out these oral histories in the “real world” – with a real subject and a real national project interested in the results of our oral history – means that things can and probably will go wrong but being able to adapt is key to being able to succeed.

Chicana Feminism

From our readings on Chicana feminism, I realized how much I am interested in the concepts expressed by many Chicana feminists. I found that I really appreciate the concept of the connection between social justice work and feminism in particular. In this course we learned about the social justice actions of women of color feminists and the concept of third world feminism. This concept is a very interesting one because it is a unifying view of marginalized women all over the world (across national/cultural lines).  I appreciate the social justice lens applied to a feminist consciousness that is observable in the actions and archives of third world feminists and women of color feminists. Before this, I was not really clear on whether identity as a women played a role in other social justice pursuits, but also through readings such as Triple Jeopardy, I came to understand that these two areas can be powerfully related and that this nexus can actually be a point of mobilization – women who see a need in social justice areas can use their common identity as women to create cohesive groups that can work together to produce valuable, tangible results. One example of women unifying to create tangible results is the women of the Brown Berets working together to create a free clinic in East L.A.

            Chicana Feminism is powerful in creating tangible results. Although there was an ideological struggle to decipher exactly what the calling of Chicana women should be (whether they must choose between their identities as Chicanas and their identities as women); women still bonded together through this struggle and were able to create tangible change in their communities no matter what side of this ideological line they fell on. We have learned that Chicana feminist organizations (and many feminist organizations in general), were not always able to create sustained organizations that lasted more than a few decades; however Maylei Blackwell and Kimberly Springer were both very powerful in showing the successes of many women of color feminist organizations while they lasted and their legacies today.

            I learned a lot through our conversations about Chicana feminism and believe that hearing oral histories by Chicana feminists (although some of the subjects of these oral histories do not identify as such) was invaluable in expanding my understanding of Chicana feminism from what we discussed in the rest of this course.

What I learned about Myself

            I learned that I have a genuine interest in Archives and Oral Histories as recordings of the past. I learned through this process that I am capable of performing tasks not commonly done by undergrads such as facilitating the recording of different voices about contributing to our understanding of the history of America. This project opened my perspective to life outside of undergrad classes (which is typically pretty hard to do when classes take up so much time) and helped me feel that, even as an undergrad, I can make an impact on audiences wider than the university.

This course was hugely helpful in utilizing multiple teaching methods to increase my understanding of the theoretical concepts we discussed. The combination of readings, lecturing and actually being able to create archives and oral histories ourselves was something that allowed more depth of understanding than would have been conveyed with merely reading or lecturing about this material. Being able to act on what we had learned and seeing the challenges in our own experience that we had read about in the experience of accomplished scholars helped me to feel truly engaged. 

Reflection #3

Latina Oral Histories turned out to be more than I expected. It was more complicated and rewarding that I’d originally thought. Not only did I learn about women that have done so much to shape the lives of Latinos in Michigan, I also learned about different methods to record histories and the Chicano movement. Most importantly, this class helped me learn more about myself as a Mexican American woman, where I see myself now and where I want to be in the future.

Archiving & oral histories

Archiving was something I’d never given a second thought to, but now I realize how important it is to have accessible archives and what they can mean to our society. We are fortunate enough to be able to preserve original copies of important documents, photographs, diary entries, meeting minutes, etc. With these materials, there can be a more complete account of what has happened in the past. Having the originals allows the archive researcher be able to draw their own conclusions.

Although having these archives is very nice, one also has to give thought to the process of collecting them. There are many levels to the actual collection of archives. Among these are: contacting the subject, physically retrieving, sorting/cataloging, storage, and maintenance/upkeep.

Getting in contact with the archive subject matter can be very difficult at times. In the scope of this class, some woman being interviewed were great with communication and with some it was more difficult to solidify plans. Other times, the subject may have passed (or no longer active if it’s an organization) and researchers are left to contact kin or friends to try to collect more information.

Once the information location information has been identified, there can be an issue with retrieving it. At times, extensive travel has to be done in order to collect the archive materials, as it’s been done for the Chicana Por Mi Raza (CPMR) project. There’s also the matter of having to be really careful with these items. Some items are very old and fragile and it would be dreadful to have any materials damaged.

Keeping record of all archive components I think is one of the most difficult aspects of archiving. Cataloging is a lengthy process and can be tedious, but it’s very important because it’s vital to know what forms part of the archive. There are times when there isn’t enough time to “take” all the materials and the archivist has to decide what to include. This was one of my fears before we met with Emily Martinez and began working on her archive. We were warned that we wouldn’t be able to scan everything the interviewee would give us and I was worried we wouldn’t be able to choose the right items for her archive. It’s important to take the items that help tell the subject’s story, but doesn’t it all form part of their story?

Where the archives are kept is also important. Libraries are the most used in storing archives but sometimes present physical barriers to those trying to access them. Sometimes, archives part of a collection can be spread throughout a city, state, or even a country as is the case with CPMR. This is when digital archiving becomes a heaven-sent solution. Archives can be accessed from just about anywhere. But the reservations against digital archiving hinder the transition to more accessibility.

Digital archiving makes keeping the materials in tact easier since nothing is handled, whereas with actual archive materials you have to keep in rooms at certain humidity levels to help preserve them.

I had never heard of oral histories, or didn’t know that’s what they were called. I think it’s a great way to get first accounts recorded. Getting important information straight from the source is great but, like in archiving, oral histories have their difficulties. Getting subjects to agree to tell their story can be difficult. In this class, we saw that some don’t think they have a story to tell and can have cold feet about interviewing. There’s also a lot to consider when thinking about what is to be covered in the interview. Of course it would be ideal to get a sense of their entire life, but who can really tell their entire life in a few hours?

When you want to learn about specific life events and/or involvement, how can you guarantee you’ll get the information you want? When we interviewed Emily, we got a general account of her life but felt that she could have expanded much more on her involvement with migrant workers instead of her education-enhancing endeavors. With an oral history you do get a better sense of their lives than just from photos or flyers that they can provide you with.

One of the problems with oral histories is the amount of technology that’s involved. Unless you have a skilled crew, there’s the potential of having problems when shooting. Our team was not spared of technical difficulties as we had a problem successfully connecting the microphone the day of the shoot.

Real-life situations

If there is something that we should all know, it’s that we can always expect something to go wrong. It doesn’t matter how much you prepare in advance, there’s something that’s bound to make you change course and improvise. No team was spared the opportunity to think on their feet. Every interview had something happen for which adjustments had to be made so that the interview would be successful.

A common mishap was that interviews needed to be rescheduled; our interview with Emily was postponed by almost a week. When I first heard we had to reschedule I thought, “oh no, will we find a date that works for everyone before Dec. 2^nd?” It was a little nerve-wracking trying to think of how it would work to coordinate 2 students, a professor, and Emily who always stay busy. The good thing is that we found a time and date that worked for everyone quickly. I thought about this situation from a student perspective until I realized that this is Prof. Cotera’s job and there are deliverables that she’s responsible for turning in by certain dates. That made me think about what can happen when I enter the industry and also have assignments to turn in that depend on other departments or people.

I think no career is free from worry of things going awry. This was a good lesson in adaptability for all of us. It probably isn’t the first and it undoubtedly won’t be the last time that something won’t go according to plan and you’ll just have to make do.

Chicana Feminism and me

There was so much I didn’t know about the Chicano movement that I’m embarrassed. I had no idea of the level of commitment and efforts that went into this movement. I had no clue that there had been so many conferences and that Chicanos had organized themselves so well. Needless to say, I didn’t know that Chicanas had their own struggle to deal with.

When I first heard of this Chicana movement, naturally I thought it had to do with the role woman had in the household, and society, inferior to men. I guessed they would be asking to be treated equal, but I didn’t expect them to articulate such specific demands. Their call for control of their bodies and better access to an education blew my mind. This seemed so radical. We’re talking about the 60s and 70s, how could they ask for such things? Here I was thinking that pursuing an education was still a novelty; that wanting to focus my free time to better access to birth control for young Latinas was unconventional. But this was exactly what these women were asking for.

These women were running the Chicano movement behind the scenes but weren’t getting the results they hoped for. Why was this? I’ve often thought about how central Chicanas were to the movement, not only because of their direct involvement but because they also held it down at home. In my opinion, they had so much power. But if they had such power, why didn’t things go their way?

These Chicana feminists have struggled, and continue to struggle, for a better place in our society. I’ve learned that machismo plays a big deal on this struggle. The continuing practice of machismo amongst Chicanos only stalls this progress that Chicanas want to attain. Although there’s better access to birth control and abortions are legal in many states and there is “better” access to higher education and “better” paying jobs, there hasn’t been much progressed made on the role women have in their households and in the community.

Why is it that 40+ years later machismo is still heavily seen in many Latino homes? Why do you see adults advocating machismo behavior in young kids instead of starting a change? If this education starts at home, where many women play the most important part in their education, why is this still happening?

The more I think about these long-standing trends, the demands these women in the 60s and 70s made and why it is that current generations encourage this behavior, the more I begin to think that maybe I am a Chicana Feminist as well. This class opened my eyes to Chicana feminism, like it did to a couple of our interview subjects. I learned the background story on Chicana feminism and have been able to analyze what I’ve seen growing up in a Mexican American neighborhood in its context. It has let me see that although we’ve made progress towards equality, we still have some way to go.

I’ve mentioned this a couple of times before, this class help put a few things in perspective for me. As a Latina, I wanted to take this class for learn about influential Latinas because I knew I would take pride in their accomplishments. When the class started and I learned that the subject we’d primarily be discussing was the Chicano movement in relation to the women that formed part of it, I was stoked. I felt I’d lucked out, I was going to be able to learn about women that made a difference amongst Chicanos, or the Mexican American population.

We learned about how the women were involved and the struggle they endured working towards gaining civil rights. We learned about the abuse and injustice they had to deal with. Most importantly, we learned about the fight that Chicanas thought they were facing alone against the majority and males in the Chicano communities. All of this new knowledge showed me how little I knew about “my people’s” struggle and it shamed me. Here I am, a proud Mexican American woman, and I had no real clue what the Chicano movement was about.

I was already aware that I wasn’t up-to-speed with Chicano and Latino history after having discussions with friends I’ve made on campus, but this class was the real slap to the face. Thinking about the marches and protests that were held during the movement made me think about the series of actions performed in the last 10 years for the fight for immigration. I participated in ONE march, and it was because my parents made me go.

I was born here and my parents were able to attain citizenship, everything was settled in my 16-year old head. I realize now how selfish I was and it makes me regret my lack of involvement. I think about all the people that I could have helped by volunteering with LULAC or other orgs of the sort that set up days to help those interested attain more legal information on immigration, or provided free, bilingual tutoring.

For some time now I’ve been entertaining the idea for a safe sex program for teenage Latinas that don’t have the birds-and-the-bees talk with their parents. I think that my desire to help educate young Latinas and provide them with the resources for safe sex is my way to make up for my lack of involvement. As I told Emily’s daughter the day of the interview, I feel as if I’m letting “my people” down. For so long I’ve concentrated on getting ahead to repay my parents for everything they’ve done and to be a positive role model for my younger siblings, but I’ve realized that I should also be concerned with how I can use my education and opportunities presented to me to help other young Latinos.

This class has woken new passions in me. I’m now more intrigued in learning more about the history of Chicanos. I have a better definition of the work Chicana/o and can better identify with it. I’m more determined in helping the Latino communities and hope that I can make a difference one day.

Final Reflection for CPMR Project (Weinberg)

Part 1. Chicana Feminism
The following words from the last reading in our Latina Oral History class provide an important overarching theme for my knowledge of Chicana feminism:

"In this country, lesbianism is poverty- as is being brown, as is being a woman, as is being just plain poor. The danger lies in failing to acknowledge the specificity of the oppression. The danger lies in attempting to deal with oppression purely from a theoretical base. Without an emotional, heartfelt grappling with the source of our own oppression, without naming the enemy within ourselves and outside of us, no authentic, non-hierarchical connection among oppressed groups can take place" (26, This Bridge Called my Back)- Cherríe L. Moraga

Moraga's words encapsulate the complexities that Chicana feminists seem to have grappled with since the beginnings of the movement. Who should they include? Who should Chicanas separate from? What are the implications of lesbianism in the movement? Class differences? How could everyone's needs be addressed? The difficulties of who would be included as Chicana roots itself in early social forms of the 1940s, reached a peak in the 1970s and 1980s, and continues on today.

The Bracero Program (1942-1964) began after diplomats from Mexico and the United States recognized the need for employment and manual laborers during World War II. In addition, the program was created as a method for the two countries to create an alliance in wartime. However, this program was highly problematic toward bracero workers. Most were paid very little which helped growers to make unfair profits. In the 1950s, Braceros started protesting frequently, however, due to governmental mass deportations like Operation Wetback (1954),  workers were easily replaced and "undesirable" Chicanos could be legally removed from the United States. It was not just this program that brought immigrants from Mexico to the United States, but it was certainly an impetus for protest against the horrible treatment of braceros and other Chicanos in general.

Social movements against horrific structural and institutional barriers to Chicanos included the Brown Berets, United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, and top leaders like Cesar Chavez, Reies Lopez Tijerina and Corky Gonzalez. Though powerful, organized and political as we learned from the Chicano! movie series, women within the movements often faced danger and disrespect within their organizations. Women were sexually assaulted, expected to perform domestic tasks, and often seen as "Melinches" if they did not respect the authority of men in the movement. It was due to this pressure that Chicanas formally decided to separate themselves in the late 1960s.

This frustration acted as a springboard for Chicanas to take hold of their own, complex movement. It brings us back to the questions that Moraga's statement implies. During the 1970s and 1980s, the idea of intersectional politics, hierarchies or lack of hierarchies of oppression, and varied praxis for feminism came out. We know from our studies this semester that accounts of Chicanas are under-supported and hard to find. We have much from the Anglo feminist movement, radical environmentalists, and civil rights activists from the 1960s and 1970s but when we look for records of Chicanas, they are thin. Where are the pamphlets? The fliers? The buttons? The interviews? Mainstream media sources often denied access to Chicanas and focused on less intersectional, more conventional groups. I learned from the seminar aspect of this semester why conducting oral histories is important. Before the women who still maintain memories of the movement die and their records are lost, we need to form a more personal and likely more honest narratives of what happened. We need more of This Bridge Called my Back, but in the perspectives of all the kinds of Chicana feminists so that we can fill out a history that is usually cisman-focused, white-focused, or tokenized.

Part 2. Conducting Background Archival Research 
Before interviewing Elena Herrada, it was important for my partner and I to do preliminary research on her. There is a method to the difficulties that arise with searching through an inconsistent record. We spent several weeks of the class learning about different libraries that we could search in: The Bentley, Burton Historical Society, and the special collections unit here at U of M. It is important to remain open-minded about where to search and to put a significant amount of time aside for travel and spelunking. Luckily for Grace and me, we had a pretty well-known interviewee (see the Elena Herrada Biosketch for more information: http://cpmr-class.blogspot.com/2013/12/elena-herrada-bio-sketch.html) Background information is necessary in preparing for the actual interview. Without it, the interviewing team might not know where to start with the interviewee. For example, a large part of Elena's life included that Chicano-Boricua Studies Progam at Wayne State. Before conducting archival research, I didn't actually understand that the program was about, how it was experimental and the struggles that many students of the program had to go through in order to obtain a degree from it. Learning that information in advance created a solid base that our interview team could work on. However, I found that even with the amount of information I went into the interview with (including Elena's political career, her work with los Repatriados, etc.) I was not prepared for all of the storytelling I would hear.

Part 3. Conducting Oral Histories
I don't believe that reviewing exactly what happened with the interview would be the best use of space, as my partner and I chronicled it in another post (for more information: http://cpmr-class.blogspot.com/2013/11/elena-herradas-inspiring-narrative.html). However, I think it might be important to discuss how conducting oral histories is more a labor of the real world than it is one of academia. Even though Grace and I did not conduct the interview directly ourselves, we were certainly a part of the process of setting up, taking down, and absorbing the methods that Professor Cotera used to obtain the best information possible from Elena. I actually came to two separate interviews with two very separate purposes.

In the first interview, I would say the main lessons I learned were to remain flexible with scheduling, to always plan ahead for extra time, to find the balance between socializing and getting work done, and the importance of knowing how to use your equipment in advance. Moving spaces, learning to work in different lighting situations, and communicating silent movements during an interview all require a level of patience. Though Elena's house was lovely, the lighting situation that day was very difficult. It took some time for Jonathan and I to set it up perfectly, but maintaing a high standard was well worth it. In the same vein, Grace and I were able to communicate slowly but clearly through body movements and mouthing out words during the actual interview to decide when to start/stop the camera during strange noises or needs to change memory cards. Though it can be tedious, it was also worth taking our time to communicate effectively in a non-evasive way as to maintain the wonderful vibe between interviewer (Professor Cotera) and interviewee (Elena Herrada). Related to their great level of interaction, I am brought back to the point above about finding a balance between socializing and organizing. I found that Professor Cotera was able to obtain great information before the interview and create a comfortable environment with Elena by chatting with her while the technical parts of the interview were set up. As production manager, I had to find the best way to lead the two of them into the interview space once it was prepared. I chose to nudge at Elena and Professor Cotera repeatedly to get them into the space. I also asked Elena to come in so that we could check out lighting and sound before we started while Professor Cotera had a minute to collect everything she needed to get the interview started. Watching the two of them taught me how important rapport is to a successful interview session, but also how actually getting is started can be a challenge.

All in all, the real world involves openness to timing and accepting everything as a process. With that in mind, there is a lot to learn during an interview, as long as one opens up their heart and mind to it.

Part 4. Archival Collection
Like in interviewing, collecting new archival material involves a great level of patience- especially with someone who has a large amount of material combined with a rich historical memory.

During the second interview I attended, I mostly worked on collecting and scanning some important items from Elena's personal collection. Not only did Professor Cotera already bring back a large box of at least 500 items to scan, but also here we were in her home looking at more piles of papers, photographs, images and scrapbooks. At first it seemed overwhelming for me to sift through materials that I lacked context for. But then after asking several questions from both Elena and Professor Cotera, I was able to place some of the papers into filing folders and get started with scanning personal items that we wanted to leave behind for Elena to keep. I was scanning during Jasmine and Tina's interview session, so I also had to take special care to keep quiet. Though, I must mention that it was much easier to stay quiet having been in the house before. I had an idea of which boards creaked, where things I needed (like coffee or tape) were located, and I felt a better sense of comfort with the layout of the house in general. I think it would be important for future interviewers or participants in any courses to remain aware of spacial implications and the value of having the interviewee present when organizing and obtaining material archives. Without Elena, I might not have known how she wanted her story to be told. And to me, oral histories and archival collections done, especially with living subjects, should maintain agency for them.

Part 5. Learning About Myself
Being a part of this class has affirmed my quest for more complete, rounded, non-dominant histories. Participating in an oral history emphasized the importance of working in a group and not alone in these endeavors. It might sound cliché, however, when it comes to oral histories, there are so many variables that working in a team can help keep track of. For example, while one of us might be great with technology, another might be great with aesthetics, and another with the social aspects of the project. There truly is space for error and correction which leads to productive learning. I certainly obtained skills important for future work I might do in non-dominant historical research including both the technical and the abstract.

In the image of This Bridge Called My Back, I also think it is important to reflect in this space the ways I learned about myself as a person, as queer, as white, as who I am from all of my identity backgrounds. Like the Chicana feminists I studied, I too experience a complex intersection of identity where certain pieces of me are denied, accepted, venerated, or hated in difference spaces. I see today we have had some success in coalition building between varied constituencies of people. And some groups address intersectional identity. For example there are groups around campus and outside of universities that are specifically for queer women, or queer people of color, or Jewish queer people, etc. And I see these groups working together. However, I also see a separation of issues that cause difficulties in organizing. Like the feminist movement of the 1970s, Chicanas often separated by sexuality, white feminists had different goals than feminists of color, queer people separated from people of color, just to name a few. My life is not separate from other people working toward feminist goals, whether they are global like the Third World Women's Alliance, or local like the Z Collective in Detroit. I still see issues with varied gender inclusion, but I also see the roots of where my activism comes from and how it has the possibility to grow. By collecting these important histories, I can see activists of my generation learning important lessons about organizing across identity groups and within them. I see us learning how to work within and outside of systems of oppression. I see hope, and I see battles ahead.

Maybe future participants in the project might see the same thing, too.