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 Other times, the subject may have passed (or no longer active if it’s an organization) and researchers are left to contact kin or friends to try to collect more information.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.