“The tradition of the mutual aid society dates all the way back to the earliest days of the Mexican colonies in Indiana Harbor and Gary, Indiana.” Historian Emiliano Aguilar, doctoral student Northwestern University Transcript for Pick Up That Slack TITLE CARD: In 1956, two groups, the Benito Juarez Society and the Cuauhtemoc Society, merged to […]
ethnicity
Me Coming Home
“…the Mexican-American community in the United States – it wasn’t really taught in high school.” Transcript for Me Coming Home That’s another mentality, too. Growing up in East Chicago, everyone wanted to know where you were. And you always mentioned, you know, “I’m north side. I’m south side. I’m from the Harbor. I’m from Sunnyside. […]
Mexican Colonies
“You have a delightful mix of people starting over fresh and I think the notion was that, ‘We are Mexican. We will always be Mexican first and maybe American second.’” Nicole Martinez-LeGrand, Multicultural Collections Coordinator, Library and Archives Division, Indiana Historical Society. Transcript for Mexican Colonies So, this is my mother’s side of the family. […]
Cross-Connect
“Pierogies are the Eastern European version of empanadas, you know?” An oral history story from an interview with Nicole Martinez-LeGrand, Multicultural Collections Coordinator, Library and Archives Division, Indiana Historical Society. Transcript for Cross Connect When I was growing up, ethnicity was kind of static. And I didn’t really come to understand what “ethnicity” meant until […]
Cuba: La Salida (Cuba: It Was Time To Leave)
“Nada más que he extrañado siempre a la familia.” | “The only thing is, I have always missed my family.” Mirtha Cuza | interviewed and produced by Melissa Avila Transcript for Cuba: La Salida | Cuba: It Was Time To Leave I was born in Matanzas [Cuba]. I think it was a pretty place. From […]
What Are You? (Radio Edit)
“I would have been so normal if I grew up anywhere else.” Transcript for What Are You? In my high school, we had maybe three African American kids in our classes. And then coming here you have everything; you have international students and just everybody. And then you hear all these stories about how people […]
Back Then, It Mattered
“So these are things that I kind of learned that I didn’t realize I was learning.” Transcript for Back Then, It Mattered I’m Croatian. And when I was a kid, it mattered. My dad was Croatian, my grandfather, George Davich, he was a city worker for the city of Gary. Street Department. And he was […]
Just Got the Impression
“All they saw was the violence. They did not see the peace. They did not see the change.” Transcript for Just Got the Impression I grew up in the Tolleston area of Gary which was, at the time, very Germanic and some Polish. I went to St. John’s Lutheran Church which was the first church […]
A Long Way to Go
“It was hysteria…and fear.” This story is part of our Flight Paths initiative. Hold a Conversation In addition to the questions below, please see How to use the questions for reflection. Clarification Questions How has the speaker experienced issues of race across her life? What are some of the key moments or chapters in […]