family

Gary Made Me

“I always want to make my city proud.” Edited by Welcome Project Intern Ella Speckhard Transcript for Gary Made Me I always like to say that Gary made me. Like, there’s a phrase—I don’t know if people have ever heard this phrase, but, ‘If you’re from Gary, you can live anywhere.’ So, and I truly, […]

Assimilating to a New Culture

“I think one of the greatest things about coming into a new culture and assimilating to it is the fact that you actually understand your culture better.” Edited by Nick Ladeau. Transcript for Assimilating to a New Culture I think one of the greatest things about coming into a new culture and assimilating to it […]

In This Community

“If I wasn’t at home or at school, I was in East Chicago hanging out with my grandparents.” Nicole Martinez-LeGrand, Multicultural Collections Coordinator, Library and Archives Division, Indiana Historical Society. Transcript for In This Community My great-grandmother and her first husband, Anna and Felix, came from Mexico City. My great-grandmother was born somewhere else. I […]

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. […]

Neighboring in Kouts

“If you are a good neighbor, your neighbor’s going to be a good neighbor.” Welcome Project at Valparaiso University · Neighboring In Kouts Produced by Rich Elliott with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the […]

Part 3: Get Out into the World

“Marine Corps was a decision based on my desire to want to provide for my family.” Part 3 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for Get Out into the World The best or […]

Part 2: All of That Changed for Me

“To go from a school that was predominantly African American to just the complete opposite was a little bit of a culture shock.” Part 2 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 1 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for All […]

Part 1: That’s Who I Am

“She actually made a bassinet out of a drawer for me.” Part 1 of an oral history story from an interview with Mayor Jerome Prince, Gary, Indiana. You can find Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here. Transcript for That’s Who I Am My mom was born in 1946. She was actually […]