R-1018 -- Avilés de León, Lornaida.
Lornaida Avilés de León is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Department of Romance Studies, a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Faculty Fellow, and a Study Abroad Faculty Leader. Lornaida was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and migrated to the US when she was 12. During this interview, she tells us her family’s migration experience due to environmental factors, and details specifically the many challenges the island faces due to hurricanes. These include the instability of the power grid, the detrimental effects of that incertitude on residents and businesses, the way in which disaster aid is affected by the Jones Act of 1920, the toll of hurricane-readiness on the elderly and poorer residents of the island, and the pace of rebuilding efforts. Lornaida concludes the interview by describing Puerto Rico’s tourism-dominated economy and shares her thoughts on areas to visit besides San Juan.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29367">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-03-27
No restrictions. Open to research
R1018_Audio.mp3
R-1017 -- Cáceres Rodríguez, Andrés Jésus.
In this interview, interviewer Gabriella Montes learns about Venezuela’s recent history as experienced by her long-time friend, Andrés Cáceres. He describes the first ten years of his life in his city of origin, Caracas, Venezuela. He explains details about his family relationships, home life and school life as he grew up in the economic turmoil occurring in Venezuela since the 1940s. He shares his experience being a new student, his struggle in school in North Carolina, and how difficult this overall adjustment was. Andrés recounts that despite this struggle in the U.S., as well as Venezuela, he misses his home country, and mentions some of the happier moments he had back home and the friends and experiences he’s made here.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29364">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-03-14
No restrictions. Open to research
R1017_Audio.mp3
R-1016 -- Roditti, Niccolo Abel.
Niccolo Roditti, who was born in 1996 in Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to the U.S. at age three, is the Assistant Director of the LGBTQ Youth Center of Durham, part of the LGBTQ Center of Durham. Niccolo discusses conflicts and other intersections of queerness and traditional Ecuadorian culture. In addition to describing the experiences of queer people in Ecuador versus in various parts of the U.S., they explore their own simultaneous navigation of their queer and Latine identities, especially in the context of their family. They came out to their parents and later their extended family despite facing homophobia/heteronormativity and machismo, as well as the pressure to maintain the image of a “Catholic, traditional Ecuadorian family”. Connected to that, Niccolo talks about collectivism in Ecuadorian culture, and in queer spaces. They also discuss how socioeconomic status relates to queer Latine experiences. Additionally, Niccolo examines the presence and representation of queer and Latine people in a number of spaces and contexts, including educational institutions, media, the traditionally gendered Spanish language, and drag, in which they perform.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29361">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-04-03
No restrictions. Open to research
R1016_Audio.mp3
R-1014 -- Bautista, Elsi.
This interview was conducted in Spanish by Johana Bautista-Ayala with her mother, Elsi Bautista. Throughout the interview, Elsi tells us her family’s perspective and history on their migration experience from Honduras to the United States due to environmental factors, primarily the disaster caused by Hurricane Mitch. Elsi recounts much of this dramatic experience such as: the lack of information to prepare for what was coming and in the aftermath; the destruction of homes, loss of livestock, and other economic challenges; life sheltering at a school even after schools returned in session; the loss of community leadership, including the death of the governor; and the aid sent by the United States, much of which Elsi believes never reached the affected communities.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29358">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-04-18
No restrictions. Open to research
R1014_Audio.mp3
R-1013 -- Bredenberg, Cynthia.
Cindy Bredenberg discusses her experiences and observations as a Spanish teacher at Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City, North Carolina. She shares about her school’s demographics and the school culture and reflects on her experiences working with students throughout her fifteen years working at Jordan-Matthews, many of whom Latinx. Cindy also describes the challenges faced by many of her students, specifically those related to financial strain, the lack of quality affordable housing, anxiety, and the impact of stigmatization by community members. She differentiates between the experiences of her U.S.-born students and those who have migrated to North Carolina from other countries, and she shares some challenges specific to her undocumented students, including the stress of financially providing for family members in their home country and lack of access to federal financial aid for higher education. Cindy also details the importance of relationship-building between teachers and students and explains how students are more likely to reach out to teachers and school staff for help if they have a previously established trusting relationship. She also describes the “grassroots” nature of helping students and shares some of the in-school and community-based resources available to students and those specifically targeted to help students newly arriving from other countries. Finally, she describes the rise of charter schools in Chatham County and shifts in school demographics.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29355">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-04-15
No restrictions. Open to research
R1013_Audio.mp3
R-1012 -- Molina, Ana Muñoz.
Ana Muñoz Molina is a student at UNC Chapel Hill from Cuba who shares her experience emigrating to the United States and her role within the Latino community in Chapel Hill and Miami, where she lives with her family. Ana discusses her family’s struggles to make ends meet in Cuba and discusses the challenges she faces to feel integrated within the university’s Hispanic community, made up mostly of first-generation Americans whose experiences differ from the conditions in which she was brought up both in Miami and under the Cuban authoritarian regime. While Ana is one of over a million people of Cuban heritage living in the Miami area and her experiences may be commonplace in south Florida, Ana shares the challenges of connecting to her culture in a university environment. She also provides advice for those in similar situations: coming to the United States, being surrounded by one’s own culture, and leaving that for a journey of independence and academic growth.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29352">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-04-18
No restrictions. Open to research
R1012_Audio.mp3
R-1011 -- García Rico, Yazmin.
Yazmin García Rico is Director of Latinx and Hispanic Policy and Strategy at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS). She recounts her activism during her tenure in college, helping Latinx youth navigate college enrollment and her outreach efforts to connect farmworker communities with healthcare and other resources. Thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, Yazmin was able to continue helping farmworkers after college in various positions, and also earn a Master’s degree in social work at UNC-Chapel Hill. Yazmin expresses deep regret at her father’s passing from COVID-19 at a time before vaccines or treatments were available. She subsequently joined NC DHHS in her current role to coordinate vaccine distributions and address disparities in the pandemic’s impact on the state’s Latinx population. Yazmin’s journey is marked both by her own determination and the determination of others in her network to help open doors for her. In that vein, Yazmin emphasizes the need for support systems that can help uplift Latinx youth and address underrepresentation across state leadership.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29349">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-04-21
No restrictions. Open to research
R1011_Audio.mp3
R-1010 -- Martí, Norma.
At a young age, Norma Martí migrated with her family from Puerto Rico to a diverse, working-class neighborhood in northwestern Indiana, part of metropolitan Chicago. She shares her formative experiences there, what enabled her to attain a college education, and her encounters with discrimination in her first role as an educator. She subsequently worked for the Census Bureau in Illinois and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) in North Carolina, enhancing both organizations’ reach of Latino communities. In the late 1990s, Norma decided to focus on advocacy and outreach as Development Director for El Pueblo, a nonprofit organization based in Raleigh. By the mid-2000s, in a new role as Minority Outreach Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS), Norma leveraged the connections she had built with various Latino organizations to expand Medicaid and children’s health insurance in Latino communities across the state. In 2020, Norma was called back from retirement to NC DHHS to help coordinate the agency’s COVID-19 response in the Latinx population. She has continued that work through her current role as Latinx Community Co-Lead for COVID Response for North Carolina’s Community Engagement Alliance (NC CEAL). She concludes by calling for unity and perseverance in Latino communities, and sharing words of wisdom for future leaders, which will include her grandchildren.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29346">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-05-31
No restrictions. Open to research
R1010_Audio.mp3
R-1009 -- Olivieri-Robert, Luis.
Luis Olivieri-Robert is Community Relations Analyst for the City of Raleigh, a role through which he has served Latine and migrant communities since moving to North Carolina from his native Puerto Rico in 2002. He recounts his early life, educational experiences, and professional development in Puerto Rico and the continental U.S., having taught at the university level in both settings. Throughout, Luis highlights his international travel, life-long commitment with environmental responsibility, activism related to Puerto Rico’s independence, and his faith and Church involvement as key formative experiences that continue to inform his endeavors. Working for the City of Raleigh, he and his team have strived to be the “first channel of information” for Latine newcomers, connecting people with city services and housing and work opportunities. Luis has also been involved in numerous outreach initiatives, from celebrations like the Viva Raleigh Festival to educational efforts to expand civic participation like the Raleigh Neighborhood College. He describes his activities outside the City and recognizes challenges he has faced, such as remaining motivated in the face demoralizing social developments. Lastly, he encourages future leaders to seek mentorship, seize educational opportunities, and take on issues that align with their goals and passions.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29343">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2023-04-05
No restrictions. Open to research
R1009_Audio.mp3
R-1007 -- Benítez, Hannia.
Born in Guatemala but raised in Siler City, North Carolina, Hannia Benítez currently serves her local communities as Deputy Director at El Vínculo Hispano/The Hispanic Liaison’s office in Lee County and as Chair of Siler City’s Immigrant Community Advisory Committee (ICAC). Hannia shares her foundational experiences, including the need to be her family’s interpreter during her childhood and her engagement in several clubs throughout High School. A few years later, the advent of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program helped her during a difficult time in her personal life by opening opportunities for employment and education. While working in the housing sector, Hannia joined the Board of Directors of El Vínculo Hispano, eventually serving as board chair and later transitioning to staff as deputy director of El Vínculo’s first satellite office in Lee County. Lastly, she shares her experience during her first year serving in ICAC, which she explains has been a time for asking questions and learning the workings of local government in order to position their efforts in the coming years. Throughout, Hannia shares advice for future leaders by describing her sense of responsibility for the people and communities that she serves while showing grace and kindness in the face of adversity.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
<a href="http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/29337">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.</a>
2022-11-18
No restrictions. Open to research
R1007_Audio.mp3
R1007_Audio.mp3