The significant contributions of Latinos in American history are often chapters that are left out of textbooks and documentaries.
The Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin has worked for more than two decades to fill in the blanks.
It began in 1999 to document and preserve the stories of Latino veterans who served in World War II. It has since grown to include the voices of over 1,800 Latinos on topics and eras ranging from the Vietnam and Korean Wars to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their interviews and photographs have been logged and archived for historians, journalists, and others to use in the future.
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Voces’ founder and director, said oral histories are a powerful way to make sure the whole story gets told.
“We’re really looking at creating that historical primary source material about the Latino community in a way that is beyond the borders of our own campuses and our state,” she said. “We’re trying to build something that’s going to be useful and meaningful for many generations to come.”
Voces marks its 25th anniversary this month with a special event in Austin.
It features panel discussions, a roundtable, and an interview booth for people who want to chronicle their own stories.
Rivas-Rodriguez said she hopes the conference inspires others across the state to do their own work in oral history.
“I’m hoping that people will say, ‘Well, we should be doing something like that. There’s no reason we can’t do that,’ and they’ll be able to get at least a roadmap that other people have laid out.”
Register for the Nov. 16 event here.
Early registration ends Nov 4. Day-of registration will be available with an increased fee.
View oral history interviews on Voces’ YouTube channel.
