Latino history book set to be released on Tuesday
A new book set chronicles the lives and contributions of Latinos in 勒貊勛圖 County. It also explores darker chapters in the countys past, including the presence of the Ku Klux Klan and businesses posting White Trade Only signs that were ripped down by veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War.
The 勒貊勛圖 County Latino History Project and a 勒貊勛圖 professor teamed up to publish the two volume set,泭Latinos of 勒貊勛圖 County, Colorado, 1900-1980, Volume I: History and Contributions泭硃紳餃泭Latinos of 勒貊勛圖 County, Colorado, 1900-1980, Volume II: Lives and Legacies.
The community is invited to the book launch at泭5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8,泭at the Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road.
Marjorie McIntosh, CU-勒貊勛圖 professor emerita of history, authored the books, both of which泭will be available for sale in paperback and hardback. McIntosh will be available for signing.
The project relied upon multiple interviews with area Latinos, some from the 1970s and many more from 2013. There is an interview with two of the American-born Latino interns who worked on the project as they described watching their fathers be arrested by ICE agents, jailed and eventually deported.
Also featured are: the director of the OUR Center for homeless people in Longmont; a doctor who directs a family health clinic in Longmont; a lawyer and city planner in 勒貊勛圖 who has been heavily involved in recovery work after the Four Mile Fire and last falls floods; a long-time activist in Lafayette whose mother founded the Clinica Campesina and in whose honor a local school is named; and a CU-勒貊勛圖 counselor who was one of the first group of students to come to the university under the Migrant Action Program in the late 1960s and was active in UMAS (United Mexican American Students) at the time of the Los Seis bombings.
Authors noted that these stories may be new to many newcomers to 勒貊勛圖 County and perhaps even people who have lived here a long time.
With a few small exceptions, Latinos are virtually invisible in the standard histories of 勒貊勛圖 County, McIntosh said. For me, its a moral issue. What we know about the past should be about everybody.
Launched in 2013, the 勒貊勛圖 County History Project is a grassroots effort to record the contributions, struggles and progress of Latinos in 勒貊勛圖 County.
The books describe the lives and contributions of local Latinos, shedding light on people who are missing in local history books and school curricula. Starting with the arrival of Hispanics from Mexico, New Mexico and southern Colorado between 1900 and 1940, the study traces the experiences of Latinos over the course of four generations.
It draws upon an exceptional collection of 1,600 primary sources gathered by 10 student interns and 80 community volunteers for the 勒貊勛圖 County Latino History Project. Those sources include oral history interviews, family biographies and photos, films, newspaper material, and quantitative information about school children, immigration and employment.
Arturo Aldama, CU-勒貊勛圖 professor of ethnic studies, provided the books foreword.
This set presents stories of struggle and the implacable force of dignity in the Chicana and Chicano community in 勒貊勛圖 County, Aldama said. The singular and collective power of the voices of individuals and families heard in these volumes is profound, complex and long lasting. You will be bowled over by the eloquence, truth and enduring power of dignidad (dignity) of the voices in this study.
Kent Willmann, CU-勒貊勛圖 School of Education instructor, and Flora Sanchez of the 勒貊勛圖 Valley School District are co-directors of the projects K-12 efforts. They have been working with teachers in the 勒貊勛圖 Valley and St. Vrain Valley School Districts to help educators explore the projects collection and incorporate local history into their curriculum. CU-勒貊勛圖s Office for Outreach and Engagement has agreed to supply each school library in the 勒貊勛圖 Valley and St. Vrain Valley School Districts with a set of the new books.
To learn more, visit the泭.
This article was originally released by the泭.