RETROFITTING LATINX INTO THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Andrea-Teresa Arenas, PhD, Emerita Faculty Affiliate, Chicanx Latinx Studies, UW Madison; WLHC Founder
Over the next five years, a group of scholars and community researchers in communities across Wisconsin will begin documenting Latinx history in our state through the recently created Wisconsin Latinx History Collective (WHLC). The Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) will serve as the archival repository for collections and as a resource to the group.
For its part, the WHS is committed to the stewardship of Latinx archival collections and can provide statewide access for researchers through future exhibitions, programming, and incorporation of collections into school curriculum.
"The Wisconsin Historical Society is honored and excited to work closely with the WLHC on this project,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “We know that archival documentation and historical scholarship on the history of Latinx Wisconsinites is limited at best and this project will enrich the historical record, spark community conversations, and provide a foundation for the continued growth of historical collections of the Wisconsin Latinx community in the future."
In addition to expanding the documentary record of Latinx history in the state, the project will create public programming to share the results of the research with a broader audience.
WLHC Core Team Members
- Andrea-Teresa Arenas, Emerita Faculty Affiliate, CLSP, UW Madison
- Sergio Gonzalez, Assistant Professor Latinx Studies, Departments of History and Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Marquette University
- Armando Ibarra, Professor, School for Workers, CLSP Director, UW Madison
- Cheryl Jimenez-Frei, Assistant Professor, History and Latin American and Latinx Studies, UW Eau Claire
- Almita Miranda, Assistant Professor, Geography and CLSP, UW Madison
- Marla Tahuado Ramirez, Assistant Professor, Geography and CLSP, UW Madison
- Diego Roman, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction and CLSP, UW Madison
WLHC Areas of Interest
- Agriculture, Arts, Business/ Industry, Communications, Labor, Military,
Natural Resources/ Environment, Politics and Government, Populations, Recreation/ Leisure, Religion, Settlement, Social Organization and Activity, and Transportation
Wisconsin Community Profile
Wisconsin Overall
Wisconsin Overall. Click to expand.
Total Population: 5,822,434
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee, WI. Click to expand.
Total Population: 590,157
Madison, WI
Madison, WI. Click to expand.
Total Population: 254,977
Whitewater, WI
Whitewater, WI. Click to expand.
Total Population: 14,895
Green Bay, WI
Green Bay, WI. Click to expand.
Total Population:104,578
La Crosse, WI
La Crosse, WI . Click to expand.
Total Population: 51,277
Kenosha, WI
Kenosha, WI . Click to expand.
Total Population:169,561
Beloit, WI
Beloit, WI. Click to expand.
Total Population: 36,926
Wisconsin Overall
Total Population: 5,822,434
Percentage of Latinx Population: 7.10%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 87%
Milwaukee, WI
Total Population: 590,157
Percentage of Latinx Population: 12.90%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 78.70%
Madison, WI
Total Population: 254,977
Percentage of Latinx Population: 7.00%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 78.60%
Whitewater, WI
Total Population: 14,895
Percentage of Latinx Population: 12.00%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 78.70%
Green Bay, WI
Total Population:104,578
Percentage of Latinx Population: 15.80%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 76.70%
La Crosse, WI
Total Population: 51,277
Percentage of Latinx Population: 2.20%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 89.90%
Kenosha, WI
Total Population:169,561
Percentage of Latinx Population: 13.50%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 87%
Beloit, WI
Total Population: 36,926
Percentage of Latinx Population: 21%
Percentage of Anglo Population: 60%
Participating Institutions
Wisconsin Historical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society . Click to expand.
Major Partner
Chicana por mi Raza
Chicana por mi Raza. Click to expand.
Major partner
Chicanx Latinx Studies Program, UW Madison
Chicanx Latinx Studies Program, UW Madison. Click to expand.
Major Partner
C&I 316: ESL/Billingual Methods (Fall 2021)
C&I 316: ESL/Billingual Methods (Fall 2021) . Click to expand.
University of Wisconsin-Madison; Professor Diego Román
CHICLA 699: Independent Study
CHICLA 699: Independent Study. Click to expand.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor Diego Román
SPAN 305, Speaking Spanish: Building Interviews
SPAN 305, Speaking Spanish: Building Interviews. Click to expand.
Viterbo University; Professor Jesús Jambrina, PhD
SPAN 306, Writing Spanish: Newspaper Journalism
SPAN 306, Writing Spanish: Newspaper Journalism. Click to expand.
Viterbo University; Professor Jesús Jambrina, PhD
Span 320: Spanish for Spanish Speakers
Span 320: Spanish for Spanish Speakers. Click to expand.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Professor Luzma Hernandez
EV Bilingual Workshop: Human Story
EV Bilingual Workshop: Human Story. Click to expand.
Escuela Verde Charter School, Jeremy Ault & Santiago Chavez
Kenosha Public Library
Kenosha Public Library. Click to expand.
Oral history projects
Beloit Public Library
Beloit Public Library. Click to expand.
Oral history projects
Wisconsin Historical Society
Major Partner
Chicana por mi Raza
Major partner
University of Texas at Austin
Digital Memory Collective
Chicanx Latinx Studies Program, UW Madison
Major Partner
C&I 316: ESL/Billingual Methods (Fall 2021)
University of Wisconsin-Madison; Professor Diego Román
I hope to use some of these interviews with students seeking their teacher certifications as part of the following course in the Fall
CHICLA 699: Independent Study
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor Diego Román
Students to conduct at least 9 interviews this semester as part of a CLS independent studies course
SPAN 305, Speaking Spanish: Building Interviews
Viterbo University; Professor Jesús Jambrina, PhD
This high-intermediate Spanish course works to incorporate higher level grammar skills into active spoken conversation by studying the process of building and carrying out interviews with native speakers of Spanish. Coursework aims to take intermediate conversation skills up to a high-intermediate level of proficiency and does include some written composition. Prerequisite: grade of BC or higher in 250 or 251 or by departmental exam.
https://ensemble.viterbo.edu/Watch/Xc4q7W6L
SPAN 306, Writing Spanish: Newspaper Journalism
Viterbo University; Professor Jesús Jambrina, PhD
This high-intermediate course emphasizes writing as students publish El Sol, Spanish newspaper for which they will interact with the local Hispanic community, do short research, read and watch culturally-authentic materials, prepare oral presentations and present several writing drafts. Prerequisite: grade of BC or higher in 250 or 251 or by departmental exam.
https://elsolspanishnewspaper.com/
Span 320: Spanish for Spanish Speakers
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Professor Luzma Hernandez
In this class students reflect and write about their personal experience as bicultural and bilingual students in a society where English is the dominant language.
EV Bilingual Workshop: Human Story
Escuela Verde Charter School, Jeremy Ault & Santiago Chavez
To understand how human history is documented and explore the importance of documenting history of underrepresented people and cultures.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1354PAWvxco5vm3ghtJ4T5N1xWkOc3FK4YeEwzOXsgHI/edit?usp=sharing
Kenosha Public Library
Oral history projects
Beloit Public Library
Oral history projects
Research Topics
Madison, WI
Somos Latinas
An oral history project in which CLSP students interview Latina activists over the age of 50 in Wisconsin. (wisconsinhistory.org/Somos Latinas)
Immigrants
Documenting immigration experiences and life in Wisconsin.
Voces Student Project
Tejanx and Mexican migrants in Wisconsin
Studied through the work of La Raza, Inc. headquartered out of Appleton.
Indigenous dairy farmers in Waupaca
Support Diego and his local partners as they collect and disseminate information related to this segment of the Latinx history.
Madison, WI
Latina Task Force
The Latina Task Force was formed in the 1980s by Latina activists in Wisconsin and advocated for services to Latinas by Latinx serving non-profit organizations and state government.
Housing in Madison
Focusing on the housing needs, housing barriers in the Madison area.
Indigenous Dairy Farmers
Ecuadorian indigenous immigrants came to Wisconsin to work in the dairy industry. As these immigrants worked, they saved funds to purchase their own dairy farms. The research will include their immigration and educational experiences.
Latinx Artists
Artists will be documented including poets, musicians, painters, mixed media artists, sculptors, film producers.
Cardinal Bar
History of the Cardinal Bar, Cuban sister city with Madison
Latinas in the Midwest
Focuses on Latinas who are under-represented in the historical record in Wisconsin and Midwest.
Whitewater, WI
Voz de Beloit
Facebook based newspaper
Whitewater Latinx without visas
Oral history interviews of immigrants without “papers” which provides them with legal residency in the USA.
Kenosha, WI
Kenosha Latinx History
Kenosha Library will conduct oral history interviews of Latinx in the area
Wisconsin Hispanic Career Fair History
The history of the Wisconsin Hispanic Career Fair (WHCF) offered through UW Parkside and Racine School District is the focus. The WHCF annually provided Racine high school students a day of presentations by Latinx career professionals for over 20 years.
Waupaca, WI
Indigenous Farmers
Work with local partners to document the history and status of Indigenous dairy farmers in Waupaca.
Racine, WI
Latinx Serving Medical Clinic
Voces Project
UW Parkside Voces Project is led by Gabriela X. Voces is documenting Latinx history in the Racine area through oral history interviews and archive collecting.
Anita Herrera’s children
UW Parkside students interviewed the 5 children of Chicana activist Anita Herrera, Somos Latina woman and former migrant worker.
Milwaukee, WI
Latin Jazz Group
Vietnam Veterans
The military and/or combat history of Latinx is being documented including members of the GI Forum and Legion Posts in the Milwaukee area
Milwaukee Latinx Community
Milwaukee K12 Education
Escuela Fratney
Education and Educational Programs
Puerto Rican Community
Puerto Rican education leaders Tony Baez, Olga Valcourt Schwartz, Ricardo Fernandez, and others formed CELA which advocated for the maintenance of bilingual education programs in Milwaukee Public Schools in the late 1970s. In addition, several Puerto Rican reputational leaders have been identified for future interviews.
Latinx on the South Side
Escuela Verde High School students are interviewing residents of the South Side of Milwaukee which includes Latinx.
Aurora Weier
The life of Latina activist Aurora Weier, who was assassinated by a community director rival in the 1980s was a role model to many Latina activists from the Latina Task Force.
Milwaukee, WI
Brown Berets of Wisconsin
The Brown Berets Milwaukee chapter is being interviewed to document their operating principles, activism, and accomplishments.
United Community Center
UCC is the largest Latinx serving non-profit organization in Wisconsin and one of the top Latinx agencies in the nation. With a focus on education, UCC has 12 schools, senior housing, and youth recreational programming. Former directors, board members, and current staff are being interviewed.
Beaver Dam, WI
Business Owners in the Area
Green Bay, WI
Ecuadorean community
Work with local partners to document the history and status of the Ecuadorean community in Wisconsin (near Green Bay).
Latino Leadership Circle
Casa Melanie, a Latinx serving nonprofit organization convenes a group of Latinx community members to provide tools and strategies for effective community leadership.
Documenting Radio
Radio station manager and host, Green Bay will document the creation of said station in this relatively small Wis city, and down the road perhaps the Hispanic Advisory Council of GB.
Eau Claire, WI
Dairy and Agriculture Workers
Dairy and agriculture workers in the Eau Claire area are being interviewed.
Lake Geneva, WI
Reproductive Health
This research is focused on reproductive rights and women’s reproductive health care in the area amongst women who are faith-driven.
Religious Participation
This research is focusing on religious organizational membership and how Latinx have shaped their home religious entities and how they translate and operationalize their faith in daily living.
WLHC Members in Wisconsin
Members Across the U.S.
“Every day we hear the lies, myths, and negative stereotypes that motivate hate crimes against Latinxs and poison our national conversation. It is up to us to replace these with historical facts” - Andrea Tess-Arenas, PhD