Introduction
The Construyendo Latinidad (constructing Latinx Identity) oral history archive, was established in 2020 by Dr. Ed A. Muñoz, an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Utah. The archive seeks to trace the development and maintenance of Latinidad (Dávila 2001), or Latinx identity, in 21st century Utah. The archive’s narrators demonstrate the intersectionality of Latinidad (Bickham Mendez and Deeb-Sossa 2022). In other words, Latinidad at the 21st century is a diverse identity with regards to national origin, migration history, race, ethnicity, gender, language, socioeconomic status, generational status, and/or regional presence. This rich diversity helps Latinx communities thrive in places where their existence is not as evident, such as in Utah’s Wasatch Front, and in relation to historical Latinx regional enclaves, such as in the New Mexican Southwest.
What is this project about?
Dr. Muñoz decided to develop the archive through community engaged learning (CEL) activities with his students in upper-division Latinx Studies seminars. The overarching goal is to document the Latinx experience in Utah, which is often overlooked, not only at the national level, but also at the local level. The archive builds on Utah Latinx oral history archives created in the latter third of the 20th century in the wake of the Chicano movement. Thus, a comparison of Latinidad over time is available for the general public and researchers alike. What were the factors for Latinx migration into the state of Utah? Do Latinx individuals and communities face barriers to successful adaptation and integration? More specifically, how do Latinx communities develop and thrive in a largely Latter-Day Saints cultural environment? Furthermore, what does the future hold for the Latinx population in the face of a harsh anti-Latinx political era?
Why did we select narrators?
Early selection of narrators began through Dr. Munoz’ affiliation and participation with the Genealogical Society for Hispanic America—Utah Chapter. Most of these narrators traced their roots to southern Colorado and northern New Mexico and are part of multi-generational Utah Latinx communities. A second collaborative effort with the Utah Historical Society’s Peoples of Utah Revisited project, broadened the pool of narrators to include a wide diversity of Latinx individuals tracing their roots from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central America, and states other than Colorado and New Mexico.
Importance of oral history?
Archival materials and oral histories can provide insight into the varied manifestations of Utah Latinidades (e.g. Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Latiné; Indigenous; AfroLatinx, etc.) at the turn of the 21st century and beyond. Narrators can provide commentary on social, economic, and political phenomena such as Latinx migration in the region; watershed events that produced and sustained the development of Latinx communities (e.g., Hurricane Maria, Criminal (In)Justice); the impact of racialization processes on identity and community development; the influences of gender and sexuality on identity; and the current diversity and fluidity of Latinidad in the Intermountain region.