RILA's Nuestras Raíces Community Pláticas brings together individuals in the Latino community of Rhode Island to make history by contributing their stories, photos and personal and other relevant documents to the Rhode Island Latino History Collection.
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Spanish-language newspapers | Rhode Island
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VHS, reel-to-reel, Super8 movies
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Casette tapes
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Election campaign material
You can also write directly to Marta V. Martínez, RILA's Executive Director and our resident oral historian at marta@nuestrasraicesri.net
Nuestras Raíces @RILA has been hosting bilingual community pláticas around the state. We are looking for personal stories, memories, and relevant documents you may want to share about an event, place or person of Latin-American heritage.
How you can contribute
Click on the gold button above, fill out a short form and someone will get back to you.
Our objective is to add to our Archives, a collection of stories of Rhode Island's Latino Pioneers that display the rich and blooming history of Latin Americans who once lived or today live in Rhode Island. History is made every day, so by participating you can become part of the unfolding Latino story of Rhode Island.
Our objective is to add to our Archives, a collection of stories of Rhode Island's Latino Pioneers that display the rich and blooming history of Latin Americans who once lived or today live in Rhode Island. History is made every day, so by participating you can become part of the unfolding Latino story of Rhode Island.
✪ Leer en Español
Nuestras Raíces Pláticas reúne a personas de la comunidad latina de Rhode Island para poder incluir sus historias, fotos y documentos familiares a nuestra Colección de Historia Latina.
En los próximos meses, Nuestras Raíces @RILA continuará organizando pláticas comunitarias bilingües en todo el estado, virtualmente por ahora y en persona cuando podamos. Nuestro personal bilingüe agradece cualquier historia de cualquier persona que desee contribuir a nuestros archivos latinos. También buscamos historias y recuerdos que quizás desee compartir sobre un evento, lugar o persona de origen latinoamericano.
En los próximos meses, Nuestras Raíces @RILA continuará organizando pláticas comunitarias bilingües en todo el estado, virtualmente por ahora y en persona cuando podamos. Nuestro personal bilingüe agradece cualquier historia de cualquier persona que desee contribuir a nuestros archivos latinos. También buscamos historias y recuerdos que quizás desee compartir sobre un evento, lugar o persona de origen latinoamericano.
¿Cómo puede Usted contribuir?
Haga clic en el botón dorado arriba, complete un formulario corto y alguien se comunicará con usted. Nuestro objetivo es agregar a nuestros Archivos una colección de historias de los pioneros latinos de Rhode Island que muestran la rica y floreciente historia de los latinoamericanos que alguna vez vivieron o viven en Rhode Island. La historia se hace todos los días, por lo que al participar puede convertirse en parte de la historia latina en desarrollo de Rhode Island.
Do you have any memories or stories about any of the places or people pictured below? We want to hear them!
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Pictured above: Salvadorian Independence Day celebration, Merino Park in Providence. C.1982
Pictured above right: Lyon Silk Works, Roosevelt Ave., Central Falls c1970s. Below: The original Gran Parada Restaurant, Broad St. Providence c1993; Latino professionals prior to the 1960s, like Alfred and Cecilia Saglio c1954; Tropical Market, Broad St. Providence c1978; The Annual Puerto Rican Parade on Broad Street, South Providence — or other Latino festivals. Below: Patricia Martínez, Executive Director of Progreso Latino c1990.
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The original La Gran Parada, Broad St. So Pvovidence
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Argeninians in RI
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Tropical Market, So Providence
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Photos above: (left) The Puerto Rican Parade, once the longest-running event celebrating Puerto Rican culture in the U.S. (right) Patricia Martínez during her first year as Executive Director of Progreso Latino, the state's oldest non-profit that serves Latinos.
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Above: Zenaida Barran, who left her home in Cuba before Fidel Castro came to power. Pictured as a student at West High School in Pawtucket (now Shea High School). c1961
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Above: The first Latin American Student Organization (LASO) at Rhode Island College, c.1970s
❥ Amor en La Epoca de la Pandemia | Love in the Time of the Pandemic
Funds for this project have been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Herman H. Rose Civic, Cultural and Media Access Fund @ the Rhode Island Foundation.