Latinos in Beloit Collection

Collection

Identifier: AC 116

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Collection contains multiple Latin@ perspectives on their roles as students at Beloit College. It illustrates non-minority exposure and interaction with the Latin@ Community in Beloit (college or city). While local history on the Latin@ community is relevant, and briefly mentioned under associated material, this collection focuses more on the dynamic that exists between Beloit College and Latin@ Culture. Localized material includes: oral histories, varying student perspectives, relevant roundtable articles, uncut interviews with undocumented students, student-based diversity initiatives (Voces Latinas, Multicultural Sorority Group, DREAMers Fund etc.), larger course-based projects (Senior Seminar, Latin@ Educational Issues Conference), and a record of restricted identities.

"En Sus Propias Palabras, Latinos de Beloit: In Their Own Words, Latinos of Beloit, Community Oral History" is a series based on an oral history project led by professor Sylvia Lopez. Audio interviews are available.

Dates

1998-2012

Language of Materials

English, Spanish

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research; however, some materials contain personal identity information about undocumented students and are sealed until their legal citizenship status changes.

Biographical / Historical

This collection was initially compiled as a final project for Linda Sturz' HIST /MUST 293: Constructing the Archive, completed in the spring of 2012. It involved localizing relevant material on the position of Latin@s at Beloit College. Material currently belonging to Beloit College Archives was surveyed and incorporated.

With the current ongoing debate about starting an ethnic studies program at Beloit I [Ximena Mora'12] noticed a shortage of archival material on the Latin@ perspective. This is particularly alarming in a location like Beloit where the Latin@ community flourishes beyond the boundaries of "the bubble". Regardless of how one measures educational outcomes, Latin@s "suffer the lowest educational attainment of any major racial or ethnic group in the United States." With diversity as a forefront of the Beloit College experience, minority groups should not be written out of Beloit College's historical record based on population. While Latin@s form a small percentage of the Beloit College student body, their experiences can be vital to empowering campus-wide cultural understanding and academic motivation for future Latin@ Students.

"Latin@" is an alternate, gender-neutral abbreviation of Latino/a.

Extent

0.42 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

5.6 Gigabytes (70 files (including pdf, mp4, wav))

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection is comprised mostly of gathered materials from other areas of the Beloit College Archives collections, all on the topic of Latinos at the college and in the local area. Materials collected detail student efforts to understand, interact, and recognize Latin@ issues, culture, and experience. Since the original project was completed, more materials have been added relating to Latinos in the Beloit area.