Hello! My name is Ana Shriver (she/her) and I am one of the Student Historians with the University Archives for the 2024-25 academic year. I am a junior, double majoring in History and Legal Studies with certificates in Environmental Science and Public Policy. I am eager to research and learn more about underrepresented groups on campus. I hope to narrow my focus on Chican@ and Latin@ voices and experiences on campus, especially in the formation of the Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Program. I am excited to expand my knowledge on the varying experiences of underrepresented groups from the University Archives and the advisors!
Documenting UW-Madison’s First-Generation Latine Immigrant Experience.
About the Project: As one of the 2024-2025 Student Historians for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, I had the opportunity to create a research project on underrepresented voices and histories on the university campus. I conducted 5 oral history interviews with current University of Wisconsin-Madison students and faculty to explore the experiences of Chican@ and Latin@ immigrants on campus, specifically examining the academic, cultural, and social contributions, as well as personal narratives of immigration, identity, and community. Interviews also highlight immigration in the context of the current political and legal landscape of the state and the nation.
The Goal
Gather the voices of Chican@ and Latin@ immigrants so the campus community can better understand and appreciate their impact on campus and in the greater Madison area. There are limited resources and documented experiences of first-generation Latinx history on campus. I hope this project can preserve those histories in the UW Archives.
The Research:
Preliminary research of Latine history in the UW Archives:
As a Latina student on the UW-Madison campus, I always enjoy learning more about Latine history and culture at the university. In my initial review of the archives, I flagged any content that included Latine voices. Much of the content surrounded Latine students and faculty who had pushed for the development of the Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies Program. There was also student organization and activism material, such as meeting minutes, letters, event posters, photos, and newsletters. What piqued my interest most were the newspapers and posters covering immigrant rights. In addition to being a history major, I am also a legal studies major, and have always been interested in immigration at the United States Southern border, whether it be the history of Central American displacement or U.S. immigration law. Although there is a major focus on immigration in the U.S. South, these issues impact the Midwest and the UW-Madison campus, which the UW-Archives reflects. Below is a sample of the order in which I viewed materials and a peak into what the archives hold on the Latine community.
Chicano/a and Latino/a Studies Program development
The UW-Archives holds various boxes on the formation of the Chicano Studies Program, which is now known as the Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies Program.
“Chicano Studies Program Brochure.” Box [89136109238] 1 Folder 11, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, Madison, WI.Chicano Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Alambrasso Newsletter” 1990-91. Alambraso, 1985-02 Box 2, Folder 7, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, Madison, WI.
“Cesar Chaves Memorial Photo” 1995. Cesar Chavez memorial, Delores Huerta visit, and awards banquet photographs 1995-1996. Box 2, Folder 51, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, Madison, WI.
Immigrant Rights Protests
“March for Immigrant Rights flyer,” April 10, 2006. Immigration rallies fliers and clippings, 2006. Box 5, Folder 65, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, Madison, WI.The Badger Herald, “3,000 March for Immigrant Rights,” May 2, 2006. Immigration rallies fliers and clippings, 2006. Box 5, Folder 65, University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, Madison, WI.
A Bump in the Road
Initially, I hoped to do the oral history project on DACA Recipients and DREAMers to have voices directly from the community in the archives. For the first semester of the 2024-2025 academic year, I spent time researching, reaching out to the DACA community, and connecting with the Wisconsin Law School about legal concerns. However, due to the sensitivity of the DACA community, especially after the 2024 election, I decided to change paths. As an outsider of the community, it became clear that I should not be the person to pursue this project during a vulnerable time. Second semester, I changed the project to focus on first-generation Latine immigrants. Although I have not followed a “traditional” journey from one country to another, being born in a different country has provided me with a connection to more than one country. While there were challenges with a new timeline, I grew to understand the work and complexities of oral history. It takes time, trust, dedication, transparency, care, genuine connections, and honoring the narrators’ wishes.
Oral Histories
Oral histories from Professor Marla Ramírez, José Madera, Karen Romo, Isabela Pavon Guajardo, and Amparo Campos are currently still being processed. If you would like access to these oral histories before they are published, you can contact the UW Archives Staff.
Conclusion
Anti-immigrant rhetoric has persisted throughout the state and the nation’s history, and it shapes public perception and political climates, marginalizing and isolating immigrant communities. In our campus community, it can also silence voices and harm our sense of solidarity. I hope people have the opportunity to listen to the voices in these oral histories and understand that these communities exist outside of politics. Immigrant communities are a part of our everyday lives, and they add to the diversity that our campus community celebrates.
