Northwest Iowa — Latinos in Sioux City can now document their experiences in an oral history project that was launched by a Morningside University professor two years ago to highlight that growing community.
Local resident Perla Alarcon Flory donated her story to the archive. Flory says she hopes by sharing her commentary, others in her community will feel less alone.
“We have a very diverse population that many times don’t see themselves reflected anywhere,” Flory says, “and so having their voices somehow echoed or finding someone that they can connect with becomes important.”
Morningside Spanish professor Stacey Alex wanted to fill the gap in archival documentation of Latinos in the Midwest and began recording the experiences of Latino students, business owners and public figures in northwest Iowa. Now, she hopes local schools can use the archive of video interviews, conducted in Spanish, as a language-learning resource.
Alex hopes she can collect enough stories to build a curriculum that centers around community experiences.
