Latinx Communities:
Sources from North America
Explore the powerful history of individuals and Latinx communities in North America as they campaigned for rights, identity, and cultural freedoms during the Civil Rights era and beyond.
The diverse regional and national coverage allows researchers trace the exchange of ideas and movements, such as the Chicano movement, across communities, along with intersectionality and the development of distinct political identities.
Through personal papers, community generated materials, and film footage, users can explore the activism, cultural resilience, and social movements that define these communities’ legacies.
Featuring materials from archives across the US, the collection includes rich content in both English and Spanish, representing Mexican American, Dominican American, and other Latinx communities with a focus on grassroots activism and underrepresented identities including Latinas, LGBTQ+, and Afro-Latinx.
Highlights
- Personal papers, memorabilia, and photographs of Normandia Maldonada, an activist and community leader among the Dominican people in the United States, relating to her artistic accomplishments, career, personal and family life
- Examples of Chicano publications from across the United States
- The Jorge Huerta Papers containing materials documenting his activities as a director, writer, professor, and expert on Chicano theatre
- The Roberto Jesus Vargas diaries documenting his life as an AIDS activist in Sonoma County
- Audio recordings from La Raza En Acción, a Latinx directed non-profit, La Raza Information Center, and KNBR 680, KBRG, and KOFY radio shows
- Costumes from the Miss Coco López collection, a drag artist who performed in shows throughout the US
Included in
Modules include
| Module | Summary | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Module I (Publishing 2025) |
A variety of primary source materials from across the United States explores the every day lives and grassroots activisms of the Latinx community in the Civil Rights era. From community formation to expressions of self through art and culture, undercover Latinx histories of groups and individuals seeking representation and equal rights in the mid-late twentieth century. |
Twentieth Century |
| Module II |
Coming soon |
Key data
Period covered
Source archives
- California State University, Dominguez Hills
- Dominican Studies Institute, City University of New York
- The GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco
- University of California, San Diego
- Arts and Theatre
- Civil Rights, Labour Rights and Education Rights
- Community and Organisation
- Grassroots Activism
- Identity and Intersectional Experiences
- Political Representation
- Artwork and Illustrations
- Correspondence
- Diaries, Journals and Scrapbooks
- Ephemera
- Newspapers and Periodicals
- Organisational Papers
- Personal Papers
- Photographs
- Kevan Antonio Aguilar, University of California Irvine
- Kaye Briegel, California State University Long Beach
- Miroslava Chávez-García, University of California Santa Barbara
- Lissette Acosta Corniel, Borough of Manhattan Community College
- Manuel Grajales, University of North Texas
- Michael Innis-Jiménez, University of Alabama
- Nicolás Kanellos, University of Houston
- Aldo A. Lauria Santiago, Rutgers University
- John Petrus, Grinnell College
- Latin American Studies
- North American Studies
- Political History and Science
