This document, created in collaboration with the DC Oral History Collective, uses oral history interviews to trace the Latino history of DC’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.
LATINO COMMUNITY THROUGH ORAL HISTORY
Interactive QR codes inside - instructions on the back
PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY’S WASHINGTONIANA COLLECTION.
Brought to you by Hola Cultura and the DC Oral History Collaborative
ADAMS MORGAN: a neighborhood grounded in social justice, political activism, and inclusive and progressive values.
EVERY
MATTERS
“The history of Adams Morgan must recognize the Latino part.” – Olivia Cadaval
Hola Cultura & the DC Oral History Collaborative invite you to explore the evolution of the Latino community in Adams Morgan through the accounts of local residents. This interactive keepsake brings to life interviews conducted by Latino youth over the last
four years as part of Hola Cultura ’s Summer Internship Program. Don’t forget to use the QR Code to learn more about Adams Morgan as told by many members of the community.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
HOLA CULTURA is a local non-profit organization with the mission of building innovative pathways to success for the Latino community while fostering society’s demand for the Arts and Humanities of Hispanic cultural initiatives. Hola Cultura ’s vision is to defeat stereotypes with education and civic engagement by building understanding through art, culture, and journalistic storytelling .
THE DC ORAL HISTORY COLLABORATIVE was initiated in 2016 as a partnership project of the Historical Society of Washington, DC, HumanitiesDC, with the DC Public Library as the sponsoring agency. The Collaborative aims to document and preserve the stories and memories of residents by making existing oral history recordings more accessible and giving residents the training and financial resources they need to conduct quality interviews.
Enjoy the videos displayed under each historic phase!
POSTER COURTESY OF CARLOS ARRIEN.
“The census of 1970 listed about 17,500 Latinos [and] many said: that census is wrong. They organized a festival [where] many more people came.” – Olivia Cadaval
“Right now, everything they’re building is luxury. Ontario was a theatre and now that’s a luxury condominium.” – Bené Durant
PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY’S WASHINGTONIANA COLLECTION
AN INTERACTIVE CHRONICLE OF COMMUNITY STORIES
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
“An awareness of a transnational community.” – Olivia Cadaval
“In the 80s this was the barrio and now it’s gentrified land.” – Alicia Wilson
“The Latino Festival was a key institution for the Latin American cultural development in the area.” – Carlos Arrien
THE
THE BLOSSOMING OF
A CHANGING
Spanish-speaking diplomats called the area of Adams Morgan home as early as the 1910s. The Hispanic population in Adams Morgan became visible in the 1940s & 1950s when a small network of Latino-run businesses began appearing in the neighborhood. “There were small groups of Dominicans, Cubans [and] Puerto Ricans that were part of this forming community. Many [were also] employees of the embassies. Often times their
Adams Morgan has undergone a myriad of economic and cultural shifts in its time. Its commercial area still retains an identification as a location for Latino-oriented businesses despite the neighborhood’s waning Latino presence.
In the 70s and 80s, Latino immigrants arrived in great numbers, many of them settling in Adams Morgan. Adams Mor- gan was easily identifiable by its large Latino population and the businesses that catered to their needs.
“[Adams Morgan] went from being low-income to middle income and now it’s probably on the high end.” – Nancy Shia
“There isn’t that sense of community that was here in the 80s and 90s.” – Maria Gomez
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
“Many people came escaping from the war; indigenous people from Guatemala migrated here as a result of the repression.” – Carlos Rojas “I really liked having the vendors in Unity Park. It made the neighborhood distinct.” – Bené Durant “[Carlos Rosario] was an extraordinary man who helped push the District of Columbia to recognize Latinos.” – Margarita Diloné
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
“In the early 80s, there was an influx of immigrant refugees fleeing the conflict in
“The development of Bell, Carlos Rosario and the [Latin American] Youth Center in many ways, is the development of the Latino community in Washington.” – Lori Kaplan
“I run into people who are alumni from the Youth Center. And they’ve got good jobs and are into the fabric of the community.” – Lori Kaplan
El Salvador.” – Alicia Wilson
employees who cook, iron, and starch the shirts don’t go back; they stay here.” – Olivia Cadaval
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
“Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant were the same for the Latino; they were the barrio; from Columbia Road to Mount Pleasant.” – Olivia Cadaval
“The original kids who came to the Youth Center in those days were in search of three things: a job, help in English and a place to have fun [and] celebrate their culture.” – Lori Kaplan
HOW TO SCAN THE QR CODES
To scan the QR code on iPhone and iPad: Step 1: Open up the camera app on your iPhone or iPad. Step 2: Hold the device’s camera up to the QR code. Step 3: No need to hit the shutter button, your iOS device will automatically recognize the QR code. Step 4: Tap the notification to be taken to the destination of the QR code. For Android (go to step 4 if you already have a QR Reader App) Step 1: Open the Play Store on your Android. Step 2: Type QR code reader into the search box and tap the search button. This displays a list of QR code reading apps. Step 3: Select and download the desired free app. Step 4: Open the QR code reader app. Step 5: Line up the QR code in the camera frame. Step 6: Tap the notification to be taken to the destination of the QR code.
EXPLORING
HOLA CULTURA and the DC ORAL HISTORY COLLABORATIVE would like to thank the narrators whose stories contributed to this keepsake.
Carlos Arrien Olivia Cadaval Margarita Diloné
Lori Kaplan Carlos Rojas Nancy Shia Alicia Wilson
Bené Durant Maria Gomez
All quotes have been translated from its original language.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SHIA.
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