The importance of preserving the history of a minority is monumental in retaining its identity. Archives play a vital role in forming and preserving the history of an ethnic or geographic group. Especially with people from that minority living in the diaspora, it becomes important to preserve their history, so that they can retain their identity through their history.
People living in the diaspora like Latin Americans are subjected to double consciousness as they have been living away from their place of origin. This can negatively affect their sense of integrity, as they fail to find a place to belong. This is why there has been an increased emphasis on preserving their history through physical and digital archives.
In this blog, we will discuss the role of archives in preserving Latin American history and some digital archives on Latin American history you should visit.
Why are Archives Important?
To begin, Archives are historical documents and records from individuals, governments, or groups that are preserved and made available for research and awareness. They provide a direct account of activities and events that happened before in time. Archives also aid in the cultural understanding of individuals and groups and enhance our sense of identity. Political archives play an integral role in protecting civilian rights as well.
Have you ever wondered how our Latin American cultures and traditions were able to last through centuries? Archives. The cultural heritage of various ethnic, religious, and geographic groups were preserved through archives. Latin American customs, traditions, and practices are documented through personal anecdotes which keep guiding the newer generations by creating a tangible link between their past and the present.
Moreover, archives also play an important role in preserving our national and global Latin American identity. Historical documents contain a nation’s collective memory, from accounts of important events to political movements. These together formulate a nation’s identity and differentiate it from other nations. Historical archives are also a great source of inspiration for artists, filmmakers, and writers as they work on creating art that is ingrained with the past.
It is important to note that archives specifically contain unpublished material that can range from manuscripts and letters to documents, pictures, and personal diaries. These are inherently unique and generally do not have copies anywhere else.
Latin American Digital Archives
Another form of archives is digital archives which are obviously different in their type from the physical ones. Physical archives are kept in specially designed rooms that are humidity-free and have controlled temperatures so that the longevity of the paper documents can be ensured.
Physical archives are very difficult and costly to maintain, which is why initiatives are carried out to digitize the physical ones. It is more convenient to access digital archives than to visit a physical one.
There is a multitude of Latin American digital archives formulated by various universities and public libraries. The downside of these archives is that the majority of them are privileged information, accessible only to researchers and students.
To combat this, a movement for the democratization of these archives was carried out. The result of which was most of these were made publically available. Most Latin Americans already visit these to get to know their history from a direct source.
To view these public Latin American archives, all you need is a dependable internet connection like Cox, which allows you to conveniently view these files and read about them without any interruption or lag in service. You can contact the Cox servicio al cliente for more information on their internet plans.
Some Visit-Worthy Latin American Digital Archives
The majority of the Latin American archives are available for open access due to the efforts of several independent and government organizations to democratize these archives. Each of these archives is dedicated to various mediums. Some are solely political, some are dedicated to preserving film, literature, or arts and some have preserved documents from a certain period in time.
El Archivo: It is a digital archive dedicated to preserving photographs and oral histories that document the Puerto Rican diaspora. More specifically, it contains anecdotes and pictures surrounding the Puerto Rican experience in the Midwest region of the US. It holds materials from 1920 to 1990 that document the Puerto Rican family life, culture, and migration experience. You can visit this here: https://www.praachicago.org/el-archivo-project
Latin American Open Archives Portal: LAOAP is a project initiated by the Latin American Research Resources Project in collaboration with the Latin American Network Information Centre. The project is dedicated to improving access to the Latin American grey literature including documents, research papers, statistical documents, etc., that are otherwise too difficult to access from the deep web. You can access it here: http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/laoap/
Seminar On the Acquisition of Latin American Materials: SALALM provides links to all the open-access digital archive collections surrounding Latin America and the Caribbean. You can search these by country, genre, hosting institution, or even by direct title. The content is categorized by countries, so you can conveniently find the one from your origin country. You can visit the collections here: https://salalm.org/digital-primary-resources
Wrapping Up
Archives are a great medium for preserving the cultural and national histories of Latin American nations. Organizations that strive to democratize access to these archives have a huge role in amplifying voices of the marginalized minorities. Lastly, visiting these archives is a great way to reconnect to our Latin American roots and revisit small moments from our collective history.
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