Introduction
The history of the United States cannot be understood without taking into account the presence of Latin@s. Contrary to what many assume, not all Latin@s are immigrants. Starting with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War by granting the U.S. a large portion of northern Mexico—including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California—the history of Latin@s in the United States has not always been that of immigration. The now famous words of the immigrant rights movement resonate, “we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us,” to explain the historical presence of Mexicanos in the Southwest. A similar history is shared with Puerto Rico: the island was annexed to the United States as a result of the Spanish-American War, through the Jones Act, in 1917. Indeed, Latin@s have shaped the landscape of the United States for over 100 years.
In 2010, the U.S. Census reported that 3.4% of Ohio’s population is Latino/Hispanic, which amounts to about 390,000 of the total population. Specifically, the data shows that Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton, and Akron are the most populous cities where Latin@s (of all races) live. Currently, Columbus takes the top spot with about 50,000, followed by Cleveland, with about 42,000; and Cincinnati and Toledo, with about 22,000 each; not to mention the rapidly growing numbers in the more rural areas like Mount Vernon, Celina, and others. In terms of country of origin, Mexicans make up half of the total number, followed by Puerto Ricans, Cubans and many other nationalities.
The current numbers tell us part of the history of Latin@s in the state, but do not tell us about the conditions, culture, language, and overall impact of their presence. My intention for this oral history project was to re-trace and establish a communal past of Latino presence in Ohio while at the same time allowing participants to create individuated histories. Without a doubt, the interest in collecting and preserving histories and traditions came from my own experience of moving to Ohio in 1992. I wanted to know what common histories I shared with other immigrants, and which ones have informed the lives of others.
Hispanic/Latino population growth over the past four decades
In the stories heard and studied here, I find that storytelling as a tool for self-representation and cultural preservation is best represented in the first person narratives in this book. Participants, at different points and via different venues, have fulfilled the role of culture bearers, while at the same time seeking to demystify the image of Latin@s. The reader and listener of these stories will witness the way Latin@s affirm their value and culture, and allow their personal stories to become a path for change. I have found that they, like me, are interested in recuperating and recording previously forgotten or unspoken stories of family, culture, and language.
By telling me their personal stories, they connect our lives with theirs. Their testimonios test our own preconceived notions of immigrant lives as destitute and incomplete. Most Latin@s participate in all areas of public life and are fully engaged in the community. Their stories challenge traditional understanding of immigrants as an economic burden, and instead, we find that they have found value in their work as educators, cooks, business entrepreneurs, students, activists, and artists as a path to resist domination and alienation from the macro culture. Life histories are a path to dignity and power, and they help us to see a more complete picture of individuals. These stories function as testimonios that give value to people, and are the beginning of new conversations with and about Latin@s.
Many of the participants interviewed here are members of organizations that have emerged as the number of Latin@s grew. Organizations such as The Ohio Hispanic Coalition, the Hispanic Business Center, and the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs represent the programs, needs, interests and matters that affect Ohio Latin@s. This growth in population accompanied by a sense of pride is evident in the many local Spanish newspapers such as La Prensa de Toledo, El Sol de Ohio, El Sol de Cleveland, among others, as well as the many annual festivals, dances and religious events that celebrate the culture and heritage of the many groups represented in the community throughout the state. The selected interviews in this book provide the reader/viewer with a synopsis of Latin@s throughout Ohio from different economic and education levels, and diverse national and generational backgrounds. In this oral history project I suggest that the diversity of Latin@s in Ohio mimics much of the composition of the rest of Midwest, which for decades has had a growing Latin@ population.
The best way to understand a person is to listen to their story and, Latin@ Stories Across Ohio, promotes this understanding. This book is divided in 6 chapters to give the reader/viewer a glimpse of the diversity of our stories of adaptation, advocacy, entrepreneurship, generations, women’s strength, and the perspective of young Latin@s, many of whom are “puro Latino and puro Ohio.”
The interviews you will find in this book have been edited to facilitate understanding, and for some, I only included a portion of the transcript. The video link or audio files are included for each story, so you have access to the whole interview. As you will notice, some of the interviews are in English, some in Spanish, and some participants use both languages. I gave them the freedom to use the language of their choosing; in doing so, these interviews reveal a great deal about the way language plays a big role in an individual’s identity, culture, and impact of the Midwest landscape in their lives.
Since this is a bilingual book, I did not provide a translation of participants’ use of Spanish. I chose to leave most of the speakers’ language and regional dialect use intact to show the diversity of language among Latinos, as well as the unique appropriation of English and Spanish in their speech. The use of code-switching and Spanglish is also a part of our Latino identity.
Acosta-Belén, E., and C.E. Santiago. 2006 Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Contemporary Portrait. Lynne Rienner, Boulder, CO.
Barcus, H.R. 2007 “The emergence of new Hispanic settlement patterns of Appalachia”, Professional Geographer, 59 (3): 398–415.
CRP (Community Research Partners) 2003 Geographic Patterns of Latino Population Growth, Community Research Partners Outreach, CRP,Columbus, OH.
Gouveia, L., and R. Saenz. 2000 “Global forces and Latino population growth in the Midwest: a regional and subregional analysis.” Great Plains Research, 10: 305–328.
Hinojosa, Felipe. Latino Mennonites: Civil Rights, Faith & Evangelical Culture. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.
Hintz, Joy, Editor. Mexican-American Anthology II: Poetry, Prose, Essays, Stories, Songs, Dichos, Corridos, Art. El Renacimiento, 1976.
—”Seven families: A Two Year In-Depth Study of Incomes and Job Experiences of Seven Ohio Migrant Farm Worker Families, 1974-1976.” Tiffin, Ohio : Hintz, c1976
—”Poverty, Prejudice, Power, Politics: Migrants Speak About Their Lives.” Columbus, OH : Avonelle Associates, c1981.
Millard, Ann V. and Chapa, Jorge. Apple Pie and Enchiladas: Latino Newcomers in the Rural Midwest. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2004.
Mendoza, Louis G. Conversations Across Our America: Talking About Immigration and the Latinoization of the United States. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012.
Omar Valerio-Jiménez, Claire Fox, and Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez, eds., The Latino Midwest Reader (Champaign: University of Illinois Press, forthcoming Spring 2017)
Ruben Martinez and Ruben Orlando Martinez. Latinos in the Midwest. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2011.
US Census 2011. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39000.html Last updated 12/2014. (Accesed January 2015.)
Vega, Sujey. Latino Heartland: Of Borders and Belonging in the Midwest. NYU Press, 2015.
Newspaper articles and websites:
Semuels, Alana. “A Lonely Life for Immigrants in America’s Rust Belt.” The Atlantic. May 29,2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/a-lonely-life-for-immigrants-in-americas-rust-belt/394082/
Sewell, Dan. “Dayton, Ohio, Welcomes Immigrants As Policy Point.” The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/dayton-ohio-welcomes-immigrants_n_1031420.html
Smith Richards, Jennifer. “Hispanics lead population growth in Ohio.” The Dispatch. Retrieved May 5,2015. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/06/26/hispanics-lead-state-population-increases.html
–”Special-ed parents demanding Spanish interpreters.” The Dispatch. Retreived June 1, 2015
Winer, Madeline. “Latinos say education is top priority.” The Dispatch. Retreived June 1, 2015
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/07/07/important-lesson.html
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/unaccompanied-children-resource-page
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/new_americans_in_ohio_2015.pdf
