Litchfield Park oral history project: A lesson in culture and heritage

March 23, 2006

Arizona State University and the Litchfield Park Historical Society sponsored the “Mexican Americans of Litchfield Park Oral History Project.” The oral history project is a collection of interviews from former Mexican American residents who lived in migrant camps in Litchfield Park between the 1920s and 1970s. <separator></separator>The project culminated in a Founder’s Day community event to celebrate the lives of the camp residents and their families. A video documentary, “Voices from Mexican Americans of Litchfield Park Oral History Project,” featuring the lives of the former camp residents was presented to approximately 500 event visitors.<separator></separator>Gloria Cuádraz, director for the Ethnicity, Race, and First Nations Studies program, and associate professor in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at ASU’s West campus, began interviewing the former Mexican American camp residents last fall. <separator></separator>“It is so important that we collect these oral histories so we can understand the perspectives of people who lived through extraordinary times and contributed to the economy and culture of the southwest,” said Cuádraz. “It’s critical we preserve the stories and memories of Arizona’s founding citizens.” <separator></separator>The oral history project was made possible through a grant from the Arizona Humanities Council and a matching gift from Arizona Public Service, city of Litchfield Park, the Litchfield Park Historical Society and ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences