Over 2,000 audio recordings about experiences of Latinos living in America is to be archived at the University of Texas in Austin.
The Collection is called the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, and it has not yet been formally archived with any library for people to use for research and pleasure listening. The audio recording is intended to be used for historical purposes, but is can also be used for students studying Spanish and could potentially help them become more fluent in Spanish translation.
Nonprofit Organization to Help Archive the Collection
StoryCorps is a nonprofit oral history organization that is partnering with the people in charge of the audio collection so that it can be organized and archived at the University of Texas in Austin. The Library at the Austin campus is preparing to receive the massive collection that was originally started by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2009, and they are excited to have the collection on site.
The audio recordings mostly consist of two people, usually family members, talking about their culture, history, and their family’s life in America. The interviews range from folklore to trials the family has faced together. The Spanish to English translation is also generally done by a family member. During the interviews, one family member acts as the interviewer and the other as the interviewee. The interviews follow a format drawn up by StoryCorps.