Ethnic and Minority Populations
The collections presented under this subheading are united by a world population theme. Many of the collections relate the lives of individuals who are first and second (or more) generation American's living in the United States. Moreover, topics touched on by the various collections include, life experiences as it relates to American politics, primary and secondary education, religious life, and community outreach and volunteer work. Many immigrants interviewed also contribute their remembrances from their country of origin.
Casa de Unidad field trip. Children posing with Diego Rivera mural. From Box 3 of the Casa de Unidad (Detroit, Mich.) collection.
Several collections also document the experiences of individuals and groups of people that are not recent immigrants to the United States. The collections documenting these individuals and social groups are defined by the political, economic, health, and cultural practices that are adopted by or imposed on these groups in the United States. The oral history interviews documenting these groups of American society are rich and complex. Moreover, they offer poignant challenging histories to the traditional and dominant American perspective of historical events such as the Detroit riot. Other topics include, the civil rights movement of the 20th century, desegregation efforts, equal employment opportunities, community organizing, and settlement in various US states.
African American
Kellogg African American Health Care Project records, 1997-2000.
- 5 linear ft.
- Project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to document the health care experiences of African Americans in southeastern Michigan consisting primarily of oral history interviews with African American health care practitioners and administrators covering the period 1940-1969.
Background files relating to the project, and 42 oral history interview transcripts and tape recordings. Interviews discuss biographical details, desegregation efforts in Detroit area hospitals, and social conditions facing African Americans.
C. L. Franklin papers, 1957-1991 (bulk 1963-1984).
- 0.7 linear ft., 1 oversize folder, and 1 phonograph disc.
- African-American clergyman active in the civil rights movement in the 1960s; pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.
Papers accumulated by Franklin's daughter, Erma Franklin, relating to the life and career of her father; include biographical information, transcripts of oral interviews; scattered sermons and correspondence, including letters from daughter Aretha and from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; topical files about his church and civil rights activities; and photographs.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. From Box 23 of
3the Hobart Taylor papers.
C. L. Franklin oral history project, 1998-2002.
- 47 transcripts of interviews and 117 audiocassettes (in 3 boxes).
- Professor of history at Cornell University.
Recordings and transcripts of interviews conducted in the course of his research into the life and career of C. L. Franklin, African American clergyman, long-time pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, and active participant in the civil rights movement.
July 1967, Detroit, Michigan, a look back [sound recording].
- 2 sound cassettes (ca. 120 min.) : analog, stereo. ; in box 31 x 25 x 4 cm. + 12 leaves
Voices of memory -- Seeds of a rebellion -- 5 days that shook Detroit -- Healing the wounds -- Oral history -- One hour companion special.
John R. Behee sound recordings.
- 29 sound cassettes and 1 folder.
Recordings of interviews conducted in connection with his research on University of Michigan African American athletes.
Christopher Alston papers, 1988-1990.
- .1 linear ft.
- Organizer of the Inventory of Negro Manuscripts project of the Michigan Historical Records Survey and United Auto Workers official.
Photographs and sound recordings of Alston remarks at the dedication of the Robert Hayden Lounge in the University of Michigan Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (1988) and interview conducted by William McAdoo (1900, includes transcript) relating to the Inventory of Negro Manuscripts project; also miscellanea.
Aberbach-Walker Detroit Riot studies, 1967-1971.
- 24 linear ft.
Records, 1967-1971, of the studies on the Detroit riot of 1967 conducted by Joel Aberbach and Jack Walker, staff members of the Institute of Public Policy Studies of the University of Michigan; includes survey forms, 1967, 1968 and 1971, audio-tapes of interviews with Detroit civic leaders; and administrative records of the project.
Photograph of speakers at an event in
Robert Hayden Lounge. L to R: Lemuel
Johnson, Ronald Rice, Florence T. Sampson,
Paul Winter, Nimrod Carney. From the
Christopher Alston collection.
Jean McCarthy oral interview, 2008.
- 2 CD-Roms.
- Resident of Detroit, Michigan; civilian employee of the Detroit Police Department during the period of the 1967 Detroit Riot.
Oral history interview with Jean McCarthy conducted by her granddaughter Kelly Kucharski in which McCarthy details her work with the Detroit Police Department during the Detroit Riot of 1967; includes her memories of the 1943 Riot; also brief index.
Hobart Taylor papers, 1961-1981.
- 23.1 linear ft.
- Papers of Hobart Taylor, Jr., attorney and businessman, associate counsel to President Lyndon Johnson, later director of the Export-Import Bank.
Correspondence, speeches, and oral history interviews; files relating to his work with Plans for Progress, a voluntary association of business and industry working to promote equal employment opportunities; his work on the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities, the NAACP, the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Advisory Committee for Minority Affairs; topical files with files on Democratic politics in the 1960's, and his work with Johnson and Vice-President Hubert Humphrey; and photographs.
All Saints Episcopal Church, Pontiac, Michigan oral history project, 2001-2002.
- 0.7 linear feet.
- Church-sponsored project to document the history of some of its African-American members.
Transcripts of interviews, with audio cassette originals and CD-ROM copies of the transcripts. Interviewees include Richard and Catherine Craig, David and Reatha Williams, and Malissa Brice. There are also photographs of the interviewees and of the church building.
Arab American
Janice J. Terry papers, 1957-2007.
- 1.5 linear feet.
- Eastern Michigan University history professor, Middle East scholar with interest in Palestine and the work of Arab American organizations and individuals.
Transcripts of interviews conducted with Arab Americans, 1994 and 1996; miscellaneous files relating to Arab American organizations; and collected Arab American publications.
Glass slide of the MJJ Hospital-Misses
Basketball Team. From the George
Ezra Carrothers collection.
Filipino
George E. Carrothers papers, 1952-1955 and 1964-1965.
- .2 linear ft.
- Teacher in the Philippines and professor of education at University of Michigan.
Reminiscences concerning his teaching career in the Philippines, 1909-1913, with comments on the native culture and living conditions in the islands; also transcription of interview with Carrothers concerning his life in the Philippines; and photographs.
Luce Philippine Project interviews, 1975-1980.
- 1 linear ft.
Oral history interviews collected as part of a project of the University of Michigan Center for South and Southeast Asia Studies, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, on "U.S.-Philippine Interactions as Reflected in Oral Histories." Interviews were conducted by Forrest McGill, Michael Onorato, and Petra Fuld Netzorg. Interviewees included members of the Philippine arts community, long-time American residents in the Philippines, and Philippine political figures. The collection contains audiocassette recordings and some transcripts and background information.
George Murphy papers, 1911-1961.
- 15 linear ft. and 1 v.
- Judge of Detroit (Mich.) Recorder's Court and aide to his brother Frank Murphy.
Correspondence, legal briefs, grand jury findings and public hearings, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning Detroit, Michigan politics, 1935-1961, campaign of Franklin D. Roosevelt for presidency in 1932, grand jury investigation of Detroit street railways, 1936, arbitration of labor disputes, 1936-1941, and investigation of Charles Street housing project in Detroit, 1939-1940; also interview, 1957, concerning Frank Murphy and his role in sit-down strike of 1937, and other materials relating to public careers and personal affairs of Murphy family, particularly in relation to Detroit politics and Philippine Islands.
Luis Taruc oral interview and speech, 1974.
- .3 linear ft.
- Transcript of oral interview with Luis Taruc, leader of Hukbalahap Revolution in the Philippine Islands, conducted by Bruce Nussbaum;and sound recordings.
Relating in part to social conditions in Central Luzon before World War II, peasant organizations there, and the work of the people's anti-Japanese army during the war.
German
Harry A. Schultz transcript of interview, ca. 1970.
- 1 item (36 p.)
- Schultz, a Lutheran clergyman in Iowa and Michigan, was born in Moltke Township, Presque Isle, Michigan.
Transcript of interview (uncorrected draft) conducted by Robert Donia in which Schultz discusses the Lutheran churches of Moltke Township and the ethnic composition of the area.
English 325 (University of Michigan) papers, 1978.
- 1 linear ft.
- University of Michigan class requiring in part an oral history project.
Soundtapes of interviews and transcripts of interviews concerning Ann Arbor German parochial schools before World War I; Arthur Gallagher, editor of the Ann Arbor News; the Ann Arbor German community, being the remembrances of Margaret Louise Seeger; and the abortion movement in Ann Arbor.
John Panchuk and family of Wasyl Panchuk
in Canora, Sask. Canada. From Box 3 of the
John Panchuk collection.
Alfred G. Meyer visual materials.
- 1 folder and 1 videocassette (VHS)
- Professor of political science at Michigan State University and at the University of Michigan; director of the U-M Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies; specialist in communist ideology and the Soviet political system.
Photographs of family members (partially identified) depicting holiday celebrations, World War I service, and family portraits. Many of the photographs were taken in Germany. There is also an interview (VHS videocassette) with Meyer for the Shoah project discussing his family and their flight from Nazi Germany.
West Side United Methodist Church sound recordings series, 1951-1989.
- 6 sound cassettes and 12 reel-to-reel tapes (5-7 in.)
- Church originally established by German immigrant families to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Sound recordings of special event services; also recordings of interviews with members on the history of the church.
Lynn Ruester oral history tapes, 1986-1992.
- 40 sound cassettes and 1 volume.
Sound cassettes of interviews with German soldiers and civilians recounting their experiences during World War II. The interview tapes are in German followed by an English translation. Also includes a volume of excerpts and summarization titled "The other side of D-Day."
Italian American
Russell M. Magnaghi sound recording collection.
- ca. 140 cassette tapes.
- Professor of history at Northern Michigan University.
Recordings of interviews with individuals pertaining to Italian American life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
A young boy named David pointing out his
work to his parents at an award dinner,
Summer 1998. From Box 3 of the Casa de
Unidad (Detroit, Mich.) collection.
Latino/a
Ana Luisa Cardona papers, 1973-2004.
- 1 linear foot and 1 oversize folder.
- Member of Detroit, Michigan Latino arts organization Casa de Unidad and the Alliance for Cultural Democracy.
Files relate to her association with Casa de Unidad particularly as art consultant on grants submitted by the organization; also materials relating to Jack Delano, who was a photographer with the Farm Security Administration, including interview with Delano about his career. The collection also includes files relating to the Alliance for Cultural Democracy.
Alan Clive transcripts of interviews, 1973-1974.
- 2 folders.
- Doctoral student in history at the University of Michigan.
Transcript of interview with author Harriette Arnow describing her life in the Detroit area following her migration from Kentucky during the mid-1940s; also interview with Jane Gonzalez discussing Chicano community in Muskegon area during the war. The interviews were used in Clive's thesis (later book), "State of War: Michigan in World War II."
Casa de Unidad (Detroit, Mich.) sound recordings, 1988-1999.
- 31 cassette tapes.
- Organization founded in Detroit, Mich. in 1980 as Casa de Unidad Cultural Arts and Media Center. The center devoted its resources to identifying, developing, and preserving the Hispanic/Latino cultural heritage of Southwest Detroit. The organization offered workshops in the visual, literary, and performing arts. It also held a performing arts festival, and nurtured local artists by providing exhibition space in its gallery.
Oral history interviews with Latino individuals who settled in Detroit in the 1920s; also lectures presented at the Center and recordings of cultural events and organization board meetings.
Young African American doctors, 1945. From
Box 3 of the Kellogg African American Health
Care Project collection.
Native American
Susan Shagonaby transcript of oral interview, March 1974.
- 1 item (35 p.)
- Harbor Springs, Michigan, resident.
Description of her life and education as Ottawa Indian, including comments on Indian customs and history in Harbor Springs, Michigan, region.
Polish American
Laurie Palazzolo Horn Man research materials collection sound recordings, 1930s-2004.
- 36 78-rpm phonograph discs, 70 45-rpm phonograph discs, 17 33½-rpm phonograph discs, and 40 cassette tapes.
- Palazzolo is a founding member of the West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society and a past officer on the board of directors of the Friends of Polish Arts. She is also president, executive producer of Hornman Detroit, and member of various Polish American cultural and historical organizations. Palazzolo currently serves as the West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society's Vice President and Executive Director/Secretary.
Sound recording series includes original music recordings of greater Detroit polka bands, as well as recordings of interviews taken by Palazzolo while doing research for her 2003 book, "Horn Man: the Polish-American musician in the twentieth-century Detroit." Recordings include music by Ted Gomulka orchestra, Johnny Sadrack and his orchestra, Stan Wisniach and his orchestra, Michigan Polka-Tels, and other greater Detroit polka bands.
Refugees
Richard H. Solomon papers, ca. 1965-ca. 1967.
- 7 linear feet.
- Professor of political science at the University of Michigan, scholar of Chinese history and politics.
Interviews conducted with Chinese refugees; also computer analyses of the interviews.
Alfred G. Meyer visual materials.
- 1 folder and 1 videocassette (VHS)
- Professor of political science at Michigan State University and at the University of Michigan; director of the U-M Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies; specialist in communist ideology and the Soviet political system.
Photographs of family members (partially identified) depicting holiday celebrations, World War I service, and family portraits. Many of the photographs were taken in Germany. There is also an interview (VHS videocassette) with Meyer for the Shoah project discussing his family and their flight from Nazi Germany.
John Panchuk papers, 1913-1980.
- 3 linear ft., 1 oversize folder, and 1 outsize vol.
- Battle Creek, Michigan, attorney.
Oral history interview; materials relating to his involvement in Ukrainian-American organizations and activities; materials relating to the Michigan Displaced Persons Commission; papers relating to 1960 Democratic National Convention and presidential campaign; materials concerning memorial statues erected in honor of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko; letters 1936-1937, from Waldemar Hunold, member of the Hitler Youth, written to Panchuk's sister-in-law, Florence Lightfoot; and photographs.
Photo of Robert Kennedy used in an Arab
American Newsletter, ca. 1967-1971.
From the Janice J. Terry collection.
Norman Owen transcripts and tapes of oral interviews, 1979-1980.
- 1 linear ft.
- Conducted by members of classes taught by Norman Owen, professor of history at the University of Michigan.
Interviews concern the Vietnam War, including discussions with members of the American military, Vietnamese refugees, a draft counselor, a war widow and anti-war activist.
Solvenian American
- 1 linear ft. (26 cassette tapes and 1 folder of log sheets.).
- Interviews conducted by Barbara McCann, entitled, "That was all done by women," relating to the life and activities of the Slovenian American women of Traunik, Michigan, Upper Peninsula lumbering and farming community.
Discussions about the daily activities of women in this largely Slovenian community; contain index sheets to the tapes.
Ukrainian American
John Panchuk papers, 1913-1980.
- 3 linear ft., 1 oversize folder, and 1 outsize vol.
- Battle Creek, Michigan, attorney.
Oral history interview; materials relating to his involvement in Ukrainian-American organizations and activities; materials relating to the Michigan Displaced Persons Commission; papers relating to 1960 Democratic National Convention and presidential campaign; materials concerning memorial statues erected in honor of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko; letters 1936-1937, from Waldemar Hunold, member of the Hitler Youth, written to Panchuk's sister-in-law, Florence Lightfoot; and photographs.