Pandemic Voces from the Richman Neighborhood

FAIN: PN-296010-24

California State University, Fullerton (Fullerton, CA 92831-3599)
Natalie Fousekis (Project Director: May 2023 to present)

The recording of 30 oral history interviews in English and Spanish that document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Latinx community in the Richman neighborhood of California. The project would translate, transcribe, and index interviews and make them available online and host community events to share the deliverables.

Pandemic Voces is a community-based oral history project that will record the COVID-19 stories of this predominantly Latinx, Spanish-speaking, often undocumented and underserved community in Fullerton, CA. Like Latinx communities across America, the pandemic hit Richman residents hard with loss of jobs, high rates of exposure as essential workers, challenges providing pandemic and vaccine information to residents, technology barriers for students, and the stress and mental toll that resulted from these events. The Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History (COPH) will work closely with the Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (CHN) to make connections with local residents and record 30 oral history interviews (~20 in Spanish) which will be available on a searchable website. Stories of formal and informal assistance provided by community organizations will also be recorded. The stories of struggle and resilience in underserved communities like Richman must not be forgotten.