The Amador Family Correspondence Digitization Project

FAIN: PW-285052-22

New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM 88003-8002)
Monika Glowacka-Musial (Project Director: July 2021 to present)

Digitizing and cataloging approximately 15,000 pages of correspondence from the Amador family papers (1856–1949), which document the family’s personal and business activities in the border region of southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua, Mexico. The primary sources would be made available through the library’s digital collections website.  

The Amador Family Correspondence Digitization Project

Media Coverage

NMSU students connect with Amador family correspondence through digitization project (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Tatiana Favela
Publication: NMSU newsroom
Date: 3/29/2023
Abstract: Angeles Tena, a freshman at New Mexico State University, began her college experience by jumping into a prestigious project happening at the NMSU Library – the Amador Family Correspondence Digitization Project. “The most interesting part is learning so much about the Mexican culture and how the letters are written,” Tena said. Tena is one of eight students from different majors who were hired to create high-quality digital scans of 15,000 pages of original correspondence and extract the essential descriptive information from the letters that will make them discoverable to researchers around the world. Dennis Daily, department head of NMSU’s Archives and Special Collections, said the students are provided an experiential learning opportunity while discovering the unique stories that happened on our border. “We have been amazed by the work and enthusiasm shown by these students as they help us undertake this challenging digitization project,” Daily said. “We are fortunate to
URL: https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-students-connect-with-amador-family-correspondence-through-digitization-project/s/52f03a35-3070-4266-971d-c9f48de7679c

NMSU Library’s ‘NEH’ team earns award for Amador Family digitization project (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Tatiana Favela
Publication: NMSU newsroom
Date: 7/2/2024
Abstract: Hard work is starting to pay off at New Mexico State University’s Library as staff and student employees have been working on a prestigious project that recently earned an award from the Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists. The Library’s National Endowment for the Humanities project team was selected as the 2024 winner of CIMA’s Archival Project award for their work on the Amador Family Correspondence Digitization Project. “We feel very honored that our Amador Family Correspondence Digitization Project has been awarded by the archivists, conservators, historians, and other archives professionals in the Inter-mountain West,” said Monika Glowacka-Musial, metadata librarian at NMSU Library. “This project really focuses on introducing NMSU students to the art and craft of preserving unique historical documents, and as such it makes the students Curators and Guardian of their own cultural and linguistic heritage. The CIMA recognition validates our approach and adds meaning to our work
URL: https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-library-s--neh--team-earns-award-for-amador-family-digitization-project/s/7cca0c57-10ff-47a3-a558-55bb6b120052?cat=news|headlines-by-college

Hispanic Heritage Month - Amador Family (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Initiatives - Pasa Por Aqui
Date: 9/28/2022
Abstract: Introduction to the Amador Papers collections in relation to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
URL: https://newmexicohumanities.org/

Associated Products

Uncovering the Legacy of a Transborder Family (Web Resource)
Title: Uncovering the Legacy of a Transborder Family
Author: Elizabeth Villa
Author: Darlynna John
Abstract: With generous financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, New Mexico State University (NMSU) Library is now digitizing and increasing scholarly access to 15,000 pages of original correspondence from the Amador family, a Mexican-American family of prominence in the border region of southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua, Mexico, during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The letters illuminate the Amadors’ struggles and triumphs as they navigate life on the U.S.-Mexico border during an important period of transition for both nations. Like many Mexicans who accepted U.S. citizenship when the land where they lived passed from Mexico to the United States as a result of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Amadors were challenged to find a way to retain important aspects of their cultural heritage and identity while simultaneously adapting to new social, political, and economic circumstances. During their rise to prominence in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the Amadors kept up a prodigious correspondence with family, friends, business associates, clergy, and educators, among others, on both sides of the border. These letters, housed in the Archives and Special Collections of the NMSU Library, have served researchers from a variety of humanities and social science disciplines for more than 50 years. The materials have been freely available on-site since the 1970s and the collection steadily has gained a dedicated following of academic and public users who appreciate its unique perspective and massive scope. In 2022, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the NMSU Library $345,763 to digitize and provide online access to the complete Amador family correspondence. The three-year project will make these primary-source borderlands archives available worldwide.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://lib.nmsu.edu/neh-amador-project/index.html
Primary URL Description: The Amador Family Correspondence project website.
Secondary URL: n/a
Secondary URL Description: n/a

Prizes

Archival Project Award
Date: 5/31/2024
Organization: Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists
Abstract: The Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA) is an association of archivists, conservators, historians, and other archives professionals in the Inter-mountain West. Its membership is open to all, and institutions in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, and New Mexico are well represented. CIMA is a registered Non-Profit in the State of Utah and a 501(c)(6) tax exempt organization. Dues and donations are not deductible as a charitable donation. Membership dues help fund programs and publications, plus sponsorship of the Journal of Western Archives. Being a member provides access to a regularly published newsletter and a reduced rate for the annual meeting. In addition, dues directly support the Steve Wood Scholarship Fund. The Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists grants up to five awards annually: Lifetime Achievement, Service, Mentor, Archival Projects, and Innovator.

Amador Family Correspondence, 1856-1949 (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Amador Family Correspondence, 1856-1949
Author: Elizabeth Villa
Author: Monika Glowacka-Musial
Author: Matthew Martinez
Author: Dennis Daily
Author: Jennifer Olguin
Abstract: The Amador family correspondence is made up of approximately 15,000 pages of letters, mostly in Spanish, from a Mexican-American family of prominence in the border region of southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua, Mexico during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The letters illuminate the struggles and triumphs of a Mexican family as they negotiate transborder life on the U.S.-Mexico boundary following the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Like many Mexicans who accepted American citizenship when the land where they lived passed from Mexico to the United States as a result of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Amadors were challenged to find a way to retain important aspects of their cultural heritage and identity while simultaneously adapting to a new social, political, and economic system. During their rise to prominence in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the family members kept up a prodigious correspondence with family, friends, business associates, clergy, and educators, among others, on both sides of the border. The bulk of the correspondence circulated between the border communities of Las Cruces, El Paso, and Ciudad Juarez, the three cities where the Amadors lived and spent most of their time. Some family members, at times, also lived in and corresponded from the cities of Chihuahua and Albuquerque. With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the NMSU Library currently is digitizing the correspondence in its entirety in order to increase access to this valuable resource. This digital collection will continue to grow until the project’s anticipated completion date in the fall of 2025.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/amadorfamily
Primary URL Description: NMSU Library - Amador Family Correspondence, 1856-1949 -digital collection website, hosted on the CONTENTdm platform.
Secondary URL: n/a
Secondary URL Description: n/a
Access Model: Open access

Amador Family Correspondence, 1856-1949 (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Amador Family Correspondence, 1856-1949
Author: Front page design by Darlynna John
Author: LibNova
Abstract: The Amador family correspondence is made up of approximately 15,000 pages of letters, mostly in Spanish, from a Mexican-American family of prominence in the border region of southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua, Mexico during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The letters illuminate the struggles and triumphs of a Mexican family as they negotiate transborder life on the U.S.-Mexico boundary following the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Like many Mexicans who accepted American citizenship when the land where they lived passed from Mexico to the United States as a result of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Amadors were challenged to find a way to retain important aspects of their cultural heritage and identity while simultaneously adapting to a new social, political, and economic system. During their rise to prominence in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the family members kept up a prodigious correspondence with family, friends, business associates, clergy, and educators, among others, on both sides of the border. The bulk of the correspondence circulated between the border communities of Las Cruces, El Paso, and Ciudad Juarez, the three cities where the Amadors lived and spent most of their time. Some family members, at times, also lived in and corresponded from the cities of Chihuahua and Albuquerque. With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the NMSU Library currently is digitizing the correspondence in its entirety in order to increase access to this valuable resource. This digital collection will continue to grow until the project’s anticipated completion date in the fall of 2025.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://oa.nmsu.libnova.com/collection/10317/amador-family-correspondence-1856-1949?offset=1&limit=10
Primary URL Description: Link to the Amador Family Correspondence digital collection
Access Model: Open Access platform by LibNova

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