Latino Neighborhoods and Rasquache Private and Public Expressions of Cultural Identity

FAIN: ZR-256721-18

Boise State University (Boise, ID 83725-0001)
Maria A. Garza (Project Director: February 2017 to May 2024)

Documenting the cultural expression of Latinos in Idaho's rural and urban communities through oral histories and still photography.

Latino Neighborhoods and Rasquache Private and Public Expressions of Cultural Identity is a partnership involving Boise State University’s Latino Cultural Center, faculty from the departments of World Languages, Theatre Arts, and English, an economic development expert from the Division of Research and Economic Development, and development officers from University Advancement; the Idaho State Historical Museum; The Cabin, a Center for Writers and Readers; the Boise City Department of Arts and History; and the College of Western Idaho. We are requesting $150,000 from the NEH Creating Humanities Communities program. The project documents the cultural expression of Latinos in rural and urban communities through oral histories and still photography. This work is important because it preserves the ephemeral material culture and lived experience of the region’s most rapidly growing demographic.