1 25 60 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/01d05b371e3902f103adf39215fcab0b.png f42d077a0276005b29e85432c9791842 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/b4472b3d6014c036d936d58b89d0aa5a.png 553aba1dc25f0a701603dc5b22da64dc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource uOttawa Time Capsule 2025 Subject The topic of the resource According to Google AI, "A digital time capsule is a curated collection of digital assets, like photos, videos, and documents, intended to capture a specific moment, person, or theme and be preserved and shared in the future." In our case, this time capsule reflects important objects, places, and ephemera that illustrate campus life in fall 2025. All were chosen by the students who were participant-observers of their own cultures. The students not only chose and photographed the objects, but they also wrote the stories or narratives associated with them. Description An account of the resource The culture of the University of Ottawa can be understood through the everyday objects that define student life. It begins with the uOttawa student card, the first sign of belonging. Paired with a Gee-Gees lanyard or a bilingual business card, it reflects the university’s bilingual identity and its position as a meeting point between English and French. This duality shapes how students learn, communicate, and represent themselves both on and off campus. Student culture at uOttawa is also reflected in what people wear. Levi’s jeans, University of Ottawa hoodies, sherpa jacket, and Telfer sweatshirts show how clothing blends comfort, pride, and practicality. The 101er Frosh T-shirt and Shine Day shirt add another layer of meaning, symbolizing both community and philanthropy. Frosh week introduces students to campus life, while Shine Day connects them to broader causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Together, they show that school spirit at uOttawa extends beyond academics. The academic side of university life is seen in objects like the Apple products, headphones, notepaper, laptop stickers, syllabus, water bottles, and criminology string bags that fill classrooms and study spaces. These represent both creativity and routine. The Tim Hortons coffee cup might seem simple, but it captures a familiar ritual across campus. Coffee runs are part of the rhythm of student life, a shared pause in busy days. School pride and social life also find expression in items like Panda Game tickets and the Pedro Panda Trophy. These objects represent one of uOttawa’s biggest traditions, a yearly football rivalry with Carleton University that brings students together in celebration. Moments like this create a strong sense of community, even among a large and diverse student body. The Orange Shirt acknowledges the atrocities and suffering experienced by those who attended residential schools in Canada as part of the national Truth and Reconciliation mandate to honor Indigenous peoples. Finally, artifacts such as the U Cup mug, beer glasses from Father and Son's, a Prusa 3D printer, and even O-Frango’s—a popular student food stop, represent the blend of innovation and everyday culture. They show how uOttawa combines research, creativity, and social connection in a way that feels uniquely its own. Taken together, these objects tell a story about identity and community. The culture of uOttawa is defined by hard work, inclusivity, and pride, but also by small moments of connection. From the student card to the Panda Game, each item reflects how students experience and shape university life every day. Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "Every Child Matters" Orange T-Shirt Subject The topic of the resource Orange Tee-Shirt representing the history of Residential Schools, and brings awareness to Truth and Reconciliation Day. Description An account of the resource These Orange “Every Child Matters” T-shirts are made specifically for raising awareness of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Day. These T-shirts are representative of the “Every Child Matters” movement with the purpose of spreading awareness and showing support. The University of Ottawa “Every Child Matters” T-shirt is both symbolically supportive to the Indigenous Community as well as financially, with proceeds donated to various charities supporting Truth and Reconciliation. The University of Ottawa students and staff are taught the history of Canadian Indigenous Peoples through guest lectures, and courses throughout the school year, all with the goal of awareness and support. In addition to this education, each course syllabus includes a mandatory land acknowledgement, with many professors adding additional education for their students. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource DGN Marketing SVCS LTD, Art by: Madison Pascal Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Found Online at <a href="https://www.bkstr.com/ottawastore/product/ots-every-chld-mtt-orang-sm---837173-1">University of Ottawa Campus Store</a> In-Person- Boutique Campus Store, University of Ottawa, Jock-Turcot University Centre, 85 University UCU, Level 0, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Curated by- A. Brown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available University Of Ottawa Boutique Campus Store Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Truth And Reconciliation (September 30th), 2025 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource DGN Marketing SVCS LTD, University of Ottawa Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 100% Cotton, Screen Print Design, Ranges in Sizes from Small- 2XL Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Apparel, Physical Item Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 120396 GLD2000/ORNG3FR/949 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Sold as Campus Merchandise however online access allows for broader shopping audiences https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/1b5e4266f3c5460a6b036e4c06acfc09.jpg e599abb28c9ff6d88dd70664c109112f https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/a3d326525b06d38588aa2c3cf25907bf.jpg 0137f8dc631fcd44f9dd68ccebed8297 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource uOttawa Time Capsule 2025 Subject The topic of the resource According to Google AI, "A digital time capsule is a curated collection of digital assets, like photos, videos, and documents, intended to capture a specific moment, person, or theme and be preserved and shared in the future." In our case, this time capsule reflects important objects, places, and ephemera that illustrate campus life in fall 2025. All were chosen by the students who were participant-observers of their own cultures. The students not only chose and photographed the objects, but they also wrote the stories or narratives associated with them. Description An account of the resource The culture of the University of Ottawa can be understood through the everyday objects that define student life. It begins with the uOttawa student card, the first sign of belonging. Paired with a Gee-Gees lanyard or a bilingual business card, it reflects the university’s bilingual identity and its position as a meeting point between English and French. This duality shapes how students learn, communicate, and represent themselves both on and off campus. Student culture at uOttawa is also reflected in what people wear. Levi’s jeans, University of Ottawa hoodies, sherpa jacket, and Telfer sweatshirts show how clothing blends comfort, pride, and practicality. The 101er Frosh T-shirt and Shine Day shirt add another layer of meaning, symbolizing both community and philanthropy. Frosh week introduces students to campus life, while Shine Day connects them to broader causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Together, they show that school spirit at uOttawa extends beyond academics. The academic side of university life is seen in objects like the Apple products, headphones, notepaper, laptop stickers, syllabus, water bottles, and criminology string bags that fill classrooms and study spaces. These represent both creativity and routine. The Tim Hortons coffee cup might seem simple, but it captures a familiar ritual across campus. Coffee runs are part of the rhythm of student life, a shared pause in busy days. School pride and social life also find expression in items like Panda Game tickets and the Pedro Panda Trophy. These objects represent one of uOttawa’s biggest traditions, a yearly football rivalry with Carleton University that brings students together in celebration. Moments like this create a strong sense of community, even among a large and diverse student body. The Orange Shirt acknowledges the atrocities and suffering experienced by those who attended residential schools in Canada as part of the national Truth and Reconciliation mandate to honor Indigenous peoples. Finally, artifacts such as the U Cup mug, beer glasses from Father and Son's, a Prusa 3D printer, and even O-Frango’s—a popular student food stop, represent the blend of innovation and everyday culture. They show how uOttawa combines research, creativity, and social connection in a way that feels uniquely its own. Taken together, these objects tell a story about identity and community. The culture of uOttawa is defined by hard work, inclusivity, and pride, but also by small moments of connection. From the student card to the Panda Game, each item reflects how students experience and shape university life every day. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 101er Frosh T-Shirt - AÉDSA Subject The topic of the resource University student orientation; Faculty of Social Sciences; School of International Development and Global Studies; University of Ottawa; 101 Week 2024; campus culture; student life Description An account of the resource A short-sleeved cotton T-shirt produced for the 2024 101 Week (frosh week) Kits at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences. Purchased in order to attend all the 101 week events created to facilitate community and visibility among new students. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource University of Ottawa Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Purchased from the AÉDSA as part of a 101 Week Kit from: 120 University Drive (FSS 2039) Ottawa, K1N 6N5 Canada Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) in collaboration with the Development Students Association (AÉDSA) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024-09-01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource University of Ottawa Development Students Association Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Cotton t-shirt with a printed graphic design Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object, event memorabilia, apparel Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Used from 2024-09-01 to 2024-09-07 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/d48088832811958427fa43554fdb7e50.png d4f2d8a15b0109158d9edadd5fc560c0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource uOttawa Time Capsule 2025 Subject The topic of the resource According to Google AI, "A digital time capsule is a curated collection of digital assets, like photos, videos, and documents, intended to capture a specific moment, person, or theme and be preserved and shared in the future." In our case, this time capsule reflects important objects, places, and ephemera that illustrate campus life in fall 2025. All were chosen by the students who were participant-observers of their own cultures. The students not only chose and photographed the objects, but they also wrote the stories or narratives associated with them. Description An account of the resource The culture of the University of Ottawa can be understood through the everyday objects that define student life. It begins with the uOttawa student card, the first sign of belonging. Paired with a Gee-Gees lanyard or a bilingual business card, it reflects the university’s bilingual identity and its position as a meeting point between English and French. This duality shapes how students learn, communicate, and represent themselves both on and off campus. Student culture at uOttawa is also reflected in what people wear. Levi’s jeans, University of Ottawa hoodies, sherpa jacket, and Telfer sweatshirts show how clothing blends comfort, pride, and practicality. The 101er Frosh T-shirt and Shine Day shirt add another layer of meaning, symbolizing both community and philanthropy. Frosh week introduces students to campus life, while Shine Day connects them to broader causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Together, they show that school spirit at uOttawa extends beyond academics. The academic side of university life is seen in objects like the Apple products, headphones, notepaper, laptop stickers, syllabus, water bottles, and criminology string bags that fill classrooms and study spaces. These represent both creativity and routine. The Tim Hortons coffee cup might seem simple, but it captures a familiar ritual across campus. Coffee runs are part of the rhythm of student life, a shared pause in busy days. School pride and social life also find expression in items like Panda Game tickets and the Pedro Panda Trophy. These objects represent one of uOttawa’s biggest traditions, a yearly football rivalry with Carleton University that brings students together in celebration. Moments like this create a strong sense of community, even among a large and diverse student body. The Orange Shirt acknowledges the atrocities and suffering experienced by those who attended residential schools in Canada as part of the national Truth and Reconciliation mandate to honor Indigenous peoples. Finally, artifacts such as the U Cup mug, beer glasses from Father and Son's, a Prusa 3D printer, and even O-Frango’s—a popular student food stop, represent the blend of innovation and everyday culture. They show how uOttawa combines research, creativity, and social connection in a way that feels uniquely its own. Taken together, these objects tell a story about identity and community. The culture of uOttawa is defined by hard work, inclusivity, and pride, but also by small moments of connection. From the student card to the Panda Game, each item reflects how students experience and shape university life every day. Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Apple AirPods Max Subject The topic of the resource Apple AirPods Max Over-Ear Wireless Headphones Description An account of the resource Apple AirPods Max headphones represents a widely adopted personal audio technology among university students. Known for their premium materials, active noise cancellation, and integration with the Apple device ecosystem, AirPods Max became a recognizable element of campus life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Apple Inc. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Apple Inc. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource © Apple Inc. – All rights reserved Relation A related resource Physical object. Materials: Ear Cups: Anodized aluminum Frame: Stainless steel Headband: Breathable knit mesh fabric Ear Cushions: Memory foam with acoustic fabric covering Case (if present): Soft-touch synthetic material Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical Object (Contemporary Technology Artifact) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context IMG_AirPodsMax Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.apple.com/ca/store?afid=p240%7Cgo~cmp-21281762316~adg-165151408289~ad-779211525496_kwd-55876320~dev-c~ext-~prd-~mca-~nt-search&cid=aos-ca-kwgo-brand-brand-avail-102225-">Apple Store </a> https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/04c8fdf8da13962e82a6780175153759.jpeg 74a4d7a7ffd11d24027381fda3127a85 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/a1cf57d0422bc87e502dfea60b1fdc4b.jpg 699f381fe1fba96f83eed8cca92bbc84 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource uOttawa Time Capsule 2025 Subject The topic of the resource According to Google AI, "A digital time capsule is a curated collection of digital assets, like photos, videos, and documents, intended to capture a specific moment, person, or theme and be preserved and shared in the future." In our case, this time capsule reflects important objects, places, and ephemera that illustrate campus life in fall 2025. All were chosen by the students who were participant-observers of their own cultures. The students not only chose and photographed the objects, but they also wrote the stories or narratives associated with them. Description An account of the resource The culture of the University of Ottawa can be understood through the everyday objects that define student life. It begins with the uOttawa student card, the first sign of belonging. Paired with a Gee-Gees lanyard or a bilingual business card, it reflects the university’s bilingual identity and its position as a meeting point between English and French. This duality shapes how students learn, communicate, and represent themselves both on and off campus. Student culture at uOttawa is also reflected in what people wear. Levi’s jeans, University of Ottawa hoodies, sherpa jacket, and Telfer sweatshirts show how clothing blends comfort, pride, and practicality. The 101er Frosh T-shirt and Shine Day shirt add another layer of meaning, symbolizing both community and philanthropy. Frosh week introduces students to campus life, while Shine Day connects them to broader causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Together, they show that school spirit at uOttawa extends beyond academics. The academic side of university life is seen in objects like the Apple products, headphones, notepaper, laptop stickers, syllabus, water bottles, and criminology string bags that fill classrooms and study spaces. These represent both creativity and routine. The Tim Hortons coffee cup might seem simple, but it captures a familiar ritual across campus. Coffee runs are part of the rhythm of student life, a shared pause in busy days. School pride and social life also find expression in items like Panda Game tickets and the Pedro Panda Trophy. These objects represent one of uOttawa’s biggest traditions, a yearly football rivalry with Carleton University that brings students together in celebration. Moments like this create a strong sense of community, even among a large and diverse student body. The Orange Shirt acknowledges the atrocities and suffering experienced by those who attended residential schools in Canada as part of the national Truth and Reconciliation mandate to honor Indigenous peoples. Finally, artifacts such as the U Cup mug, beer glasses from Father and Son's, a Prusa 3D printer, and even O-Frango’s—a popular student food stop, represent the blend of innovation and everyday culture. They show how uOttawa combines research, creativity, and social connection in a way that feels uniquely its own. Taken together, these objects tell a story about identity and community. The culture of uOttawa is defined by hard work, inclusivity, and pride, but also by small moments of connection. From the student card to the Panda Game, each item reflects how students experience and shape university life every day. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Apple Computer Subject The topic of the resource Online learning, Brightspace, student computing, students’ digital life Description An account of the resource The computer is the single most important item during a student’s time at the University of Ottawa. It is the medium in which students can access Brightspace, a website where students can submit and receive assignments as well as engage in class discussions, send and receive emails through Outlook, create their class schedule, apply for bursaries, receive tax forms through their student portal (UOzone), research (Omni), and take notes (Word). The computer is also very useful for a student outside of school use; it is a necessary product for all students. While the specific MacBook Air 15” may not be the most common model, the Apple brand itself clearly dominates among students. Each person tends to choose the version that fits their preferences, but the Apple logo is what ties them all together. The MacBook stands out with its fast performance, built-in features such as AirDrop, iMessage, and FaceTime. This is what makes it easy for students to connect and share work. While owning a MacBook can feel like a status symbol, it also represents belonging to the image of the modern, connected student. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Property of the manufacturer - Apple Inc. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Starlight, aluminum body, 15-inch Liquid Retina display, M3 chip, backlit keyboard, English language macOS Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical object → Laptop Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant This model is widely used by university students beginning in 2024-2025 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Apple Inc. - Manufacturer Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 05/11/25 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived CF Rideau Centre Apple Store 50 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9J7 Acquired on: 2024-08-15 Acquired how: Purchased Curated by: Nasreen Mohammadian, Olive Soki-Kavwahirehi, Erica Woolsey, Cloée Ennis, Patrick Levesque Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Apple Inc. Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Cattalogue number 2025 - 002 Technology https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/95147b9f01709ef77e7c8d92a27b0fa0.PNG f003c0eae9d88a7e2b7b93de064a937a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource uOttawa Time Capsule 2025 Subject The topic of the resource According to Google AI, "A digital time capsule is a curated collection of digital assets, like photos, videos, and documents, intended to capture a specific moment, person, or theme and be preserved and shared in the future." In our case, this time capsule reflects important objects, places, and ephemera that illustrate campus life in fall 2025. All were chosen by the students who were participant-observers of their own cultures. The students not only chose and photographed the objects, but they also wrote the stories or narratives associated with them. Description An account of the resource The culture of the University of Ottawa can be understood through the everyday objects that define student life. It begins with the uOttawa student card, the first sign of belonging. Paired with a Gee-Gees lanyard or a bilingual business card, it reflects the university’s bilingual identity and its position as a meeting point between English and French. This duality shapes how students learn, communicate, and represent themselves both on and off campus. Student culture at uOttawa is also reflected in what people wear. Levi’s jeans, University of Ottawa hoodies, sherpa jacket, and Telfer sweatshirts show how clothing blends comfort, pride, and practicality. The 101er Frosh T-shirt and Shine Day shirt add another layer of meaning, symbolizing both community and philanthropy. Frosh week introduces students to campus life, while Shine Day connects them to broader causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Together, they show that school spirit at uOttawa extends beyond academics. The academic side of university life is seen in objects like the Apple products, headphones, notepaper, laptop stickers, syllabus, water bottles, and criminology string bags that fill classrooms and study spaces. These represent both creativity and routine. The Tim Hortons coffee cup might seem simple, but it captures a familiar ritual across campus. Coffee runs are part of the rhythm of student life, a shared pause in busy days. School pride and social life also find expression in items like Panda Game tickets and the Pedro Panda Trophy. These objects represent one of uOttawa’s biggest traditions, a yearly football rivalry with Carleton University that brings students together in celebration. Moments like this create a strong sense of community, even among a large and diverse student body. The Orange Shirt acknowledges the atrocities and suffering experienced by those who attended residential schools in Canada as part of the national Truth and Reconciliation mandate to honor Indigenous peoples. Finally, artifacts such as the U Cup mug, beer glasses from Father and Son's, a Prusa 3D printer, and even O-Frango’s—a popular student food stop, represent the blend of innovation and everyday culture. They show how uOttawa combines research, creativity, and social connection in a way that feels uniquely its own. Taken together, these objects tell a story about identity and community. The culture of uOttawa is defined by hard work, inclusivity, and pride, but also by small moments of connection. From the student card to the Panda Game, each item reflects how students experience and shape university life every day. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Apple iPads Subject The topic of the resource Electronic device that many university students have become dependent upon Description An account of the resource Apple iPads are a staple in the lives of university students for its conveniency. They singlehandedly replace physical notebooks, textbooks, and heavy laptops, in addition to saving much needed space. Textbooks can be downloaded on these iPads from anywhere that has Wi-Fi services. Notes are typed faster, and the screen can split to show two tabs at once. iPads are easily accessorized to match a student's personality both physically and digitally. Apple provides students with incentive to purchase these iPads because of the special student discounts that are offered to students on their iPad lines. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Steve Jobs Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Located at CF Rideau centre 50 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9J7 Ottawa, ON, K1N 9J7 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Apple Inc Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource iPad Air (5th generation) March 2022 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Apple Inc Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 13” or 11” Liquid Retina display P3 wide colour True Tone Antireflective coating Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Electronic device Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2025-001 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant These ipads have been used by students ever since they came out partly due to popularity, but mostly out of convenience. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/4aee0a5fc603647ed61a8e8b8002a81f.jpg 341c6cdc17747170285d6daa58ffe68d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource uOttawa Time Capsule 2025 Subject The topic of the resource According to Google AI, "A digital time capsule is a curated collection of digital assets, like photos, videos, and documents, intended to capture a specific moment, person, or theme and be preserved and shared in the future." In our case, this time capsule reflects important objects, places, and ephemera that illustrate campus life in fall 2025. All were chosen by the students who were participant-observers of their own cultures. The students not only chose and photographed the objects, but they also wrote the stories or narratives associated with them. Description An account of the resource The culture of the University of Ottawa can be understood through the everyday objects that define student life. It begins with the uOttawa student card, the first sign of belonging. Paired with a Gee-Gees lanyard or a bilingual business card, it reflects the university’s bilingual identity and its position as a meeting point between English and French. This duality shapes how students learn, communicate, and represent themselves both on and off campus. Student culture at uOttawa is also reflected in what people wear. Levi’s jeans, University of Ottawa hoodies, sherpa jacket, and Telfer sweatshirts show how clothing blends comfort, pride, and practicality. The 101er Frosh T-shirt and Shine Day shirt add another layer of meaning, symbolizing both community and philanthropy. Frosh week introduces students to campus life, while Shine Day connects them to broader causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Together, they show that school spirit at uOttawa extends beyond academics. The academic side of university life is seen in objects like the Apple products, headphones, notepaper, laptop stickers, syllabus, water bottles, and criminology string bags that fill classrooms and study spaces. These represent both creativity and routine. The Tim Hortons coffee cup might seem simple, but it captures a familiar ritual across campus. Coffee runs are part of the rhythm of student life, a shared pause in busy days. School pride and social life also find expression in items like Panda Game tickets and the Pedro Panda Trophy. These objects represent one of uOttawa’s biggest traditions, a yearly football rivalry with Carleton University that brings students together in celebration. Moments like this create a strong sense of community, even among a large and diverse student body. The Orange Shirt acknowledges the atrocities and suffering experienced by those who attended residential schools in Canada as part of the national Truth and Reconciliation mandate to honor Indigenous peoples. Finally, artifacts such as the U Cup mug, beer glasses from Father and Son's, a Prusa 3D printer, and even O-Frango’s—a popular student food stop, represent the blend of innovation and everyday culture. They show how uOttawa combines research, creativity, and social connection in a way that feels uniquely its own. Taken together, these objects tell a story about identity and community. The culture of uOttawa is defined by hard work, inclusivity, and pride, but also by small moments of connection. From the student card to the Panda Game, each item reflects how students experience and shape university life every day. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bluetooth Headphones Subject The topic of the resource Popular earwear/ headwear Description An account of the resource Apple earphones and headphones are one of the most popular electronic gadgets among students and professors for their ability to block out noise effectively and create a comfortable environment when working or studying in public spaces on campus. They allow for a customizable experience dedicated to every individual’s need. Some individuals may use them to block out noise or eliminate unwanted distractions while studying or working, and other individuals may play music in the background to help focus on the task at hand. They're also a great option for students who cannot book private study rooms but need to listen to video lectures on campus. This photo was taken at the Apple store directly across campus to show just how easy and simple it is to get access to these electronic gadgets. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dr. Dre and Jimmy Lovine Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Located at CF Rideau centre 50 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9J7 Ottawa, ON, K1N 9J7 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Apple Inc, 2014 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2014 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Apple Inc Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Form Factor: In ear (Earphones) Height: (case) 2.75 cm / 1.08 in. (bud) 2.04 cm / 0.80 in. Length: (case) 6.25 cm / 2.46 in. (bud) 2.74 cm / 1.08 in. Width: (case) 5.54 cm / 2.18 in. (bud) 2.15 cm / 0.84 in. Form Factor: On ear (Headphones) Weight: (case) 49.75 g (bud) 5.78 g (total) 61.3 g Height: 2.7 in. / 6.8 cm Length: 17.7 cm / 6.9 in. Width: 15.8 cm / 6.2 in. Weight: 217 g / 7.65 oz. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Electronic gadget Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context UPC or EAN No.: 195950384840, UPC or EAN No.: 195949121814 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant The digital age has brought about the importance of bluetooth headphones (or earphones) due to its complementary feature to all digital/electronic devices. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/1cdb995b913154fc5261fb755a6e5022.mp3 01da3fc81daff377b37d704db2dd642b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Alice Cordeiro Silva Veras Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Ropa Nyandoro Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On MS Teams Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound ROPA NYANDORO: Hello, my name is Ropa. Thank you for speaking with me today. I'm conducting interviews to learn more about the experiences, traditions and values of the Latin or Caribbean community in Ottawa. Your insights are very important, and I appreciate your participation. Before we begin, I want to confirm that your participation in this interview is entirely voluntary. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: Yes, that is right. ROPA NYANDORO: OK, you may skip any questions that you feel uncomfortable answering, and your responses may be used to gain a better understanding of and support for the community. Do you consent to participating in this interview? ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: I do. ROPA NYANDORO: OK. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: And I think it should be talked about more, maybe, so I think it would be nice to give every single country and every single culture the same importance. ROPA NYANDORO: Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Do you have any suggestions on what should be posted or on how we can better serve the community? ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: Like with the interviews. ROPA NYANDORO: Like the one with the website, yeah, on the website. ROPA NYANDORO: But I think you went through it when you were talking about how the website should showcase each culture as unique as it is. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: Yeah. ROPA NYANDORO: Yeah, I think you've already spoken about it. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: Yeah. Just like, for example, having a section about different holidays, because when you talk about Brazil, the only holiday that people know is Carnival. We have so many more that are fun and interesting and have a cool history behind them. It would be nice to have these kinds of things in pictures with maybe small explanations. ROPA NYANDORO: Hmm. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: It would also be nice to get more input from more people from the community, essentially making the website a bigger thing and getting to hear more voices from the community to celebrate these different cultures. ROPA NYANDORO: Hmm. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: It would be nice to, you know, to like talk about them, like explain the background and stuff like that. ROPA NYANDORO: Yeah. Um, do you have any comments or concerns before we close? ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: No, I don't think so. ROPA NYANDORO: Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. You were thorough. You shared some deep insights and I truly appreciate your time and participation. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure. ROPA NYANDORO: Thank you. Bye. ALICE CORDEIRO SILVA VERAS: Bye. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Alice Cordeiro Silva Veras Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-20 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 19 min 58 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Alice Cordeiro Silva Veras is from Brazil and currently lives in Ottawa. She moved to Canada at the age of 9 with her mother and younger sister. Having been here for over 10 years, she is now a permanent resident. Alice enjoys celebrating her culture and is passionate about sharing its diversity beyond well-known events like Carnival. She also values community voices and recommends that more members contribute to online platforms to celebrate and reflect the richness of Latin American and Caribbean cultures in Ottawa. Her insights reveal a desire for deeper cultural representation and recognition in public community projects. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/9cc675e9cd1bd13b43eccb663b873a04.mp3 1e28853fd2cb006b9cd5e2075d24d2f2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Alicia Lopez de Ferro Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Eden Piché; Annie Cable; Owen Brasi Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Eden: “Hi, my name is Eden.” Owen: “My name is Owen.” Annie: “And my name is Annie. And today we are hoping to get a better idea of what it is like to move to Ottawa from Latin America. So we sat down with Alicia, who's been living in Ottawa since 2016 and in Canada since 2011. Originally from Argentina, Alicia has played an instrumental role in building the Argentinian community here in Ottawa and bringing together many different families and individuals to connect and celebrate their shared culture.” Owen: “My first question to you is, you mentioned that you're from Argentina. Can you delve into that a little bit? Which part of Argentina are you from?” Alicia: “Well, I am from the north of Argentina. It's called Tucumán. It’s a small province that is basically in a valley. It has mountains. And during the wintertime, we have snow. But in the city, there is no snow at all. It is very dry. Yeah, basically a small, small province.” Owen: “And it's in the north?” Alicia: “In the north.” Owen: “Cool. You also mentioned that you came to Canada in 2011 in Winnipeg.” Alicia: “That's right. Yeah, yeah.” Owen: “What brought you to Ottawa five years later?” Alicia: “My husband's work. He's a computer engineer. He got a good offer from a company here in Ottawa and we decided to move at that time. Yeah.” Eden: “You've been here since 2011. You said it was because of your husband's job. Do you have any other family here? Are you here with your husband in Ottawa or...?” Alicia: “Basically, we don't have an extended family here. We are just my husband and my two kids. They are Canadians. However, the good thing about being Argentinian is that we are very tight. We have a very close community. When we came to Winnipeg, 2011, AMA, that is AMA, that is an association from Argentina, gave us support. Basically, we came to Winnipeg to explore. That's true too. We like Winnipeg, believe it or not. We love Winnipeg, we love the people. We feel really welcomed in Canada. And after that, of course, it's an opportunity. And my husband decided it was a good opportunity. He asked me and said, you know what? Yes, we can move to Ottawa. Why not?” Eden: “And do you see often your extended family that are still in Argentina? Or do they come see you? How does it work?” Alicia: “Yeah. We go to Argentina. We went to Argentina two times. But usually I’d like my family to come here to visit, especially my mom. We have small families. I have only my mom, my sister, and they came to visit two years ago. But the idea was trying to bring in here, basically just to bring in here. But of course, with older people, it's like difficult to adjust to the weather, the language and, well, she's coming back and forth. That's it.” Owen: “My next question to you is, do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood in Ottawa that speaks either Spanish or Portuguese and celebrates occasions that are...” Alicia: “No. We live in a mostly English-speaking community. We live in Canada. And basically, no. One thing is we are happy or we are proud, we are Argentinians, but at the same time, we live in Canada. We blend in with the community. We go for sugar bush, Halloween, Thanksgiving, that's maybe celebrations we don't have in Argentina or gatherings. And that is basically important for us. We blend it into the community. No, no, we have few, actually I don't know any neighbors that speak Spanish first. However, I created, because of the situation that I like to be with other Argentinians and help others, when I came here, I discovered that there was no association—Argentinian association—or gatherings from Argentinians. And during the pandemic, I created the Argentinian community here. We are right now like 200 people. Oh, yes. It is a huge amount. And yes, we gather together. We are known for our barbecues. We gathered together for Father's Day, Mother's Day, and we got that. We have Children's Day as well. The idea is we are here alone as a family, but we have an extended family. That is going to be friends, and because my kids don't have cousins or aunts, and it's better having a community than that speak the same language. And well, that's it.” Eden: “Since we spoke about celebrations, that differs from Argentina. What celebrations are the most important to you?” Alicia: “We think, aside from soccer, I think it's going to be Father's Day, Mother's Day, Children's Day, and the end of the year celebrations, like we gather together. But especially now, usually we gather together and talk a lot.” Eden: “Just need to gather together. And you also said that you blend in very much in the Canadian society. But is there a typical day in your community when you gather with the association?” Alicia: “No, not really, because, again, the idea is having connection between the other families that are alone here. We gather. For example, Argentina has the immigration influence from Italy or Spain, Spaniard. And we gather to have pasta, for example. Different kinds of pasta, all kinds of pasta, or pizza. Our pizza. Kind of thing like that. But special celebration, no, we don't do that. However, if it is soccer, maybe we can gather together. We go to Little Italy, that we have a small place where we can gather. And yeah, no, especially no. I don't know if that answers your question.” Eden: “Yeah. So you don't have any way to celebrate your heritage or…. You like soccer and that's about it?” Alicia: “No, no. No, we don't.” Eden: “So the way you talk about your heritage from Argentina is by talking about it, saying I'm Argentinian and just gathering together and creating an association and spread the good words about Argentina.” Alicia: “Basically. For now, it's not an association, it's just a group of people that gather together. The idea is having an association like a formal gathering, but for now it's just a group of people that gather together just to share our values, our food, and something like that. “ Annie: “I guess that's actually a great segue, because I was going to ask you, what are some values that you hold most dear to you as a member of the Latin American community or Argentinian community?” Alicia: “I think it is hard work. We are very flexible. For example, gathering with other Canadians are, you know, like we are living here. But again, trying to be flexible. We can show you our culture, but that doesn't mean that I can't, I'm trying to change it anyway. And again, I'm living here. I like having, you know, going to the sugar bush and beaver tails and everything else. And maybe hockey. But yeah, that's basically what we have.” Annie: “What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know?” Alicia: “Well, for me it's really important that Argentina geographically is in South America, but we are isolated from other countries. The way that we are isolated is we have the mountains, we have the highest mountains in all America, and then we have deserts and they have the jungle. That means that we are separate from Brazil or other countries because of the geographic limits. And that's why we are kind of having our own, not just culture, but food. We don't have the resources, for example, from tropical fruits. Our fruits are different. Why? Because we don't have that, like, climate. We have snow. We have ski resorts. And we gather together because we live, like a kind of small island, we can say. And even our language, Spanish, is Argentinian Spanish. If I talk with other people that speak Spanish, they know that I'm from Argentina. The pronunciation is distinctive, we can say.” Annie: “So I guess you'd say that the most important thing for people to know is that you're Argentinian first.” Alicia: “Yes, absolutely. Because of course, they try to gather in general, all together say, oh, yeah, spicy food. No, we don't eat spicy food here in Canada. You eat spicier. They say, “no, it's mild. No, it is not mild. It is really spicy.” And sometimes I cry because it's spicy. In Argentina, it's all on pepper. Be careful with the pepper because come on. Yeah.” Annie: “I totally agree. What foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals?” Alicia: “We have barbeque that is basically meat. The cuts, you know, like you have different variations of meat. It's different from country to country and from province to province in Argentina as well. Usually bought meat from Montreal. Otherwise we have, it's called croissant, Argentinian croissant. It's like cabrioche and pastry. But it's really kind of sweet. But it's Argentinian. We have only one person who does it here. It's in our community, but no, it's not common.” Annie: “And where do you go to? So you said you buy your meat from Montreal, but is there anywhere in Ottawa that you go specifically to buy?” Alicia: “No, no. If you want to do the real one, the same way we do it, no. Not, really. But the meat here is really good. It's really good. No, no, no. I like it.” Owen: “My next question would be, how likely would you and your family be to use the website that we're creating, Omeca, for uploading your stories? And how would you use it? How would you interact with it?” Alicia: “That is interesting because I like genealogy. And the point is, just for fun, I was using one of the websites that is available. It's free. And I couldn't get to my great grandparents because it was during the war in Europe and when they immigrated to Argentina. Well, you know, we don't know exactly. However, with my husband, it was easier and I could gather all the information, like getting back in time and getting the certificates and everything else. And because of that, at that time, we got citizenship from Italy as well. And it's amazing the things you can do. But it's going to be nice not just having the certificates, but actually how they live. They were happy, not happy. They missed their families. Because usually at that time, when you immigrate somewhere, maybe you never go back or you never know about your family, your parents, your friends, what's happening with them. And it's interesting. Going back in time, my descendants, we're going to see, oh, look at that. Look at grandma. Something like that. I think it's going to be a nice resource for the future generations.” Owen: “Absolutely. And that's kind of our whole idea of this website, where people look back and reflect and try to meet other people as well.” Annie: “And better understand the experience of moving to Ottawa from places in Latin America, Argentina included.” Alicia: “Thank you.” Annie: “So then our last question was, did you have any other comments or concerns or anything that you wanted to bring up that maybe we didn't touch on or?” Alicia: “No, I think it's, I'm curious to know the other stories because as I said, well, I am really proud that I'm from Argentina, I moved to Canada, everything else. I'm also interested in other perspectives. My experience was good. I interacted well when I was in Winnipeg. I created a Spanish conversation group. And we do back and forth English-Spanish, and they learned a pronunciation there, Argentina. From Argentina. And I had a good experience. I didn't have any problems saying I miss my country or no, no, I feel home. Actually, if you ask me, I miss Winnipeg. It’s like my hometown because they welcome me really well. And even during the pandemic, I started learning French as well and they helped me with my French. I passed the test.” Eden: “Good job.” Alicia: “Merci beaucoup. But again, it is... I’m interested in those stories that maybe they are not as good as mine. I have the opportunity to learn and to study here as well. And I'm happy. Everyone is happy in my family. But no, it's not always the same story.” Annie: “Yeah, well, I think that once we have all the other interviews uploaded, you can definitely go take a look and hear some of the other ones that will be there.” Alicia: “Absolutely.” Owen: “I just had one more question” Alicia: “Sure.” Owen: “If that's okay. Do you still go back and forth to Winnipeg and visit some of your friends?” Alicia: “No, but we are in touch. Because, during the pandemic, it was a time that you can connect via Zoom and we did it and was good because again, once one of my friends came in to Ottawa and I was able to go and show Ottawa as a, you know, like I'm living here, I can show you everything. It was nice, it was really nice because it is… the main thing is giving back. I got too many things, not just for the city or everything else, it's from people that I'm really grateful. And I think that's why I'm happy with Winnipeg, I'm happy with Ottawa, and I'm happy here.” Eden: “I think I'll add one more question.” Alicia: “Sure.” Eden: “What do you like the most in Ottawa or just in Canada?” Alicia: “One thing that I love is about the mountains. That you have a lot of mountains around Canada. When I was younger, I used to go to the mountains, spend time camping. And here you have those things too. You can go camping and spend time, you know, like in parks. I love that in the wild part. The other thing I love is the architectural part. It's beautiful. And you go, and last week, there was a March break. We were tourists here. We got with the kids. We went to the museum, the Nature Night Museum. And we tried to discover things that you take for granted. You're from Ottawa. Maybe you don't go and see the different parts of Ottawa as a newcomer or a new person here. And that's what I love about here. I learned how to skate a little bit as well. I haven't gone yet because of my kids. I know that it is. But we tried to discover again Canada and Ottawa of those small things seen with new eyes.” Owen: “Were you here during the World Cup as well?” Alicia: “Of course. We gathered together. There were a lot. We went to the Parliament building, I remember, with our flags.” Owen: “Oh, good.” Alicia: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, of course. Yeah, we gathered together even now. There are more games and we gathered together.” Annie: “Thank you so much for coming here to chat with us and to tell us a little bit more about your experience living in Ottawa and in Winnipeg.” Owen: “Thank you very much.” Eden: “Yeah, thank you very much.” Alicia: “Thank you.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Alicia Lopez de Ferro Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-18 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 18 min 13 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Originally from Argentina, Alicia has lived in Canada with her family since 2011 and in Ottawa since 2016. When she first moved to Canada, she was welcomed by the Argentinian Manitoban Association in Winnipeg, which helped ease her transition to Canadian life. Over her time in Ottawa, Alicia has brought together nearly two hundred Argentinians. She has found joy in connecting with them, whether through watching soccer matches, celebrating Mother’s Day, or coming together for other meaningful events. Her passion for community has helped others feel a sense of community and belonging far from home. Aside from her involvement in her community, she has also enjoyed integrating herself into Canadian culture, from learning how to skate to camping to going to Cabane à Sucre. Today, we sat down to ask a few questions about her experience moving to Ottawa and explore more about her Argentinian culture. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/2dbec0c5326f9f86be50a143e2c2c9c9.mp3 e612eb72a234da87ad60382e6e31d1db Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Ana Paneque Leivas Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Malayka Dubois-Mandar; Matthew Minardi; Maxine Tremblay Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Maxine: Ana, very nice to meet you. Before we start this interview, we just wanted to present ourselves. So my name is Maxine. It's really nice to meet you. I'm also issued from the Latin American community and also Caribbean. So my mom is half from Martinique and half from Haiti as well. So I may be relating to some of the stuff that you're saying today. Thank you so much for coming in. Matthew: Hi, Ana. So my name is Matthew. I'm not Latin American or Caribbean by ethnicity. I do very much appreciate the Latin American and the Spanish culture, and I'm very happy that you decided to be our interview subject for today. Malayka: Hi, Ana. My name is Malayka, and my father is Dominican. I am part of the Latin American community, and I'm really happy to be interviewing you today. It was lovely to be with you today. Thank you. Maxine: Good morning, Ana. How are you doing today? Ana: I'm doing good. How are you? Maxine: I'm doing very good. So just for your information, today we're doing an ethnographic interview. So we're going to be asking questions about the Latin American and Caribbean community. So, Ana, what is your country of origin? Ana: So I'm originally from Cuba, but I've lived in Canada, both sides of the country, as well as Florida for a while. Maxine: Oh, very nice. And how was your experience in those parts of the region? Ana: It was quite different. I immigrated from Cuba to Sherbrooke when I was 10 years old in 2013, and I lived there for about a year and a half. Then we did six months in Calgary, and then two years in Florida. And then I've been in Montreal since 2017, and I moved here to Ottawa in about 2022 for my studies. Maxine: Very nice. So you kind of answered the question, but what brought you here to Ottawa? Ana: So to Ottawa was my studies, to Montreal and Canada in general was just family decisions for job opportunities for my parents. Maxine: Nice. And do you have family here, and do you see them frequently? Can you explain it to me? Ana: I do have family here. Mostly it's just my parents and my sister. I have some uncles and cousins over there in Toronto. I don't see them quite as often as I probably should. And the rest of my family, they're mostly pretty much divided all over the world. My dad has a very big family. We're around like 50 cousins on his side. So we're pretty spread throughout everywhere. Maxine: Perfect. And the last question I have for you, do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish and or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions? Ana: Yeah. So actually, I got very lucky because two of my roommates, they're Puerto Rican and Mexican. So between us, we speak Spanish quite often. And since birth, we've always spoken Spanish at home. So with my family members, even if it's just like on a FaceTime call, we still communicate in Spanish. Very nice. Maxine: Thank you, Ana. Matthew: So Ana, what celebrations are most important to you? Ana: So in terms of celebration, it kind of varies. From me growing up, mostly what was celebrated was Noche Buena, which is usually December 24th. And for my family, for my family was mostly just about getting together and spending time in family. And it was about the tradition. Back in Cuba, we used to roast an entire pork like with the entire neighborhood. So it was not just my family, it was the kids that were growing up near me with my cousin and everything. So that was pretty, really nice. And same thing, we've gone down to Florida a couple of years just to do it with like the family that lives there, everything. I haven't been back to Cuba since I left in 2013. But I have seen my family members are still are in the island, like either through FaceTime or they've come visit us here in Canada. Yeah, besides that, I'd say birthday parties are like a big hit. And yeah, those are mostly like the key celebrations throughout the year. Yeah, because we most of my family, most of us are born either in January or September. So that's a weird ass mix. But you know, it is what it is. But yeah, so great. Matthew: Thank you. Can you describe a typical day in your community, Ana? Ana: A typical day in my community is you know, you wake up, you have your breakfast, you say good morning, and you either head to work or to school. And you just do your best you can every day. Matthew: Great. Thank you. How do you celebrate your Cuban heritage? Ana: That is a great question. So the one way I celebrate it is just staying true to myself, you know, just being just showing up every day doing my best and just working towards representing my elders and my heritage the best way that I can. Matthew: Beautiful. And what are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin and Caribbean community? Ana: One of them is community actually is one of the key values that I hold is all for one and one for all kind of aspect. So I try to be helpful. But also just you know, being honest and kind. It's kind of just paying it forward. Matthew: Nice. Well, thank you so much. Malayka: Okay, Ana, what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Ana: We're a very passionate group of people for our causes, for our interests, for our whatever job or duty we feel we have. We're very passionate about it. And we kind of a very stubborn way we go full on force for it. Sometimes to the detriment of other well being or anything. I have experienced some burnout before with school because of that. But we're very passionate, very not servient, but very helpful to each other. So whenever we see a friend or a family member that needs a hand, we're like, okay, what do you need me to do? How can I best help you in this? So we can make it through, you know? Malayka: So yeah, thank you. That's lovely. What foods do you make that reminds you of home? And where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals? Ana: Oh my god. Okay, so there's a actually most of my grocery because my parents, they're very helpful to me. They buy my own groceries, and then they come visit me and they bring them for me, which is very privileged thing to say. But most of the time they we buy rice and beans. We eat a lot of pork and meat. And there's this one of my favorite dish of all time. It's called a ropa vieja. It's essentially shredded meat. Most of the time is done with beef, but it's like kind of preserved similar to how you would for what's called, you know, like those snack meats, like the dried ones. Jerky. Malayka: Thank you. Ana: Jerky. So kind of you would preserve it how you would jerky, but instead of individual stripes is like the piece, the entire piece of meat you preserve in salt and everything for a while. Once it dries, you boil that for like three hours to get rid of the salt and everything, and soften the meat. And then you boil it for like, depends how much you want. And some people do four hours and people do eight in this tomato based sauce. Essentially, I have heard people compare it to beer, but I'm not sure how similar it is. But I can see like the similarities in terms of essentially like the style of making it, or at least the cooking techniques used. But it's not as spicy or tends to be more sweet and sour than spicy. As Cubans, we don't use a lot of like hot spice as other Latin. Malayka: That's really nice. It's very similar to the Filipino dishes or Dominican dishes. So thank you. Okay. How likely would you and your family be to use the website we are creating for uploading your stories? And how would you use it? Ana: So I think for the sake of meeting other people within our community and just staying in contact, that's like the best way we have of not one, preserving our heritage, but also just enjoying the sense of community that is sometimes hard to have when two countries you've immigrated, even if you've lived there for a long time. So that would be just the easiest way to be able to communicate with members of our community, keep our heritage and just, you know, essentially show up as our best selves because we have to acknowledge that part of our history and our identity as well as just, you know, just it's also a great way to help each other because we have, you know, the sense of community, meaning we'll be able to just help each other through any issues or troubles that might arise. Malayka: That's wonderful. Thank you. Do you have any other comments or concerns? Ana: No, I'd like to thank you all for doing this interview. I think you guys are doing a great project. Yeah. Malayka: Thank you so much for being here, Ana. It was a pleasure. Yeah, it was a pleasure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Ana Paneque Leivas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-07 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 8 min 54 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Born in Cuba, Ana has experienced a life shaped by movement, adaptation, and a deep connection to her roots. At age ten, she relocated to Sherbrooke, Quebec, before living in Calgary and Florida. Eventually, Ana immigrated to Canada for family reasons and ended up settling in Ottawa to pursue her studies. Despite being immersed in Western culture and having lived in multiple cities and countries, she remains strongly connected to her Cuban identity. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/6660c2c169b361591a41dbc115f4d2af.mp3 b4d08ad93094e41fd023a8925dfb4e26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Anonymous Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Niamh Margulis; Al Mohammed Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Niamh: All right. So Al, do you want to take the first question and we can trade off from there? Al: Yeah, for sure. Al: Okay. So first question is like, what is your country of origin? Anonymous: So I'm from Uruguay or Uruguay. Whenever I pronounce the name of the country, it's a little tricky because it's such a small country and few people know about it, but I've heard it pronounced both ways. In Spanish, it would be Uruguay. Al: and yeah, like what brought you to Ottawa from like all the way from Uruguay? Anonymous: Well, no, I've been in Canada for many years now. I came first to Toronto, where I did my graduate, studies. And, yeah, so, so I've been in Canada now for at least 25 years. And, so the first, 10 years in Toronto, and then I got - once I finished my studies and I worked in Toronto for a while, I applied to university where I was hired, in 2007. So yeah, it's more than 17 years now at the University of Ottawa. Niamh: So, I guess you have family here. Anonymous: I do. I have - I have a big family. I have siblings. So, I have sisters in Toronto and nephews and nieces and all. And in Ottawa, of course I live with my own family with my wife. We don't have children. Al: Have you ever like found a community in Ottawa or, how has that been? Yeah. Anonymous: Well, I’m not, I don't really, no, I don't think I'm connected to any community in, in Ottawa. I basically, the people I interact with are people that I've met through work at the university. But I don't have like - I'm not really integrated into a community or participate in activities, here in Ottawa. Anonymous: I might go to a community, you know, they are in the summer, for example, a Latin festivals and things of the sort or, or, cinema series or something like that, that often embassies organize or things of.. But, that is my connection to basically community, to community activities. And then just, yeah, a couple of friends. I do have, I guess all my connections are back in Toronto where I have family and I, theirs were established sort of, I was really integrated there. Anonymous: Ottawa has been a bit of an exile for, for us in that sense, but we often go to Toronto because I have a big family there and, we, we have a birthday every other week, you know, nephews and nieces. And, so yeah, I think much of our social life takes place in, in Toronto. Al: Great! Niamh: I guess the next question that we have to ask you is, are there any like celebrations that are important to you that you experienced within that community? I guess you were saying birthdays? Anonymous: Well, for sure. birthdays are very important and something you must attend and buy presents for. So, you cannot miss them unless you have a very, very good excuse. So yes, we were in Toronto, on Saturday for a birthday. The second birthday, celebrated for one of my nephews because he celebrated his real biological birthday, in January in Uruguay, but he needed to have his Canadian birthday celebrated as well. So this was the second birthday. Anonymous: yeah, so that would be for sure. plus of course, things like Christmas, parts of, you know, just, just not for religious reasons, but just part of a cultural, you know, practices. So it would be certainly Christmas, New Year. it would be, for example, Easter - Easter Friday, and things of the sort that would lead to, gatherings for sure. And perhaps another event that sometimes we participate in our activities around, for example, the country's independence, which is August 25th. Anonymous: Sometimes people do like barbecues, in Toronto, there is such as, what they call an Uruguayan club. So a club of the community. And sometimes we have attended those events on that day. Al: Cool. So that's like a way you like celebrate your heritage. Yes. Anonymous: Yes. I don't think about it that way because I think that in a way my heritage is very much living in me because I came here already as an adult, but, I can certainly see how it is critical for my nephews and nieces who are growing up here. And, I see it, for example, because I would never put on a T-shirt with the name of my country, but all my nephews who struggle to speak in Spanish, they all wear it. Anonymous: So clearly the part of reconnecting with the community is critical for, for them. So, yeah. Niamh: Are there any, I guess, cultural values that you really hold dear, as Anonyma member of the Uruguayan diaspora community?  Anonymous: Cultural, values… Anonymous: Um.. haha… Anonymous: I haven't thought about it. I think more perhaps is the values that were communicated by my family as opposed to the values of the country, I guess. I think that informed, my life more. ous: Just, whatever my parents taught me about how I should behave, how I should be towards others, issues of respect or things like that. But… yeah, I don't think, I don't think that I'm connected to the values of the country in that sense. And perhaps because it's not a, perhaps if it were a religious country or something, perhaps, like, I don't think I got in from the country itself, values that I am, I share them, but not, I don't know. I, I just think more about a, of a family thing as opposed to a country. Niamh: Okay. Yeah. Al: Um, yeah, I have another question. So like within like your family or like, are people, you know, do you speak a different language besides English or…? Anonymous: I do. I, I never, I only speak English with you right now. And, when I teach at the university, I also teach French courses as well. Of course it's in French. But, the language I speak at home is Portuguese. Anonymous: That's what I speak most of the day is not my native tongue, but it is my wife's language and we speak what she likes. And, and then of course, with my family, we speak Spanish, but the language I use regularly is Portuguese. Yes. Niamh: Nice. I think that we're at number 10. What foods do you make to remind yourself of, I guess, your culture? Are there any foods that like bring, bring up a lot of memories for you? Anonymous: The key food that brings, memories would be, beef. Anonymous: I come from a very carnivorous culture. I guess you can compare it here to Alberta or Texas in the U S it's a cattle raising country. The whole country is full of cows. They are something like a hundred cows per inhabitant. And, it's what the country exports is just a big grassland area. Uruguayans are the largest consumers of meat per capita in the world. And, it's average, you eat at least half a kilo of beef. Grilling meat is something very special, I guess. And just the - not only eating the beef but also grilling it. Anonymous: Just the idea of, of, of cooking that outside and things like that. That is often what, what I do when we meet with my family, we're always arranging who buys, what type of meat for the barbecue and things of this sort, that would be a central, food, that that's what I think is.  Anonymous: I would underline that, that as a key element and not only the consumption, but, the ceremonies around the consumption and preparing beef. Niamh: Are there any, I guess, shops in Ottawa specifically that you go to purchase food? Anonymous: Unfortunately, no, they're all in Toronto, because people consume a lot. There are, basically what is the, this is this, the eating meat is very much connected to Brazil and Argentina. So there are big butcher shops in Toronto that just working with those communities. But here, no. So normally what we do when we go to Toronto, it means that we also have to go to the Uruguayan butcher shop to buy what we need to consume here in Ottawa. Anonymous: It's not that, of course there is beef here, but it has to do with the way you cut the cuts that are very, are very, yes, different or types of sausages and things of this sort. Al: Does that include like spices and seasonings as well, or just like? Anonymous: No, the only, we do two things. We put salt, that's it. And, something you can do is put a little sauce, sometimes, which we now is, has become popular in North America. You can buy in supermarkets, even here in Norway is called chimichurri, which is something we, basically make by adding, combining parsley, oregano leaves and pepper and things like that. And we put some vinegar and oil and, and we just then can put that on top of, of the meat. Niamh: I'm just checking to see what the next one would be. I guess the next question is how likely would you and or your family be to use the website that we are creating to upload stories for, what was the last next half the question? how would you, use it? We're making a website - It’s just going to have a transcript of this interview as well as a short blurb detailing it. Do you think that you're ever going to check it? Anonymous: Well, I, I can certainly, yes, I will check it out what I said after, but then I can also, I'm sure if I share it with my sisters, they would, be interested in, or even make some of my, older nephews, look at it and visit. They are very big on that. And I must say that I'm perhaps not the best person in my family to talk about heritage and all that, but my sisters, I guess, because they have children that are growing up, are always working very hard to, connect them with our family history, who we are and so on. So I think, the moment I shared with them that they would look at it. I'm not, of course, I'm sure they would not agree with some of the things I said here. Anonymous: They will find me that I could have been more somehow Uruguayan in my answers or, or, or something. Niamh: Well, you are who you are! Niamh: Do you have any other comments or things that you just wanted to say? Anonymous: I don't know. Anonymous: No, I don't think so. I do feel that, just because I work at the University of Ottawa, I find that being a professor, and just working in an institution of higher learning, sometimes, we are less connected somehow to the community, as opposed to other people who work in other professions, other trades, other things. Anonymous: I find that perhaps I, just because of my profession, I tend to feel very comfortable, spending a lot of time on my own and not being - you know - very social or doing engaged in social activities. I can spend 24 hours reading absolutely no problem. And I have a fantastic time just doing that. Anonymous: So, I, I guess that makes me in a way to be less integrated, just because of the nature of my profession and the fact that I just enjoy being on my own, studying, reading, researching, and so on. Niamh: I think I saw that you, teach, and, and study a lot of literature and philosophy. Anonymous: Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's my field. So I'm, I'm in, you know, I'm in the oral languages department and we have a program there, the Spanish and Latin American studies program. And, so I, that is my focus of my research is really when it comes to research literature and just Latin American culture. Niamh: And so, yes. I think that's everything for, the interview. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Anonymous Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-12 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 15 min 00 s. Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Anonymous is from Uruguay and immigrated to Canada. They Came to Toronto 25 years ago to start their graduate studies and 10 years later moved to Ottawa to be a professor. Anonymous speaks Portuguese, English, and French but mainly uses Portuguese when talking to their family. They have a larger community in Toronto since most of their family and Uruguayan community are integrated there. Anonymous often travels between cities for celebrations, Uruguayan food items, and gatherings with their community. Eating food at family gatherings is important to their culture. Uruguayan culture consists of a meat heavy diet that grills large amounts of beef. Toronto is the only place where they can find Uruguayan style beef. Anonymous is not integrated into Ottawa’s Latin community. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/77b56a0b883619cf561402c682396af1.mp3 12c32569663634fea5c0b7e96fbb5e93 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Anonymous Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Abigail Grant Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Interviewer: Hello everyone and a warm welcome to my interviewee, whose name will remain anonymous throughout our discussion. First, I want to say thank you for agreeing to be here today and, more specifically, for being a part of my study for my anthropology of Latin America and Caribbean class. My name is Abigail Grant, and this interview is part of a project with three main goals. First, to develop my skills in conducting ethnographic interviews. Second, to better understand the cultural vibrancy of Latin American and Caribbean communities in Ottawa. And third, to contribute to a Latin American and Caribbean Community Archive that can be publicly assessed and used as a tool for people to connect with and celebrate their cultural roots. With these goals in mind, your insights and experiences as someone from the area are crucial, extremely valuable, and appreciated, so thank you again for being here. Whenever you're ready, we can begin our journey and take a look at the questions that I have prepared for us today. Interviewee: Absolutely. For sure. Interviewer: Perfect. Interviewee: It’s a pleasure being here. Interviewer: We’ll just get into it then. So, number one, what is your country of origin? Interviewee: I am originally from the Dominican Republic. I was born and raised over there. Interviewer: Amazing. So, what brought you to Ottawa? Interviewee: Well, initially it was the fact that I needed to go to school, but at the same time, what brought me to Ottawa, in specific, was my sister. My sister was living in Ottawa for about five years before I moved there. She married a Canadian guy, and so they had my nephews and everything. They originally moved to Montreal, but then after a few years they decided to base their family in Ottawa, until I joined them, when I was ready to go to school. Interviewer: That’s awesome. That’s awesome. So, you do have family here, and do you see them frequently? Interviewee: Yes. So, for the longest time we all lived together, and when I say all, I mean my sister and brother-in-law, and my two nephews, their two kids. But also, my older brother is currently in Ottawa as well, with his wife and my other nephew, who was also born in Ottawa. And then my Dad, his wife, and my younger brother are also living in Ottawa. So, at one point we were all living in the same house. And then, little by little, everyone, you know, my sister was able to buy a house, so was my brother, so they started moving out with their families. And we see each other once a week, sometimes even more, we’re always together. Interviewer: That’s amazing. That’s awesome. So, okay, do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish and or Portuguese and celebrate various related occasions, or? Interviewee: Not really. We do have some friends that we visit often to celebrate whatever occasion that there might be going on, but I don’t live in a Latin community. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: Nobody speaks Spanish where I live or anything like that. Interviewer: Awe. So, what celebrations are most important to you? Interviewee: I would say anything that has to do with my family, so like birthdays or Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, things like that. Christmas is a big part of what we celebrate as well. Christmas is like a super huge deal in the Dominican. Interviewer: Okay. Interviewee: I would say those are the main ones. Interviewer: Would you say it, like, differs? It is more, I don’t know. Do you find that you celebrate it more or have more emphasis on these things compared to [other] people who live here, or would you say it’s about the same? Interviewee: I would say it’s about the same. Of course, there might be a few exceptions, but overall, in Latin America, people celebrate Christmas, it goes a long way. Interviewer: Yeah. That’s interesting. Can you describe a typical day in your community? Interviewee: Well, for my community I’m going to describe my family, because that’s the closest thing I know. A typical day would be, you know, waking up, taking the kids to school, going to work, and then we’ll have supper together at the end of the day. Breakfast is really not that traditional, but supper its usual we’ll have something very Dominican, very traditional. Interviewer: That’s awesome. What would you... What’s a good meal that would have? Interviewee: We have something called sancocho, which is like a stew with a lot of meat. It can be both beef and chicken, sometimes pork, all mixed in, with a lot of... My gosh, it has everything, it's like a huge soup, or like a stew, because it’s very thick. And you put plantains, yucca, things like that, in it. You can put corn. It’s like everything together, mixed in. Interviewer: Nice! Interviewee: We also eat a lot of rice. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: That’s one that we mix in with everything as well. Yeah, that would be how we finish the day. Interviewer: Good to know! Yeah. What are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin/Carribean community? Interviewee: I would say the fact that everything is very family oriented. Families are always your priority. You’re always thinking of ways to make your family members lives easier and how to, for example, as an example, I always think of... For example, if I’m renting a house, or if I’m getting a new job I always think of how close to my nephew’s school, for example, in case they need me. My first car that I got, it was just for me, so, you know, I could’ve gotten away with a smaller car, but because I know I have a big family I decided to get an SUV. Things like that. Like we’re always thinking about how the community, in my case my family, would need me. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: And that is how each of us thinks of each other. Like, how we can help each other, how we can be close to each other, kind of thing. Interviewer: That’s amazing. That’s so cute. I love that. So, I guess I asked you something similar, but how do you celebrate your heritage when you’re in Ottawa? Interviewee: The main one would be the language for me. I think language has really shaped the way people see the world and how they express their feelings and things like that. So, we try to, as I said before my nephews were born in Canada, they were born in Ottawa, and for them to speak English, but we really try to force them to speak Spanish. It’s the language that we grew up speaking. Obviously, that’s the language I speak to my dad, for example. He barely speaks English. And that's the language I speak to my siblings. It’s just easier. That’s one of the things that I celebrate the most and how I embrace my culture because, as I said before, your language really shapes the way you see the world, in that sense. So that would be the main one. Interviewer: That’s awesome. That’s amazing. What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Interviewee: I would say that a lot of people say Latins are loud, which is completely fair. But, it’s the fact that we’re very passionate about everything. So, if you’re going... If you see me and my siblings talking, for example, we can just be discussing what we’re making for dinner, and it sounds like we’re having this big argument and it’s really just how passionate we are about absolutely everything. As I said before, everything centers around your family. So, family comes first, everything else is last, or second, I shouldn’t say last. Yeah. And that’s something that a lot of people don’t really understand, but if they did, they would understand why we do what we do. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: They would understand just more, yeah. Interviewer: Yeah, that’s a good answer. Awesome. Thank you. What foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase those groceries to prepare the traditional meals? Interviewee: That’s a great question. At my house, we... Everything that we eat is very very traditional. In the Dominican, at like for lunch, at lunch time, we usually have something called la bandera which is called the flag, the Dominican flag. I think that’s usually rice, some sort of protein, that’s usually chicken, but it can be beef, it can be pork, anything really. And then beans. We do, like a... But it’s not refried beans, it's just beans. The regular beans. Interviewer: Yeah. Interviewee: That’s what we would eat most days, almost every single day, and that’s across the entire Dominican Republic. So, that’s families from both lower and middle, and higher income. That’s what everyone does, like a variation of that. And whenever we get fancy, we do something like sancocho, which is the big stew that I mentioned before. It’s like a big soup. I’m trying to think of something else. Oh, in the Dominican we have this dessert that we usually eat around Holy Week. It’s called, gosh... sweet beans! It’s like beans, but you make them with milk and sugar. It sounds disgusting, but I promise it’s really really good. It’s really really tasty. It’s really good. And where we buy them... We usually don’t have trouble finding those, those things. Walmart is a really good place where we go. There’s FreshCo, they usually have [inaudible]. I was going to say Food 4 Less, but that’s not it. I can’t remember the name of that grocery store. It’s, like, green and the letters are yellow. Interviewer: Oh... Foodland? No... I know what you’re talking about. Interviewee: Its Food Basics. Interviewer: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Okay. So, they have everything? Interviewee: That’s it. That’s it. They pretty much have everything. Yeah. In the international aisle, they usually do have everything. And there’s a few stores here and there in Ottawa that are very... they are Latin. I can’t remember their names right now. But if you need something very specific from a different region, they might have it. Interviewer: That’s good that we... that there are those stores though. Interviewee: Yeah, we have no struggle whatsoever finding our stuff. In Ottawa. Interviewer: That’s good. Interviewee: In Ottawa. Interviewer: Good. Yeah. Alright. So, the second last question I’ll ask you is, how likely would you and or your family be to use the website we are creating for uploading your stories? And how would you use it? [pause] and how would you use it? Yeah. Interviewee: I would probably use it the most, with my nephews, I would say. So that they understand [pause] why we do what we do, and that they also see that other Latin families do something very similar. So that they know they belong somewhere. You know. They, they... We celebrate things and do things similar to other people that come from where we come from as well, so for them to feel part of a community and have that feeling of belonging. I would most likely use it with my nephews. Interviewer: That’s amazing. Interviewee: They need something like that. Interviewer: Yeah. No, that’s amazing. At least, at least it would come into use in some way. That’s great. Interviewee: Yeah! Interviewer: Okay. So, the last thing is, do you have any other comments or concerns, like, anything you’d like to say at all? I know I’m putting you on the spot, but. Interviewee: Yeah. Yeah. No, that’s great. Because it’s really interesting that there even is a course studying our culture. I think that’s really good for me as a Dominican, because I am both Latin and I live in the Caribbean, so I have both of those backgrounds. So, it’s really interesting that, you know, our cultures and heritage are being studied, and that you actually can learn about us. I think that’s great, so I’m really happy that you’re taking that course. Interviewer: Thank you so much for doing this! I appreciate it so much. And we’ll talk... I’ll end the meeting now but thank you again. Interviewee: Of course, no problem! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Anonymous Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-11 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 11 min 34 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Our Dominican-born interviewee moved to Ottawa, Canada, for higher education and family connections. Their sister's presence in Ottawa influenced their relocation, and over time, other family members likewise settled there, forming a strong support system. Despite living in separate homes, their family remains close-knit, frequently gathering for meals and celebrations. Cultural preservation is central to the interviewee's identity, with language playing a key role. Spanish is actively spoken at home, ensuring younger generations maintain fluency. Celebrations such as Christmas, birthdays, and Father's Day reinforce their heritage. Dominican holiday traditions, including festive gatherings, music, and food, are preserved within their family. Culinary traditions further connect the interviewee to their Dominican roots. They highlight "sancocho," a hearty stew, and "la bandera," a meal of rice, beans, and protein, as cultural staples. Access to Latin American ingredients in Ottawa supports their ability to cook traditional dishes. Overall, the interviewee underscores the challenges of cultural preservation while adapting to a new society. Their experiences provide insight into the immigrant experience in Ottawa, reflecting the importance of family, language, and tradition in maintaining cultural identity. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/5557acab2bdad31c47f74fb4ade4b1fd.mp3 491d397c49be5c2542b24a0526dcf558 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Arturo Ortega Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Alice Cordeiro Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Alice: Hello. Thank you so much for agreeing to take part in this interview with me today. We are so excited to be learning more about Latin American communities here, specifically in Ottawa, and it is amazing that you are able to share some of your stories with us. Arturo: Oh, it's a pleasure. Don't worry. I'm glad to help. Alice: That's great. Before we get started, I just wanna liceconfirm that you are okay with participating in this interview, that it is completely voluntary, your participation? Arturo: Of course. Yeah. There's no problem. Alice: Alright. Great. Then let's get into the first question. So first and foremost, what is your country of origin? Arturo: Well, I was born in Mexico, so I come from there. Alice: Okay. That sounds good. What part of Mexico are you from? Arturo: I am from Mexico City, the capital. Alice: Love Mexico City. It's a very, very nice place, but also very busy. Arturo: Yeah. It's very it's a very big city. It has a lot of people, so it can get very hectic at at times. Alice: What's your favorite part about the city? Arturo: I like that it has a lot of museums. I think it's 1 of the cities with the most museums, at least in Latin America, but not in the world. Alice: Oh, wow. That is so cool. Anyway, what brought you to Ottawa? Arturo: Well, I came here because of a relationship. I moved here with my partner, but I also came to study a master. Alice: That sounds amazing. Where is your partner from? Is she also from Latin America? Arturo: Yeah. She is. She's from Brazil. Alice: And what's your master's? What program are you doing here at UOttawa? Arturo: Well, I came [...] I got registered at the official languages and bilingualism institute here in UOttawa, and I am part of the master's in bilingualism studies. Alice: That sounds very interesting. And that honestly brings me to my next question. Do you have family here? Did they come with you, like, when you moved? And if you do, do you see them frequently? Arturo: No. I didn't come with anyone. I came here by myself. Although I am with my partner, I didn't really come with any family, so I don't see them as often other than through the phone. Alice: Oh, that must make it a little bit tough. Do you do you keep in touch with them? And what are some things that you do that bring you close to home? Arturo: It's definitely different. I wouldn't say it's hard, but it does come with its challenges. Could you repeat the question, please? Alice: Oh, yes. Of course. I was just asking, what are some things that you do that bring you closer make you feel at home or, like, remind you of your home and make you, let's say, miss Mexico a little less? Arturo: Well, there's definitely some things that I do. The first thing that comes to my mind is food. Although the ingredients are very different here and quite expensive, I would say. Making food that I know from Mexico, like, makes me feel makes me feel closer to my home. I also like to go to events and try to talk with people who speak Spanish, you know, which is the language from Mexico. Arturo: And, yeah, I think that's that's about it. Alice: Oh, that sounds all very nice. And do you then live in a Latin American community or a neighborhood in which you can speak Spanish, as you just said, to, like, to other people or with people from Mexico maybe? Arturo: No. Not at all. The place where I live doesn't have a lot of people who are Latinos as far as I'm concerned. It is honestly very different because in Mexico, you're used to knowing your neighbors. Right? Arturo: And you would talk to them, and you would see them all the time. So you would know who lived in every house, and you would talk with people. But here, it's very different. People are more distant with each other, and neighbors barely talk. So I couldn't tell you if people from where I live are Latinos, but I haven't seen anyone. Arturo: The contact that I have with people from Latin America that I mentioned before is just from people who you find in the mall, in university, you hear them speak in Spanish, and you go and talk to them. Or you go to these events that are made for Mexican people or for the Latin community, and that's where you find them. Alice: Oh, I see. I see. But then do you have contact with other people from the Latin American community that are part of the Latin American community in Ottawa? Do you maybe celebrate some events? And what are some events that you guys celebrate in Mexico that you appreciate and really like? Arturo: Oh, that's a very nice question. As I mentioned before, like, at least in within my neighborhood, there's not a lot of people, but but, yeah, like, you always make friends and even sometimes you don't even, like, exchange numbers or even know, like, how's the other person the other person's name. But, yeah, definitely, I have some friends. As I mentioned also, my partner and her family are from Latin America, so there's that 1 that is the closest 1. But, yeah, I definitely have friends. Arturo: I hang out with them. Regarding the events, well, I'll start with the ones from Mexico. There are quite a bit that I really, really enjoy. The first 1 that comes to mind is Día de los Muertos, or day of the dead. Another very representative 1 is Independence Day in Mexico. Arturo: Yeah. Those are the 2 that come to mind right now. And, yeah, I sort of celebrate them here in Ottawa. I'm pretty recent. I am a pretty recent [...] I'm someone who arrived here pretty recently. Arturo: So yeah, I haven't had the chance to be through all the events on the year, but I had chance to be on these 2, the Independence Day is in September, and Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, it's in November at the beginning. So, yeah, I've been to both, and it's pretty nice because you find people from your country, like, almost exclusively from your country, and you find food from there. There are vendors who do that or products from Mexico, and it really brings you back to how the culture and the events are lived in Mexico. For example, last time I was here in well, not last time. Last September, I was here in the September 15. Arturo: That is Independence Day. Yeah. There is an event here in downtown that is organized by the embassy of Mexico where they do the the same celebration that we would do in Mexico. It's the cry of independence, which is a historical event that is celebrated. Normally, the president is the 1 who does it and the governors of sometimes cities, sometimes the whole states. Arturo: But here, the ambassador of Mexico goes on a stand and does the cry. There's a lot of people there, and we do some celebrations. As I mentioned before, they bring food that is from Mexico that you can buy, which is pretty, pretty nice. You get to join the spirit of the celebration. And, well, as Mexico is a place with a lot of dancing in the culture, there's also a lot of music, and you can dance while you go there. [00:08:34.920] - Arturo: And I've heard of this big parade that it's also done in for this event, but for this day, I'm sorry. But I don't really know what that 1 is about. Alice: Wow. I'll definitely have to attend to the next 1. That sounds really fun and really interesting. Arturo: You should. Alice: Okay. Alice: Thanks for the invitation. Maybe you can show me around to the next 1. Arturo: Definitely. Alice: Awesome. I'm gonna hold you to that. Well, since we're talking about celebrations, which celebrations are the most important to you, like, that you celebrate in Mexico? Arturo:Well, I mentioned 1 of them. Day of the dead, Dia de los Muertos is a very is 1 that I really, really enjoy. It is [...] It has transformed itself from what it was, which has its roots in, like, pre Hispanic culture, but it has now transformed in a way which is in which is very similar to Halloween. If you saw the movie Coco, then you saw a little bit of how it is. It still holds its traditions. Arturo: There are some nice things like putting the altar for the people to remember them, feeling like they visit you and prepare the food, like, brings you closer to those feelings of loss that you may have felt and lets you celebrate them in a way. I think it's a very beautiful tradition. And yeah, it's one that is very very representative. The other one if I had to choose. Well Mexico shares a lot of celebrations with the rest of the world. Just for me personally I think I could say Christmas. Arturo: We also celebrated in Mexico, and it holds the same meaning. Although sometimes it's overlooked a little bit, and it's just seen as a celebration. But, yeah, we we give it our own touch. We [...] You probably know pinatas. So we have pinatas on the on the day. Arturo: We prepare Mexican dishes there are gifts, there are celebrations, music, and, normally, it's an it's an excuse for family to to get together and celebrate and enjoy each other's company. So I think that's a very nice 1. Arturo: Yeah. I think those 2 would be the most notorious ones and the way the ones I enjoy, but there's a lot of them that I really like and enjoy celebrating. Alice: Oh, wow. That is so interesting. I absolutely love Coco. It's such a cute movie, and it sounds like a very beautiful tradition. Also, I love Christmas as well. Alice: Christmas is such a great holiday, and it's so interesting that you guys have your own take on it, having the pinatas and everything. That's all very nice. Alright. Changing the subject a little bit. Alice: Could you describe maybe a typical day in your community here in Ottawa or maybe back at home, but, like, maybe the a contrast of both? Arturo: Yeah. I could do both pretty quick. At day here with my community, it's it's a little weird to describe because as I mentioned before, there is not really a big community that I'm a part that I'm a part of on a day to day basis. So a normal day for me, it's I wouldn't know how to describe it. Live the best that I can in Canada as I was as a Mexican. Arturo: But, yeah, like, which, yeah, it is very different as in Mexico. As I mentioned before, well, I think we are very social in Mexico, and you get to know your neighbors. You know? If you go out to walk to take a walk, go to the market, or go anywhere, you will probably find at least someone who will say hi, or even if you don't know the person, but they are friendly, they will say hi to you, which is very nice. Arturo: it's it's not the best for introverts, but it's very nice for people who enjoy this. So in comparison, it's I would say it's the socialization aspect is what's very different. Here in Canada, unless you are with some people that are part of your culture, you would socialize very differently or barely. Whereas in your country or, for me, in Mexico, there would be a lot of socialization. Alice: Awesome. Yeah. When I went to Mexico, I did certainly notice that Mexicans are very, very social. Alright. This might touch a little bit on what you have already discussed, but how do you celebrate your heritage here in Ottawa being away from your country? Arturo: Yeah. I think, yeah, I think we touched on it. In general, I would say, just to not repeat myself that much, I would say the food, going to events that that are celebrated also in Mexico, making, yeah, like, just keeping in contact with people from the same roots. Alice: Yeah. That sounds great. And what are some values that you hold most dear? Like, as a member of this community, of the Latin American community, what are some, like, values that you think are so important as a part of who you are? Arturo: I think that's a very deep question. I don't know if I can answer that right away or completely, but I think something that I hold very dear about myself that is, like, representative of the Latinos is the warmth that we give. We are people who are very affectionate, and we don't have the we have no fear in showing it and telling people that we love them and we care for them. I think that's something that I really, really enjoy. Alice: Those are really beautiful values, and they're great values, I believe, to hold. What would you like to share about yourself and your community that you think it's important for people to know? Maybe a misconception or something that people just don't know about. Arturo: Yeah. I think there's this big misconception that just because us Latinos have a lot of celebration and really enjoy the celebrations that we don't work as hard as other people. Like, it is true that, for example, in Mexico, we have a lot of days where we don't work because there's a holiday even though it's not related to big, big celebration. Like, constitution day, flag day. Sometimes we take those as days not to work, but but that is sometimes taken badly, and it's just considered as if we didn't work hard enough. Alice: Yes. That is definitely a big misconception, and it sounds like a very bad stereotype that people might have. I'm really glad that you're able to share this here, and, more people will see it and understand a little bit more about this culture. Arturo: Yeah. I hope so too. That'd be nice. Alice: Yeah. Going back to the trend of celebrations and things that how you celebrate your heritage and things that bring you close to home, what foods do you like to make that remind you of home, and where would you get the the groceries to prepare these meals? Arturo: Well, it's it's a little difficult because you cannot find all the ingredients or, like, the favorite foods that I would think of making. But, yeah, I think there are certain ways where you can find them. There's this dish that is called cochinita pibil, which is basically pulled pork with a sauce with orange and something called achiote that I've been very lucky, I think, to find. And I have gotten this ingredient, which would be the hardest 1, achiote, at loblaws. So, yeah, I haven't had that much problem finding that. Arturo: And I know of land markets that have products from here, so maybe I could find them there, but as for me, with these dishes, I think it has been a little easy to do, but I know some other things like tortillas or different things I couldn't find that easily.   Alice: Yes. I understand your struggle. I've had the same problems trying to find the foods from my own community as well. But I'm glad that you've been able to find some of these groceries to make the foods that you really enjoy and that bring you close to home. Alright.  Alice: And then to our next question, how likely do you think you and or your family be to use this website that we are creating for uploading these interviews to share the stories of the Latin American community? Arturo: Yeah. For sure. I don't really know what it is about, but if it's just for interviews, I think it would be nice to hear what other people from different countries, not even just Latinos, think of of how or how they celebrate and get close to their roots. I think it would be very nice. Alice: Yes. And I believe that is exactly 1 of the main reasons as to why make a website It's also that so everybody can learn a little bit more about these each individual cultures that make up the Latin American community and see how they're able to navigate their life in Ottawa. In conclusion, we would like to better serve the community. So do you think you have any suggestions about the access to the website or maybe things that should be posted? Anything that you'd like to say about the website? Arturo: Well, if the website is related to just 1 community as, for example, the Latinas or 1 nationality, I think going to events that represent this community and maybe making posts about it, interviewing people about them, and start some sort of, like, blog where the community could go and look for other experiences and maybe support. Who knows? I think that could be very nice if, yeah, if it work as some sort of social media of sorts. Alice: Wow. That is actually a very interesting take. I hadn't even thought of that or even heard anybody think of that. That is such a nice way to be able to share more about these communities. Do you have any other comments or concerns about this interview or the or the website? Arturo: No. I'm just thank you very much for including me in the in the interviews. I look forward to taking a look at your website and learn about other people. Alice: Alright. And thank you so much for for taking part in this interview. It's greatly appreciated. Arturo: Thank you. No problem. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Arturo Ortega Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-20 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 20 min 18s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Arturo is twenty-eight years old and born in Mexico City. He lived in Ixtapaluca, Mexico, before moving to Ottawa in August 2024. Arturo is taking his master's in bilingualism studies at the OLBI department. Arturo enjoys cooking Mexican food and attending Latin American events throughout the city to celebrate his heritage and feel closer to home. While he didn't move with any family, he is engaged to a Brazilian woman and enjoys spending time with her and her family. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/c8b6176a7082f505fad5274642e81718.mp3 ef95413dbfe0773281065d5f93551ce5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Carlos Gnecco Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Yilin Zang, Akweshi Valery Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Transcrpit  Akweshi Valery Hi, everyone. Welcome. I am called Akweshi Valery, and I'm here with my colleague. Yilin: Hi, I'm Yilin We are gathered here to conduct an insightful interview with Carlos, aiming to understand the experiences of Latin American communities in Ottawa. Allow me to introduce our esteemed interviewer, Carlos. Welcome, Carlos. Thank you. Carlos: Thank you guys for having me.  Thank you. We appreciate you doing this for us. Our first question will be, what's your country of origin?  Carlos: My country of origin is Colombia. It's located in South America, which is a diverse country. I'm from the Caribbean region, which is in the northern part of the country. Akweshi: Thank you so much for that brilliant answer. What brought you to Ottawa?  Carlos: I came to Ottawa for work. I got a job in a company my mom's friend owned, so I just got in. For that reason and then for that reason I just like to hear… I worked there for a year and now I have decided to stay. So it's already been three and a half years of living in Ottawa.  Akweshi: Do you have family here, and do you see them frequently? Carlos: Yeah, so precisely in Ottawa, I don't have any family, but I have family in Canada, down south in Cambridge, Ontario. I have my aunt and my cousins. I do see them every once in a while. But not as freaking as I wanted to. But yeah, there's no family, but still there in Ontario. 00:02:50.618 --> 00:02:55.618 Akweshi: Thank you for the brilliant answer, Carlos. Do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish or Portuguese on rare occasions?  Carlos: Since I moved to Ottawa, my mom's friend has been from Santa Marta, the city I am from in Colombia. Since I came to Ottawa, I've been surrounded by Spanish-speaking people and moved from one place to another. Everywhere I move, one or two people usually speak the language, and I sometimes speak with them. We have things in common, even though they're not Colombians per se. They are Latin America, and that is something that ties us together. Talking about different Latin American problems shows us how similar we are in culture and politically speaking. 00:04:24.169 --> 00:04:33.169 Akweshi: I will ask the next question, what celebrations are most important to you, Carlos?  Carlos: Since I've been here in Canada, the new year is one of the most important celebrations. In Colombia, we usually see it as a family occasion, so all the adults and children get together. Usually, we are at grandma's house, so we interact with each other. Some people like that don't live in the city; they just go to the town for that occasion, so New Year's will be a significant celebration. There will be lots of food, lots of dancing, and lots of singing. So yeah, that will be the most important, but in Colombia, there are so many celebrations during the year. So we have variety. That's why that's the most important thing for the family. But there are more different celebrations. Akweshi: Another brilliant answer. Mr. Carlos, thank you so much. And I hope one day I could gain that experience too. I would love to experience that, maybe someday. Thank you again for the brilliant answer. So, how do you describe a typical day in your community?? Carlos: Okay, so yes, thank you for that question. My day would start in the morning. I would just make the coffee in my cafeteria, which I brought from Colombia. I like making arepas and corn flour dough that you can fry, and I enjoy going to school and working in the afternoon. I have friends and colleagues from Latin America. Thanks to technology, I can bridge the distance and keep in touch with my family. Platforms like FaceTime and WhatsApp have become my lifelines, allowing me to share my daily life with my loved ones back home. I enjoy the day by practicing some customs that I have from Colombia. Akweshi: Oh, thank you for the wonderful answer. How do you celebrate your heritage 00:07:46.623 --> 00:08:16.623 Carlos: So, it's pervasive. So I look for new festivals, or like there is the Colombian independence, there are usually Latin American film festivals, and there is the Latin American Heritage Month. I typically try to keep in touch with/  Here's everything going on in Ottawa. Usually, the embassy is in charge of organizing these events. But sometimes, Latin American people organize it, so I try practicing my heritage because it's extraordinary. It's very, very. It keeps me grounded and focused on who I am and where I came from. And how beautiful it is to share it with everybody else in Ottawa.  Akweshi: Excellent answer, Carlos. So, what values do you hold most dear as a Latin or Caribbean community member? Carlos: So, as a Colombian, there is family solidarity. The family is central to Colombian society, and I have strong ties. I also like to keep in touch with all my extended family. We also—well, in my family—respect the elders. This is always most important. I intensely care for older people, usually my grandmother. She says that she created it all. It all began with her. And that's a big thing in the Colombian community: respect for the elders and faith. We practice Catholicism, which influences our daily lives because of how we talk and act. We just have to align with our religious faith. Colombian culture tends to be more socially oriented. It's more of a community rather than an individual. We like how we can contribute to the collective well-being. And yeah, that's something that I have to say about Colombia. Akweshi: Thank you for your amazing answer. What would you like to share about yourself or the community that you think is important for people to know? Carlos: As I mentioned in the last question, that is very important to the family. I like to keep that heritage and value going because that keeps me motivated. I want to share my day-to-day life with my family, including my siblings, nephew, grandmother, uncle, and extended family. I also really keep a good relationship with my cousins. We all grew up in the same atmosphere, the same And… Yeah, so I would say that living here, it is essential to know that keeping their more… The more collective, socially focused, the better than the individual, so that's how I like it. Akweshi: Carlos, thank you so much. So, first, I want to ask you: Do you make that remand at home? Where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals? Carlos: All right. Thanks for that question. I like to make my food. I want to cook for myself, and I have so many recipes that my Abuela has passed on to me. I like sancocho, a lovely soup with so much Protein, meat, and vegetables—suitable for a freezing day here. I also want to eat empanadas, which are made of Corn flour. The dough is filled with either chicken or beef and then fried. As I mentioned, you just fry or pan fry, and some of this stuff is hard to find here in the local grocery store. However, there are some Latin American, African, and Asian stores. Akweshi: Okay. What food do you make that reminds you of home, and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals Carlos: All right. As mentioned, I like to make my food at home. 00:00:22.603 --> 00:00:49.603 I like to get everything from grocery stores and small Latin American stores. I want to make sancocho, a soup filled with vegetables and protein. It's suitable for a freezing day because it's warm and warms you up. I also like to make empanadas. They're usually more complicated because you must fill them out. It can be done with beef or chicken. It's also good to do it on a free day when you can talk with friends or family. As I mentioned, I also like arepas, which are circular dough you pan or fry. However, some ingredients are hard to find in a regular grocery store. So I go to the Latin American market or a couple of stores in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and find some Asian ingredients. There are excellent African supermarkets here in Ottawa. For specifics, I usually go to those Latin American markets, but for everything else, I use a regular grocery store here in Canada. 00:02:13.903 --> 00:02:16.903 Akweshi: Okay, thank you for the amazing answer. I would like to ask this question:How likely would you and your family be to use the website we are creating to upload your stories? And how will you use it? We would like to save the community better, so any suggestions from you about assets, as well as should be posted would be greatly appreciated. Carlos: All right. Thanks for that question. It's good because I am a student as well. I recommend the website. I just want to see myself in other interviews and how similar we are culturally. Because there will be only Colombians, I'm sure there will be people from Mexico, Central America, and the rest of South America. I recommend this website to my family. That way, they will not know how people act or interact here. My apologies for the inconvenience in Ottawa. I would encourage the community to see how connected we are and how we are connected And it'll be important for them to know how the community gets together. Through different experiences. What I mean by that is just a good opportunity. For people to know. How was everybody's different experience coming here to Ottawa? Akweshi: Well, thank you. For the wonderful answer, Carlos. Thank you for the two. Do you have any other comments or concerns? Carlos:  I am happy with all the information I have to share, and it's an excellent opportunity.  Would you like to share it? Carlos: As I mentioned before, to people from the Latin American community as well as those who are not from the Latin American community, because that way we see our different perspectives and maybe how we relate as immigrants to this city more specifically. And yeah, I appreciate it.  Akweshi: Well, Carlos, thank you so much for sharing this with us. We appreciate your contribution, and we hope to learn, in the future, about some cultures of Latin America. Thank you for being here with us. Thank you.  Appreciate your time. Carlos: Thank you, guys. Thank you for having me, and I hope it all goes well. Akweshi and Yilin: Thank you. Thank you.  Carlos: Thank you. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Carlos Gnecco Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-21 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 12 min 32 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Carlos Gnecco is a Colombian student studying International Development at the University of Ottawa. Inspired by Colombia's challenges, he developed a passion for social equity and sustainable development at an early age. After completing high school in Columbia, he set out to expand his understanding of global development issues through international education. Carlos is studying international development and globalization at the University of Ottawa through a multidisciplinary approach. His coursework encompasses sustainability, economic policy, and social justice, enabling him to analyze global issues critically. His active participation in student groups, advocating for marginalized populations and drawing attention to international problems, is a testament to his commitment. He has been involved in projects that promote environmental and community sustainability, demonstrating his commitment to creating positive change. Carlos aims to leverage his experiences and education to drive policy change and make a meaningful impact in Colombia and beyond, emphasizing the importance of global cooperation. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/866dbe4439e0371f3b65fd47d8dfdcbd.mp3 3df2fbcce4ce5447c1c48d4d9c508ad2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Daniel Torres Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview [Kristen Lupsor]; [Lily Smith]; [Rayi Singh] Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Interviewer: It's nice to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by us. So what is your country of origin? Daniel Interviewee: So, I was born in Colombia. Yeah, Colombian. Interviewer: What actually brought you to Ottawa? I know you're not from Ottawa, but what brought you here? Interviewee: It's a different question than what brought me to Canada, of course, but, but Ottawa, basically, when I was in high school, I did a foreign program. I discovered campus. I went to U Ottawa for a visit. So I wanted to do the joint major in anthropology and sociology, and I wanted to go back to Ottawa. I had liked the campus, and it seems like, oh, a different environment. I feel like everyone wanted to, like, stay close to home, stay in Sherbrooke, which is where my family lives, where I grew up, mostly. So yeah, I would say University. Interviewer: Yeah, no, that's great. I guess. Follow up question, I know that your family ended up settling in Sherbrooke in Quebec. Is there anything that brought them there, specifically over anywhere else Interviewee: yeah, of course. So initially, we actually moved to longe, so that's like South Shore of Montreal, and my, my mom got an offer, a job offer, out of school there. So we decided to move to Sherbrooke, which was a city that was like the closest, so it was mostly like, really job over anything else. Interviewer: So you mentioned that your family is in Sherbrooke, but did you have any family that followed you to Ottawa? Interviewer: Not really. My family didn't follow me here. My sister considered it, but, but that's the thing. Like I had already friends here when I moved we're Colombian, so that was always like, more fun. You know, we had met each other elsewhere, but we kind of, like, became friends because we were both Colombian. So when I moved here, it was already like, good to have, like, have a few contacts and people from your own culture as well. Interviewer: So on that note, actually, do you still live or keep in touch with Latin community or neighborhood where people do speak Spanish and or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions together. Interviewee: Oh, well, you know, I moved to Quebec City for grad school, of course. And something that I thought it was like, really interesting is that, at least for Colombians, you know, on our or in the Fauci, like, you see parks getting, like, reserved, you know, to like community events by the Latino community, the Colombian community, specifically here in Quebec City, I found it to be, there's a bigger gas power that in Gat, you know. And I noticed that a lot through like, for example, like I go, basically, I'm a regular at like this, like, coffee shop that's like a Colombian owned, Colombian operator, and, like, you go there, and it's kind of funny, because, like, usually when you go to like, those type of like environments, it's very much like, it's only the community that goes there that like that, like coffee shop is so popular that you see a lot of Quebecers engage with Colombian culture, which is cool to See. Some of the baristas are not Colombian, which is a bit unusual for like, Latino store. Like, you wouldn't see that at, like, what we call at the end of Latina So Tina being like shop, you know. So that was interesting. And also, like, they connect with other businesses in the in the in the area. They promote events, like, a funny example, and this is more like, it shows a bit of like, how the culture manifests itself in Ottawa. You have, like, maybe, like a club do, like a Latino night, you know, like once every month, or like, something like that, at some points they were more like, more frequent. I just like, I've heard of it. You wouldn't hear about it as much. You wouldn't see as much, like people being outgoing about it. But here I meet backers who tell me, like, Oh, I like to go to these things. I like, I see these things. You see the posters. And funny enough, people have asked me, like, if I knew people like Colombians in Gatineau as well. So there's also that connection between city. It's not isolated either. I hope that answers your question. Yeah. Interviewer: Yes, thank you. Interviewee: You're welcome. Interviewer: Yeah, no, that's really interesting. And I guess kind of pulling from that, are there any celebrations that are important to you, like, Are there any celebrations that you continue to celebrate in the new communities that you're in as well? Interview: This is a fascinating topic, because I feel like it, it's a community that's, like, evolving in so many different ways. What like when you said traditions and everything besides, like, okay, Independence Day for Colombians, I think a big Colombian tradition. And this is something very particular to Colombia, but not Christmas. We have this tradition called no Venus, and it's particularly Colombian, but basically it's just like, kind of like celebration around Christmas, and like certain passages, like, kind of like a text on its own that was drawn from, like, certain passages of the Bible about, like Christmas that kind of lead on up to it, and it's like nine days before, and they really get, you know, one like. Text per day. And I'm not particularly like Catholic, but you know, it's always interesting to see, like, how it also connects a lot with the with the, you could say Hispanic churches that exist. And also, since a lot of Latinos, they make a lot of relationships through like, what they call, at least in Quebec, I don't know, but I know, like in Latino and in the rest of like, Quebec is like this, but the Fauci, like the French courses, a lot of Latinos meet each other like that. So there's like, you make relationships with people from other communities as well. But the tighter ones, and those that I see that last the longest are the ones with people from like, similar culture see yours. So a lot of times. Like, okay, well, you meet another Colombian, and there's like, this aspect of novena about, like, oh, well, we can invite someone over and we do the novena together, you know. So it's not only the family and we but at the same time, you see, like, evolutions, like at the Colombian coffee shop, like, there's like, Muslim, Muslim Colombians, and like, yeah, there, it's true, there's there's muscles in Colombia, and there's a mosque, but it's unusual, you know. So it's also new to that emerge, I think. But besides that, like collective traditions, harder to say, I would say in Ottawa, something I don't remember if this was in Ottawa. I think it was in Ottawa. But for the the Hispanic Heritage Month, which is like half September, half October. There's those events too. There's the events as well, of the of the Latin club of the university, which I didn't engage much with. But you know, like you knew a few people, and those few people knew you, and kind of everybody knows who everybody is, in a way, because they're Latino, they speak Spanish, you know, yeah, but yeah, that, I think that wraps it up for that topic. Yeah. Interviewee: No, that's great. Thank you. I think that kind of segues well into the next question, yeah, on the note of community, would you be able to describe, like a typical day in your community? Well, Interviewer: I think it's, it's maybe at a different time, it would have been easier to describe it as it being like a typical day within the community, because you're always in it and outside of it, and you're like, you're it, you know. So you carry it with you, really. But I would say a funny anecdote of mine, it's more rare now that, like, you know, the neighborhoods are broken up. It's not like, I don't know, 50 years before where you could go into a neighborhood and only speak one language, stuff like that. Anymore. You could say that, uh, one time here, like, I went to have brunch with a friend, you know, new place we've never been to before, and I learned it was very owned by Mexicans. But like, it was really funny, because I was, like, talking to the server, like, I started talking to him in French, and he starts talking to me in Spanish. And I was like, Oh, yeah. Like, kind of on my face, I guess. But then I'm Latino, so that's part of experience. And then seeing the menu, and seeing, like, all these, like Colombian food, and like, having my friend try it as well, and then we went to a coffee shop, you know. So it's also that, like feeling of being in the community. It's mostly attached to, like, the experience of being either at an event. So it's like, more like a moment or a place being more like a business. But, yeah, the business part, I would say it's a big part of it is just like, I wouldn't say there's a there's many businesses where I know the name of the owner, or I know the name of the people that I like buy from daily. Or like, not daily, but frequently. But with Latino stores, you tend to learn those names, and they turn they tend to learn yours. You know, even if you don't go that frequently, you know, Interviewer: That's very interesting. How do you celebrate your heritage? Interviewee: An interesting question, I think I do so in many ways, just behind me, there's a Colombian flag. We have, like, a ton of Hispanic Latin American books, either in French or in Spanish. You know, I tried to read it as much in the original. But I also acknowledge that I'm not, like, I'm Colombian here, but if I go to Colombia Yeah, people tell me I'm Colombian, but, like, people ask me where my accent is from, and I don't have, like, because I have a very neutral accent. Having grown up here, like, maybe it would take me a good, like, 12 months to maybe get some slang back into it, you know, get some like, swing in it, you know. But what's interesting is that people tend to ask me, like, what my accent is from, where my accent is from. But I would say, I feel Colombian. I feel like my like, I feel great when I'm in Colombia. I just went to Colombia, actually, a few more, a few weeks ago. And I would say I'm always just myself. I wouldn't even say I'm, like, actively celebrating. It's just part of me is, like, carrying it, you know. But if I would say, like, if I would have to think of like me, something explicit that I do about it is learn about my country, you know, read history, be engaged in, like politics, like, know what's going on, not simply detached from that part of my identity, and in a way, you know, like challenging and you're questioning it, because there's also, like, my own perspective that I bring. But. Background anthropology, or just like, as an immigrant as well, that brings that kind of like double consciousness that I wouldn't have if I were to stay in Colombia. So part of, part of like, I would say, celebrating my heritage is also not only heritage, but also celebrating the fact that I'm an immigrant, and in that context of virtualization of like solidarity with valuable, I kind of see it like that too, you know, I would say also a different, a different, if you want to think of like, maybe more like practical actions as well. Every time I visit my parents, my grandma makes me Colombian food, you know, arepas things like that. I know how to cook a few things too, which I consider important, you know. And I have, like, a ton of Colombian shirts, like, a ton of, like, shirts from the national team. So, yeah, I would say, I kind of, I kind of do a lot, I guess, Interviewer: Yeah, no, I liked the way you said that is just kind of something you carry with you as well. Which kind of leads well into the next question we have, which is, what are some values that you hold as a member of your community as well? Interviewee: Interesting question. Well, I guess it depends. You know, because you like, you notice those values, or like, what you are interested in, sometimes it's like, more like, personality wise, because I know Latinos that disagree in how they feel about certain things versus others, a big distinction, I think. And it's not something that I think it's like part of Colombian culture, there's this idea about being COVID, about like diversity, which is interesting, because when, when I think about COVID, I don't think diversity necessarily, compared to like Canada, where it's like multiculturalism, you know, and they talk about multiculturalism. And in Colombia, it depends on the regions, because there's racism, but there's also a lot of more, like integration in other parts. I think of a friend of mine who's from Cali, and, you know, he's black, and he tells me he didn't realize like that, like you've never felt like racialized until he went to Bogota. And that's like Bogota, it's like, maybe more homogeneous, you know, versus caliber, you have more like that, like diversity aspect of it. And I would say maybe for me, okay, knowing, you know, like indigenous background or European background too, you know, and and I think that maybe makes like a different perceptual engagement than like, like, if you acknowledge it, you know, if you integrate it in, if you recognize it, because a lot of people won't recognize it, even though you've met those people, even if you've met your ancestors, you've met your grandparents, you've met your great grandparents, if you're lucky, like me, I guess. And you see that, you know? And I think it's interesting, some people might like try and distance themselves from it, but I think that's more of like, you know, when I was saying black skin, white mask, but, but, yeah, I would say for me, at least part of part of being an immigrant, part of being Colombian, is like challenging, you know, those, like, colonial mindsets, in my opinion, and and it's kind of like my, I think my mom has a very interesting experience, because she also, Like, never felt rationalized until she moved here. She not even Montreal, not even, you know, but when she moved to classical, which is a village only immigrant working at her workplace, feeling racism for the first time for her, it was like, kind of like an awakening, you know. So I would say it's more like immigrant values than like necessarily Colombian values, but also just the, I think other very big example of like Colombian values that I hope a lot is the trans generational homes. So my grandma lives with us, you know. And my other grandma was supposed to come live with us too, but she decided to stay in Colombia. But it's something that I feel like that model of the nuclear family is a bit different. It's not, it's not like trying to hold that in that idea of like you're on your own, you know? It's like, more like collectivist you could think, in a way, yeah, yeah. Interviewer: No, that's really interesting. Thank you for that. Is there anything that you would like to share about yourself or about your community that you think would be important to add to this or just in general, that you would like people to know? Interviewee: I don't know. I think one of the things that is maybe reconnecting to that idea of multiculturalism. Can you see it a lot in the media right now, with like, oh, criticism of like, for example, Colombians. They they don't claim certain people that are like half Colombian, you know, that live in the US, that maybe their Spanish isn't as good, you know. So there's also always that tension at home with identity and the diaspora and it’s something that I found that was very interesting to me. I went to Brazil, and in Brazil, they had a nickname for me. The kids I was working with. I was a I joined a running club there, and the kids were nicknaming gringo Moreno. So I guess you guys know what gringo is. But the thing is that for Brazilian and Moreno, I mean, just means, like, you're tan, you know, it's like brown and Ray you You seem shocked, but it's not shocking. I like it offensive. It was kind of funny. But, um, I mean, the kids were browner than me, you know, I'm not going to speak. I mean, it's like you're in the sun all day. You know, you're in the beach. You get dark really quickly. Anyhow, the like for them, for the Brazilians, anyhow, anyone that wasn't like Brazilian, that wasn't speak or even like local to the region, or that spoke Portuguese. Doesn't matter where you're from, doesn't matter what you look like. You're a gringo. So that's a different distinction, you know, versus like now you see people like saying, like, No, I'm not Gringo, but like, you don't speak English, you're half Colombian. Maybe those tensions, you know. So there's always those tensions. But if you think back to that idea of, like, with being Latino, it's not an ethnicity, it's not a it's not a race, it's multiple it's more like a culture than than anything else you know. Because, like, I mean, you have my dad, you look at him and you think he is maybe East European, because he's really white, you know, and, and, but he's Latino, you know, and that's a different experience that he had as an immigrant, different outcomes as well. But yeah, that, I guess, kind of like having that into mind, or like, there's this, like, homogenization of the Latino identity that is not necessarily accurate. Like people that Haitians are Latino people, forget that, like, East Asians can be Latinos if they grew up in Latin America. You know, there's diasporas. There were there too. Maybe it's part of why we have so many issues. I wouldn't agree, but some people think like that. But it's extremely diverse. It's extremely diverse, even in those countries and in the diaspora too. So maybe keep that in mind. Interviewer: You talked about Colombian food being an important way for you staying connected to a part of your culture, so what foods do you make that remind you of home, and where do you purchase those groceries? Interviewee: That's a great question, you know, because there's often, like cuts of the meat that you cannot find at the grocery store. So either you managed to find, maybe buy lock a butcher that like sells those cuts, or sometimes. And this is something that, like my parents stumbled on, but a Latino store that actually sells those cuts as a butcher integrated, you know. And I'm talking about, like, the tong. I'm talking about the tail, ox tail. And what's particular about me, I think, is that I grew up with a lot of food from different regions, because in Bogota, there's, like, people from all over the country, the capital, you know, 8 million people. My grandma, she was a teacher, and a lot of she met a lot of teachers from other regions. So the kind of food I grew up with is food from all over the country, because she learned those recipes from all over the country as well. But there's also restaurants, that's also the different option and and some things as well, like catering, kind of like, more like private catering, you could say, of like, you have to be in the WhatsApp context of these person and shares this contact. And it's not like you cannot simply find them online, you know. But, yeah, yeah, that's great. Interviewee: How likely would you or your family be to use the website that we're currently going to be using to upload stories? I don't know. Do you have any thoughts or comments on that? I think, I think a key part of it is accessibility, like language wise, like, if it's in Spanish, Portuguese, French, you know, that would be the main also, maybe, like things that, like, speak to the worries of people I know. Like, there's certain worries related to immigration, related to racism, as well, with Jersey experiences of of being in different departments. But it's also, like, just, like the personal thing, but, uh, but, yeah, I was the top of my head. I guess I'll have to check the website out. I'm looking forward to it, Interviewer: yeah, no, that's great. Thank you so much for sharing time with us today. It was really interesting to get to talk to you more about this. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Daniel Torres Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-23 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 19 min 50 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Daniel Torres is a master's student studying medical anthropology at the University of Laval. He earned his joint Hon. B.Soc.Sc. in Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Ottawa. Daniel immigrated to Quebec from Colombia as a child. Throughout the interview, Daniel focused on the lack of a distinct Colombian community in Ottawa and the specific Colombian and Latin American small businesses he would frequent. Daniel said that occasionally, there would be clubs or restaurants that would host "Latin Night", but he wasn't particularly interested in those. He discussed Novenas, a Colombian holiday that is celebrated around Christmas. When discussing how he celebrates his heritage, he said it was something he carries with him rather than being a detached part of his identity. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/77ef3125329c72b1afccbc03c0e6a256.mp3 dcbe63f0d8d1e32388ce20dbad3dbeb9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Elvira Arteaga Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Alexandra Thompson; William Vermette Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Alexandra: All right, so thank you so much for joining us. I'm Alexandra. We have William here and Elvira. Would you like to give a short introduction to yourself? Elvira: my name is Elvira. I'm from Mexico, living in Canada for the past 10 years and living in Ottawa for the past five years. Alexandra: Excellent. What brought you to Ottawa? Elvira: my husband’s job. Alexandra: Okay. Do you have family here and do you see them often? Elvira: I don't have any family here. It's only me, my husband, and my kids. Alexandra: Perfect. Will, do you want to ask the next question? William: Of course. So, do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood or at least a place where people speak a lot more Spanish or Portuguese? I would assume Spanish, considering Mexican origins? Elvira: I live in Ottawa. To be specific, I live in Stittsville, so it's mostly English speakers. William: Okay. Yeah. Well, to kind of carry on that, despite the lack of at least language presence or overall, I'd say maybe community presence. Just to clear that. Would you say that there's a Latin American community around where you live? Elvira: I will say yes, but I don't know a lot of people around me in Stittsville. William: Fair enough. Well, that kind of follows up with, is there at least a lot of any occasions that are celebrated, various occasions or holidays or these moments that are important to you, perhaps culturally, perhaps more personally? Elvira: Yes, Actually, I'm the president of Mexican Cultural association, so I am very involved in the Mexican community. I collaborate a lot with the Mexican Embassy with cultural events throughout the year. So, yes, I get in contact with a lot of Latin American people in the city. Alexandra: Okay, because I saw in your emails that it said president and then there was an acronym, and I was wondering what that was standing for. It's very cool. Elvira: Yeah, the acronym stands for Association Cultural is the Mexican Canadian Cultural Association of Ottawa. Alexandra: Is there, like, a typical day in your community, whether it be the association you work with or anything back home, like, if there's a typical day for you? Elvira: I work, like, mostly every month celebrating, let's say, the Mexican Independence Day in September, Day of the Dead in November, Christmas in December. And in Mexico, we celebrate the King's Day in January. What else? In March, we celebrate the Women International Women's Day in April in Mexico, we celebrate the Day of the Kids, the Kids Day, Mother's Day in May, Father's Day in June. It's like a lot of activities throughout the year. So, we work together with the embassy and with the community to get together and yeah and represent our culture in Canada. Alexandra: Do you have a lot of members that are a part of this? Elvira: All Latin American people is invited and all Canadian and people from other countries are invited to these celebrations during the year. Alexandra: So that kind of ties into our next question of how do you celebrate your heritage? Elvira: Wow, that's a big question. Just a little bit of my, my family, I am from Mexico and my husband is from the Caribbean. So, we try to introduce our culture to our kids because we are a mixed couple. So, we try to introduce them with the music and folklore or dances just like that. And I try to speak my language are in our house. So, the kids are related with the with the language, with the Spanish. Alexandra: That’s very cool. That is a lot of celebrations. Elvira: It is. William: That actually ties perfectly into the next follow up. Are there any values that you hold very dearly as a member of the Latin American community, but also that are maybe shared with Caribbean communities? Elvira: When you say values, can you repeat that. William: Yeah, of course. What are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin American and well, in your case, having experience with the Caribbean communities? Elvira: I don't know how to answer this question. William: I'm sorry. No, that's very fair. To be very honest. I wouldn't know how to answer that if I was asked that either. Elvira: I don't know, like. Like being kind, being kind with everyone in the community. That’s hard. I don't know. Alexandra Yeah, I think it was like values as in like stories or anything for heritage that you kind of hold closely to you here from back home? Elvira: No, I don't think that applies at the moment. Alexandra: No worries. What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is most important for people to know? Elvira: Like something that is important for me? Alexandra: Or just your community. Things that you think people from Canada or other cultures should know about Latin American communities. Elvira: we are like mostly all Latin American people are very friendly. I don't know, we like to party a lot and we, I think we welcome everyone. Like we welcome people from all over the world. So, yep, we like to make them part of our traditions and dances and music. Yep. William: In that it's a lot more like a, an inclusive community. One that wants to exchange stories basically, or at least exchange ideas and get people just working together. William: Onto something else. Oh, personally, I find this topic always fun, but are there any foods that you make that remind you of home or any like traditional meals or places where you procure like groceries or specific ingredients? Elvira: most of the ingredients I got them from an online store. But talking about dishes and food, I cook mostly Mexican in my house. So, it's like a lot of tacos and soups. What else? Tamales for the bread. Yeah, Tortillas. Like it's tortillas. Tortillas mostly every day. Alexandra: So, second, last question. How likely would you and your family be to use the website we were creating for uploading your stories and how would you use it? And it just says here we would like to better serve the community. So, any suggestions from you about access as well about what should be posted would be greatly appreciated. But yeah, how likely would you be to use it for kind of getting in touch with other stories? If not, it's totally okay. Elvira: when the website is not up, I would love to share it with my family, with friends and with the community, with the Latin American community and other friends from other countries so they can learn a little bit about the Latin American culture. Alexandra: People from all backgrounds on here. It's very interesting. William: But also, if there's any like suggestions that you might have about the site like whether it be more or made more accessible to people who speak perhaps not as much English or that I don't know how to frame that necessarily. Elvira: like my actual job is I'm a medical interpreter so I know how the bridge with the language is. So, for sure if you can post, if you can put the website in different languages that will help a lot. Like if your target is getting in touch with Latin American people, it's going to be good to have a Spanish, Spanish site or something like that or, or other, other languages like English, French, Portuguese, Italian. Like it all depends on what's your target. Alexandra: I believe now I'm not totally sure, but I do believe that there's going to be like a drop-down menu that will have the other languages in it. I think we're just hoping that it covers all if not most of the Latin American languages in the Caribbean as well. Elvira: That's good. Yeah. Alexandra: Do you have any other comments or concerns? Elvira: No, I don't have anything that I can think about right now. Alexandra: Perfect. That’s all of our questions. So, thank you so much for joining us. Elvira: You're welcome. Alexandra: Thank you. I'll stop the recording. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Elvira Arteaga Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-25 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 13 min 15 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Elvira hails from Mexico, is a medical interpreter, and is the president of the Asociación Cultural Mexicano Canadiense Ottawa-Gatineau (ACMCOG). She has lived in Canada for the past 10 years and currently lives in Ottawa with her husband and children. Along with her work with ACMCOG, she regularly collaborates with the Mexican Embassy and takes part in cultural events throughout the year. Maintaining cultural values is very important to Elvira and her family, and she is consistently working to embrace the Latin American community in the capital region. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/3d03963a77ac982d565f26f28ffe90a5.mp3 3d55ec414d123c457ce709cbaad9f0ed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Emmanuelle Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sophia Soutyrine Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound SOPHIA: Bonjour, je suis ici avec mon amie qui a accepté à faire cette interview qui porte sur les Latino-Américains à Ottawa, et je vais rentrer dans les questions. Tu veux te présenter ? EMMANUELLE: Donc oui, bonjour, mon nom c'est Emmanuel, je suis moitié Nicaragua, moitié Canada, ma mère vient du Nicaragua et mon père vient du Canada, mais je suis née ici au Canada. SOPHIA: Mhm, donc ton pays d'origine, c'est… EMMANUELLE: Le Canada. SOPHIA: Qu'est-ce qui t'a amené à Ottawa ? EMMANUELLE: En fait, ce qui m'a amenée à Ottawa – moi, je suis née à Gatineau, mais ce qui m' amenait à Ottawa c'est vraiment l'étude. Les études, donc du coup j'ai fait mon secondaire, spécialisation d'art plastique à Ottawa ici proche à De La Salle et là maintenant je fais d'autres études à U-Ottawa en développement international ce qui m’avait beaucoup intéressé. Donc les études. SOPHIA: Est-ce que tu as de la famille ici et est-ce que tu les vois souvent ? EMMANUELLE: Du Nicaragua ? SOPHIA: Oui EMMANUELLE: Donc, j'ai la famille du côté de mon papa, mais pas du côté de ma mère. J'ai aucun familier ici. Ils sont tous au Nicaragua, mais je vais quelquefois au Nicaragua au moins, je vais aller une fois par année, un mois. SOPHIA: Mhm, tu restes comme un mois? EMMANUELLE: Oui, c'est ça pour les visiter. SOPHIA: Et puis, est-ce que tu vis dans une communauté ou un quartier latino-américain ici où tu parles l'espagnol? Où l'on parle espagnol beaucoup? EMMANUELLE: Oui, donc avec ma famille, parce que je vis avec ma maman, c'est elle qui vient du Nicaragua, donc oui, on parle l’espagnol assez couramment à la maison, mais à l'extérieur de la maison, je pourrais dire à mon université non, mais j'ai beaucoup d'amis qui parlent espagnols ou des compagnons d'école. Voilà, c'est ça. Donc avec eux, je parle l'espagnol et puis avec ma mère à la maison quelques fois. SOPHIA: Quelles sont les célébrations les plus importantes pour toi? EMMANUELLE: Donc les célébrations, je pourrais dire Noël. C'est une célébration assez générale. Je pourrais dire, au Canada comme au Nicaragua, ces célébrations vraiment, mais j'adore. C’est comme ici, les célébrations au Canada, c'est plus tranquille de mon avis, de ce que j'ai vu. Quand au Nicaragua, ils font des grosses fêtes, ils font beaucoup de nourriture, ils invitent la famille de... un peu partout. Tu comprends? Quand t'a ici, c'est les familles qui sont plus proches. C'est ça que j'ai remarqué. En tout cas, c'est des grosses affaires, des grosses fêtes. SOPHIA: Est-ce que tu célèbres Noël avec, comme tu rassembles la famille? EMMANUELLE: Oui, oui. SOPHIA: C'est donc une grande fête. EMMANUELLE: C’est une grande fête, Oui, c'est une grande, grande célébration. SOPHIA: Est-ce que tu peux me décrire une journée typique dans ta communauté? EMMANUELLE: Donc oui, une journée typique dans ma communauté, normal, je me réveille et puis je fais ma journée avec mes amis, mais c'est pas vraiment différent au Nicaragua, c'est assez similaire. C'est deux communautés qui sont assez similaires. Oui. Mais sauf qu'ici, j'ai remarqué que les gens sont un peu plus froids avec les autres que dans un pays d’Amérique Latine. Un pays d'Amérique Latine je trouve que les gens sont plus, comment te dire, sont plus, entraident, ils entraident les autres, tu comprends, sont plus là pour les autres. Quand t'as ici, c'est plus chacun pour soi. C'est ça que j'ai remarqué. SOPHIA: Est-ce que tu trouves, quand tu es dans un groupe avec d'autres latino-américains, avec tes amis, ils sont plus chaleureux que si tu es avec des Canadiens, on va dire? EMMANUELLE: Oui, parce qu'ils sont très, t'sais, ils jugent pas autant. Je trouve que les Canadiens, ils se sont plus portés à juger ou à plus porter à chacun pour soi. Quant aux latinos, eux, ils vont dire « ah t'as besoin d'aide, viens, je vais t'aider à faire ci ou à faire ça » ou « viens, on va sortir, appelle ton ami, tout le monde en y va, tout l'monde ensemble ». Quant à ici, genre, tu peux pas, tu vas pas dire « oh viens, j'ai une amie de l'ami de l'amie », on va tous sortir ensemble, non. C'est plus, j’ai remarqué, c'est une assez grande différence. SOPHIA: Comment est-ce que tu célèbres ton héritage ? EMMANUELLE: Donc ben moi, je célèbre mon héritage en participant à des fêtes, des événements culturels, genre des fêtes et des festivals à Ottawa, genre à Lansdowne. Précisément, ils font souvent des événements latinos de plusieurs cultures aussi. De plus, comment aussi je célèbre, je pourrais dire en cuisinant des plats traditionnels avec ma mère comme le “Nacatamal” et surtout partager des histoires avec mes copines d'Amérique latine, des trucs arrivés, des places que je préfère, des photos. Voilà. SOPHIA:Et puis il y a beaucoup de, de festivals, c'est vrai. EMMANUELLE: Oui, oui. SOPHIA: Quelles sont les valeurs qui te sont les plus chères en tant que membre de la communauté latino-américaine? EMMANUELLE: Donc pour moi, c'est vraiment la famille, et puis tu pourrais demander à n'importe quel Latino, ils vont dire la famille c'est le plus important. Et puis aussi l'entraide. Exemple, on va toujours être là, présent pour entraider les autres, comme j'avais dit plutôt les Canadiens, je trouve que, comme je viens des 2 cultures, je me suis rendu compte que quand je suis avec des Latinos, je suis sûre que si j'ai besoin d'aide demain matin ils vont être, ils vont venir m'aider ils vont m'assister. Quant aux Canadiens, je me suis dit, bon, c’est, c'est différent, je vois une différence. Donc oui, définitivement, j'dirais la famille et l'entraide. SOPHIA: Qu'est-ce que tu aimerais partager sur toi-même ou de ta communauté? Et qu'est-ce que tu juges qui est plus important que les gens sachent de ta communauté, ta culture? EMMANUELLE: Okay, bin moi je dirais que j'aimerais plus que les gens voient la diversité, comme que la diversité culturelle, c'est une richesse. Et aussi être issu d'un mélange comme le Nicaragua et le Canada, bin ça m'a appris aussi à apprécier toutes les cultures, à être fière de ce métissage. SOPHIA: Um, ok, quel plat est-ce que tu cuisines qui te rappelles de ton pays d'origine? EMMANUELLE: Donc moi, au Nicaragua eux, ce qu'ils mangent c'est vraiment des “frijoles”, frijoles c’est like beans. SOPHIA: Les haricots. EMMANUELLE: Les haricots, les haricots noirs avec, aussi eux ils mangent avec du fromage, des plantains frits. Donc moi le matin je pourrais dire je donne un exemple, je mélange les 2, donc du coup des fois je sais pas, je mets des œufs comme ils font, je mets des haricots noirs, du riz, des plantains et je rajoute du bacon. Donc du coup tu as les 2, j'ai les 2, j’ai Canada et Nicaragua dedans et c'est vraiment le mélange. Des fois, c'est vraiment intéressant. SOPHIA: Oui. Est-ce que tu fais tes courses, ou, où est-ce que tu fais tes courses pour préparer les repas traditionnels? Est-ce qu’il y a des endroits. EMMANUELLE: Oui il y a des endroits oui, y’en a plusieurs à Ottawa, um, y a la Fiesta Latina, y a, y a aussi, d'autres y’en a d'autres, mais ils sont plus à Ottawa, y’en a pas à Gatineau. À Gatineau y’en a pas, mais à Ottawa, il y en avait certain que j'ai trouvé intéressant. Y’a pas autant de produits nicaraguayens, mais de produit salvadorien soit assez similaire à ceux de Nicaragua. Donc des fois il y a même des restaurants salvadoriens au latino, que je peux trouver de la nourriture que des fois on mange où on achète de de la place donc. SOPHIA: Donc tu trouves qu’il y pas trop de produits de ton pays spécifiquement EMMANUELLE:Non, non, non, non. SOPHIA: Mais ils sont similaires. EMMANUELLE: Plus Mexique, Colombie. Mais oui, ils sont assez similaires SOPHIA: Dans quelle mesure est-ce que tu, Ok donc tu sais le, cette interview va être mise sur un site web avec d'autres interviews avec d'autres gens de l'Amérique Latine. Um, Dans quelle mesure est-ce que tu es susceptible à utiliser le site web que nous avons créé? EMMANUELLE: C'est intéressant que tu me dis ça parce que, um, j'aimerais ça voir d'autres personnes comme moi, qui est moitié latino moitié canadiens. Parce que tu sais ici au Canada je vois beaucoup de latinos mais y a pas beaucoup de moitiés latinos canadiens autant, tu comprends, oui ils sont au Canada mais ils sont 100% latinos. Donc je trouve ça intéressant de pouvoir, je sais pas, pouvoir consulter le site web, pour écouter certains reportages de d'autres personnes, tu sais qui, qui est là, qui s'identifient comme moi, Moitié canadien, moitié latino, même nicaraguayen. Ça serait super intéressant si je pourrais trouver un reportage qui parle de ça, et m'identifier dans ces reportages. SOPHIA: Oui, puis voir les similarités. EMMANUELLE: Voila. SOPHIA: Est-ce que tu as d'autres commentaires que tu veux apporter ou des préoccupations? EMMANUELLE: Non, c'est c'est très intéressant ce que vous faites. Continuer comme à faire des reportages, c'est, c'est intéressant. J'aime bien SOPHIA: Merci, Emmanuelle. EMMANUELLE: Merci à toi. Bonne journée SOPHIA: Bye. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Emmanuelle Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-13 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 8 min 51 s Language A language of the resource French Description An account of the resource I interviewed Emmanuelle, a close friend of mine since high school. She is half Nicaraguan and half Canadian, born in Canada and currently living in Gatineau. Emmanuelle comes to Ottawa for her studies and attends the University of Ottawa. Although she grew up in Canada, she stays closely connected to her Latin American roots through her family, Nicaraguan food, cultural festivals, and visits to Nicaragua. She also has many friends from across Latin America, where she recognizes shared values and experiences. Emmanuelle embraces a blend of both cultures in her daily life, balancing Canadian experiences with her Nicaraguan heritage. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/9d587e2e9cc88c90e81570964eee0410.mp3 872e96fbf7aea11e420b3c3d0344fc5c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Gabo P Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Joshua Mascoll-Medeiros Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Interviewer: Hello. I am Joshua Mascoll-Medeiros, a student at the University of Ottawa, and today, we are conducting an interview with the Department of Anthropology and the university to get a deeper understanding of Latin and Caribbean heritage in the City of Ottawa and Gatineau. We are creating a web page using the Omeka tool that shares the stories of members of the Latin Caribbean community here in Ottawa, Gatineau, and to help newcomers and the members of the current community to have resources to find connections and understand the rich, diverse nature of the region. Today, I am with Gabbo. Hi, Gabo, how are you? Interviewee: I'm good. Interviewer: I want to thank you for your participation here for the interview with the university, and I would love to learn more about you today. Okay, of course, the main thing we're going to try and do today is learn about your culture and find out how you found living here in Ottawa and got to know and how, as a member of the Latin community, how has it been easy or difficult for you as well. So, first, let's, let's get started. Gabo, what is your country of origin? Interviewee: So, I was born in Mexico, to be more specific, in Mexico City, I lived there until I was 13 years old, before migrating to Canada. Interviewer: And what brought you to Ottawa itself? Interviewee: So, we ended up moving to Canada because of my dad's work. So, my dad has always worked with the Mexican government, and at the time in 2001 he got offered a position here in the Embassy of Mexico in Ottawa, and we decided to move. Interviewer: Okay, um, do you currently still have family here in Ottawa? Interviewee: No, not anymore. My family that was here was basically my parents with my dad's job. They ended up posting him back in Mexico. So, they moved in 2013 I decided to stay, and I'm here by myself right now. Interviewer: You talked about how your family, some of your family, went back to Mexico as well. Do you see them frequently Interviewee: I actually do. It’s quite nice. My mom and my dad tend to visit basically every year. They come in every summer, and they'll stay here for a few months, spend some time with me and my family. I've also had the chance to have other family members that have visited recently, such as my sister and my brother and some friends as well. Interviewer: Oh, that sounds amazing. Do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where Spanish is spoken often? Interviewee: It's hard to tell, I would say, yes. I live in the Gatineau side, about 10 minutes away from downtown. I would say, over the years, I've seen a bigger impact of the Atlanta community. When I moved to Canada, I went to high school here on the Gatineau side, and there was a huge Latin community within my high school. We had a lot of Spanish and actually Portuguese people as well. Growing up and not being in that environment anymore, I do often see people speaking Spanish or other languages around, like restaurants or even some of the like businesses that have opened as well. Interviewer: So, are there any kind of celebrations or kind of festivals in the Gatineau region that can reflect Latin American culture for you? Interviewee: So, I think one of the most popular ones that we see on a yearly basis here in Ottawa would be Latin Sparks. That is, like a, like a kind of like an event that's been kept up year to year, where it brings all of Latin people from every other country. So, you'll see Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina and everything like that. And they can tend to celebrate the culture a lot. I was more involved through the Mexican embassy with some of those events, as my dad was really involved. So, for the Me, the Mexican side of things, there is some that happened throughout the year that you know may vary, but you can often find them. Interviewer: And is this something that you participate still to this day, Interviewee: Occasionally, not as much as I used to. Generally, like, the biggest ones that we try to do is we celebrate our Mexican Independence Day in September. So, it is something that sometimes I'll attend to, if I have the opportunity to do so depending on when the event is held. Interviewer: So yeah, that kind of works great for the next question, because you talk about celebrating the Mexican Independence Day. Is there anything else that you do to celebrate your heritage here in Canada? Interviewee: So, I mean, we do the Mexican Independence Day, very well known to us in Mexico, we celebrate the day of the dead instead of Halloween. So that is something that culturally that I try to keep up every year as a parent with small children, I usually have been teaching my kids about it and can explain the differences. So, I would say that it's the second one that I celebrate quite regularly. Interviewer: Okay, now for myself. Of I don't really know much about the day of the dead. It's okay, if you kind of explain a little more about that. Interviewee: Yeah, so, the date of the death is kind of like a tradition that we hold in Mexico. It actually consists of two days, which is November 1 and November the second. It is a way for us to honor the tradition and in the past of our family members or friends or people that are no longer with us and that have passed away for us as part of our tradition. What we'll do is we'll create what we call an ofrenda, which is like an offering or a table where we can put pictures of those relatives or those persons that we want to honor, and we try to put things that they used to love, so whether it was like, you know, a shot of tequila, or like, their favorite dish, and we just kind of like put them overnight and celebrate their lives, like we try to not make it something that's sad, but more of, like a party, or, like, you know, something more festive Interviewer: that's wonderful, I guess we kind of talked about celebrations already, but is there one that is most important to you? Interviewee: I mean, culturally, the day of the dead is a really big one. I think it's also been really popular, you know, though, like, through the media and stuff like that. I feel like globally, it is a little bit more known now. And like I said, for me, the Independence Day is also a huge, huge one. As a Mexican, I think it's probably the biggest kind of holiday or celebration that we have in our country and in other countries. Interviewer: No, fair enough. The one thing I will also say from the next question is growing up in a neighborhood for myself where there were a lot of Latin communities as well as Caribbean communities, I understand that religion is one of the biggest aspects of culture itself. What are some of the values that you hold dear to yourself as a member of the Latin community? Interviewee: Well, I was going to say, I think I can definitely relate to your point growing up. My family and even Mexicans are known for being very, very religious. And basically, they're all Catholic, and they have a huge following. I wouldn't say, in my case, it's probably not as much like, like, I do consider myself like a religious person and whatnot, but if I come to think about it, for example, like my grandparents and my parents, that are people that tend to go to church like every Sunday and such. I do go occasionally, but I'm not there like all the time. Interviewer: Yeah, I understand, um, now again, I know you and I were talking beforehand, the part of food as a part of culture is enormous for myself, coming from a Caribbean background. I know when I grew up seeing my mom and my grandmother cook traditional food was always amazing. The house smelled amazing. It was always fun to be a part of and also learn that itself is there, like, a certain type of food that reminds you of home back in Mexico City? Interviewee: Oh, yes, 100% I think that's probably like my favorite part about my culture. Mexican food has a huge variety, and I feel like there are always so many dishes that remind me of home specifically, like if I were to tell you one of my favorite ones, obviously, like most people associate Mexicans and eating tacos and such. My favorite one, I love posole. It's kind of like a soup that has a lot of condiments and things like that. Very traditional to eat that when we celebrate Independence Day, for example. So, it kind of ties in with our celebrations and whatnot. But there is tons and tons of food that I like, but I would say those are probably like the two most common ones that I can always fall back to as my comfort food. And, you know, I can find any time. Interviewer: Fair enough now being in the Ottawa Gatineau area, do you find that it is easy to access these kinds of ingredients people make the food you talk about? Interviewee: I would say, yes, one of the things that I love about this area is that over the years, there's been more and more access to those resources. So when I originally moved to Canada, I found it was kind of a bit difficult to find some of those ingredients. But over the years, that has changed. You can often find a lot of like the vegetables, or like the peppers or whatever you may need, at local grocery stores or even some independent, like small businesses as well. I do find that there are a lot of Latin and Caribbean stores as well where you can actually go and get those ingredients from back home that are being imported and made accessible to you. There are definitely a few stores that are frequent, often to get those things for whenever my mom or I are cooking at home. So definitely very, very accessible. Interviewer: One of the last things, like one of the main. Things I want to talk about as well, is what would you like the community to know about this interview process? And I've understood that. We’ve worked together, we've played sports together as well in the local sporting community here for newcomers, or for anyone from the Latin community in the Caribbean community, they want to be able to kind of feel that sense of community itself. What do you think it's something important to know itself Interviewee: well. For me, I think, like coming to Canada, it was always a bit of an unknown. You don't know what to expect. What I love about Canada is that people are very embracing of other people's cultures, and, you know, they're always kind of like willing to learn. But you will also find a lot of people that you know have done the same, the same thing, and have immigrated. So I find it's a bit of a mixture of a huge Latin community that's present in Ottawa from all kinds of backgrounds, but at the same time, yes, like having Canadian people embracing it, it's always really nice, because they're always open to trying new things, you know, for you, to teach them and whatnot. So I think that's kind of like my favorite thing about the Latin community and the Canadian community, how they come together. Interviewer: Yeah, it's always great. The one thing I will say is the main reason why we're doing these interviews itself is to kind of make that resource for the Latin and Caribbean communities to understand that there is a lot of culture here. And not only that, but there's a sense, there's a way to create the sense of community in Ottawa itself. And so I think for the University of Ottawa, one of the main things we're trying to do is create this web page with Omeka to ensure that they have access to this. It's something that we do we hold very dear to ourselves, and we hope that this becomes a bigger, wider range of resources. So that kind of grows over the years. And I kind of talked to you about Omeka in this website they were creating. Is this something that you'd find that yourself or you would show to your family or friends? So, they can kind of get a better idea for people who maybe don't necessarily feel that connection right now in the auto Gatineau area? Interviewee: Yeah, I think it's, it's a great idea. Honestly, having those resources, kind of like all centers in one place, can be really helpful for someone that may be looking to come to Canada, or, I even think, through the university, someone that may be an international student. I definitely think it's a great resource. Sometimes, you know when, when you're looking into those big decisions, you have to look everywhere and kind of put the pieces together. So having it all centralized would be phenomenal, and I think it would be a good resource for everyone. Interviewer: Oh, perfect. I think the last thing I really want to talk about here is kind of getting your feedback or suggestions. And what I mean by that is using this resource like we're saying. It's very new. It's the first year that the university Auto has really done something like this, and we kind of want to know, what do you think would make this a more accessible resource for people of Latin and Caribbean descent, in the sense of, how do you think it should be portrayed, or how do you think it should be shared in a way to kind of outreach for the most amount of people itself? Interviewee: I mean, obviously, yes, I just mentioned, I think it's a great resource to have on the website, kind of, it's hard to think about it, but I would say, like shining a spotlight on it, especially for, as I mentioned, things like international students would be, I think would be a great idea for us itself, like it's just a way for us to understand how you as a lab member feel about kind of these kinds of resources itself. We know this is a great interview, and I learned a lot about you, and I hope that your listeners will be able to hear more about that as well and use this as kind of a way to understand that connection there is in Ottawa. Interviewer: I would like to thank you so much. Are there any last things you'd like to say at all? Interviewee: No, thank you for your time. I appreciate you. Know you're taking the time to learn the community. Like I said, the presence is huge, huge here in Ottawa, and I find that sometimes, like, you know, we have all those events, but there's never really a spotlight or something that kind of brings everything together. So, I can emphasize enough how good of an idea this is. Interviewer: Thank you so much. Okay, Gabbo, you have a great day. Thank you. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Gabo P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-26 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 14 min 00 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Gabo, a Mexican immigrant who arrived in Ottawa at the age of 13, recounts his journey and the vibrant cultural tapestry he has embraced. His father’s employment with the Mexican Embassy facilitated their relocation to Ottawa, where Gabo has grown up immersed in a diverse society. Despite the distance, he maintains a strong connection to his roots by visiting Mexico City regularly and sharing his cultural heritage with his children. Gabo emphasizes the significance of celebrating Mexican Independence Day and the importance of honouring the traditions of the Day of the Dead within his family. He also highlights the traditional foods that continue to evoke a sense of belonging and foster his Mexican identity. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/15cf9584193ac708541457edfb60cf01.mp3 8d9d494b6216e54a74371a511acd4211 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Ivana Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Linda;Iganze Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Linda:  0:00 Hi, my name is Linda, and I am a student at the University of Ottawa in anthropology. I am doing an interview about the experience of Latin American and Caribbean communities in Ottawa. Your thoughts are important and will help us understand culture, migration, community. We just get to start by introducing yourself. Ivana: 0:27 Hi Linda, I'm Ivana. I am a Peruvian that came here to Canada at nine years old. Linda 0:34 I have a list of questions that I'm going to ask you. But you don't have to answer all the questions. Just answer the questions that you are comfortable with. And I would love to start with what brought you here in Ottawa. Ivana:  0:50 So I came to Ottawa because I was planning to study in the University of Ottawa. I studied communications and I decided I finally to stay because I was living in Montreal before. So then I, as I say, like I came here to study and ended up like choosing another career which is event management. So that's what I've been doing up to today. Linda: 1:22 Do you have a family here or do you see them frequently? Ivana: 1:27 Yes, I do have my mom and my dad here in Canada and I do see them frequently. We, me and my mom, we spend a lot of time going on little trips. Every two weekends we decide to go to little to other places like Manotec or maybe Cornwall or then go to Toronto. Sometimes go to Quebec and visit other places in Canada. Linda: 2:07 Thank you. Do you live in Latino neighborhood where people speak Spanish or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions? Ivana 2:18 I feel now I don't live in a Latin community. I surround myself by Latin people. Yes, but mostly they live in Ottawa. I live in Gatineau. So I do see myself with a lot of Latin people to go dancing, have meals together But it's more distant. I used to live, when I was living in Montreal longeuil I was surrounded, all my neighbors were Latinos. And as I just first arrived, those were my support, my first friends. But now it's really hard to get involved with the Latin community.I feel it is not easy as it was. Linda: Are there the celebrations that are most important to you? Ivana: 3:13 I feel. Well, can I say birthdays? Linda: 3:16 Yes, feel free to say what you want. Ivana: 3:19 I feel birthdays are very special because you get to celebrate the person who you love that is here another day with you. So I feel that's the most beautiful celebration you can have. But I do celebrate also as in my culture, I do still celebrate Christmas and New Year's and those are the celebrations that I do still celebrate. Linda: 3:50 So do you have like a specific way that you celebrate New Year, Christmas, based on your culture ? Ivana: Yeah. So Christmas, actually we do. For us, Christmas is like on, on the 24th that we celebrate. So we do, we do wait until midnight of the 24th and then we say Merry Christmas. Yes. And we eat at night.We, we eat at 12 after, after celebrating. Linda: 4:24 Is there any specific meal that you eat? Ivana: 4:27 We do a buffet actually. We try to make a huge like 3 turkey and then we can put like rice and salad and like, we try to gather as much like family as we can and also friends. We try to be in accompanying but by a lot of people that we love, we love to do that, you know. And New Year's for me it's. Well, yeah, in Peru when I go back there, you celebrate with family and friends, but that mostly New Year's is celebrated more with your friends. And over there they used to do this tradition where they put, they put a. Like not a person, but they put with, with clothes, they make it with clothes and they put like a balloon as a face, you know, and then they put like fireworks on it. And then they make it explode. Yeah, you see a bunch, a bunch of fireworks everywhere. But that's something I really miss because here you cannot really do fireworks. I've seen some fireworks though. But yeah, you're not allowed. It's just like in the parliament and that's it. Linda: 5:53 Can you describe a typical day in your community? Ivana: 5:58 Typical day in my community, I think mostly we do like to, when we go out, we just like to say hi to each other. But it's not just, just be polite here as in Canada over there. It's more like, hey, like they knock your door and they ask you for sugar, you know, that kind of stuff that you don't see here. And you can call a friend, just tell them, hey, like I want to hang out with you in like a few minutes I'll be at your house. And then you present yourself to their house and like nobody's gonna tell you, no, I'm busy, or they're just gonna accept you over there. So. Typical day. I think it's the same thing as here, you know. Yeah. In my country, the last time I visited, actually it was in December last year. I saw that Everybody works until 7:00, so that's like minimum. And they usually work until Saturday and like Sunday they rest. It depends. But mostly they work a lot compared to here. Here you have more like Saturday and Sunday and a little bit more free time at night, you know. So, yeah, It's different. Linda: 7:29 What are some values that you hold most dear as, like a member of a Latin community? Ivana: 7:37 So many values. I feel unity, the warmness, everybody. It feels beautiful. Like how you see the people supporting each other and enjoying life and having fun. I feel if we bring this to Canada, this would be amazing.Yeah, that's what I really love about Peru. It's like everybody is welcoming and they're really nice, but not nice. Hi, nice, but, you know, really nice. So, yeah, I. I really miss that. Ivana: 8:21 Every single time I go there, it's like, it's like a party. Even with your family, we do. I remember, like, for dia de la cancion creolla, we tended to just celebrate. It's like for us, it's like instead of like doing Halloween, we do like the day of the Creole song. I don't know, it's not cruel, but Creolia.everybody's dancing. Ivana: 8:48 I don't know how to say it, but anyways, yeah, so we did celebrate that and we put. Everybody's playing an instrument Linda: 8:58 Would you like to share something about yourself or your community that you think is important for people, like, for instance, me to know or other people to know? Ivana: 9:09 I think it's mostly what I said.We Peruvians tend to be very heartwarming and also very hard workers. You can see a lot of Peruvians succeed here because they want to put their best and do their best and always. We're always like supporting of each other. We're never gonna leave you outside the door. We're also.We're always going to be welcoming and we're also going to be really happy. Linda: 9:41 What food do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries from? Ivana: 9:51 Okay, well, so this year I said to myself that I would make more perine food, which I'm really proud because it tastes really good. Yeah, so I've been doing aji de gallina, which something I love is with chicken. And it's like I'm using a lot of spices that I brought lately from Peru. Ivana: 10:17 It's because, like, the spices over there and the, like the hot they become, that it has flavor. That's what I like about that. So I like to add like different condiments so it has different tastes. And yeah, so I do that.I do like to cook. I like to cook. And yeah, like, I purchase my groceries in super, say, like Walmart,Loblaws. Ivana: 10:50 Like where. Wherever I find. But like, mostly if I want to Purchase, like, Peruvian food. You cannot find a lot, but you can find, like, some frozen fruits in Latin market. There's one in Gatineau.There's really small also. And it's. They have, like, some good stuff, like lucuma, which is, like, frozen fruits. They do have, like, ginka cola, which is like a pop drink, and they have frijoles and some spices. Ivana: 11:37 And. Yeah, you can cook a really good meal with that. It's not gonna taste the same, obviously, as if you have, like, all the ingredients that you were supposed to have in your country. Ivana: 11:51 Yeah. Back home. But, here, it brings me home just by doing something, you know, Like, I feel good, and I love bringing my people, my friends, like, home and just, like, making them taste like a part of my culture, a part of my country, it makes me happy. Linda: 12:12 Our last question. You know, like, there's a website that has been created, and these stories are going to be uploaded. So my question is, how likely would you or your family be to use the website? Ivana: 12:28 I think it would be a really nice way to represent everybody, and it'll be nice to see that there's more people like us and Latinos, and then we can, like, share our cultures. And I think, yes, we can. We can use it for that. Ivana: 12:50 And actually, there's a lot of, like, groups in. In Facebook where we post about, like, somebody that's making some food and, like, businesses and try to support each other, but there's no, like, special website for that. So I think that'll be a really nice idea if you can implement that to. Inside the website and. Yeah, it would be nice to see. Linda: 13:16 So we are at the end of our interview. Do you have any comment or concerns that you would like to share? Ivana: 13:26 I'm just very happy to have had the chance to do this because I feel having the word to express about my culture is very enriching and I'm grateful for this experience. So thank you so much. Linda: 13:42 Thank you. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Ivana by Linda Iganze Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-16 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3,13 min 43 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Ivana is a self-assured Peruvian woman who has preserved her brilliant heritage after emigrating to Montreal, Canada, at the tender age of nine. She later moved to Ottawa to pursue higher studies before finally settling into a thriving career in event management while continually reaffirming the traditions and cultural practices that constitute her heritage. Ivana now resides in Gatineau but remains intimately connected to her heritage through family gatherings, cherished culinary traditions, and continuous community participation. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/a849762adc3793441a752fcab45ecde2.mp3 e708133dfb8fd1f0d34831980d13dea7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Jaime Bustamante Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Alida Madinger; Emily Young; Katya Romanenko Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Jaime: My name is Jaime Bustamante Salazar. I was born in Mexico, in the state of Sonora in the city of Hermosillo, May 3rd 1976. I moved to Mexico city when I was 18 years old and studied industrial engineering and also international commerce. After graduating, I started working for a Canadian company, which recently opened operations in Mexico and headquarters are in Ottawa. And after working for them for 3 years in Mexico, they offered me to come and work for them here in Canada. So I moved to Canada in June of 2005. Excellent month to move into Ottawa, and I've been living here since then. Katya; We are 3 students from the University of Ottawa, all are studying anthropology and we are here, interviewing Jaime: today for our Caribbean and Latin American anthropology class. So you talked a bit about your country of origin, what brought you here, and we just want to ask you: do you have any family here in Ottawa specifically, and do you keep contact with them? Do you see them frequently? Jaime; Yes, when I moved to Ottawa. I moved with my wife and 1 kid at the time that we had a second kid. Then got divorced in 2014, and got remarried 3 years later to another Mexican lady. Katya; As you mentioned earlier, we don't have any Mexican neighborhoods in Ottawa. Do you find yourself living in an area where there are other Mexicans or other Spanish speaking people? So People can celebrate various occasions with or meet up with? Jaime; I think Mexicans are scattered around Ottawa in different neighborhoods. There's no Latin neighborhood like other big cities such as Toronto or Montreal, or Vancouver. I don't see that in Ottawa. There are different grocery stores here and there where you can find Latin products and obviously Mexican products. I think a big part of my group of friends, most of them are from Latin America, either Mexico, Central America or South America. And we get together in different parts to do things together. But I don't see the Latin community here, unless there is an event by one of the embassies of the different countries, such as Mexico, Colombia or Peru, or which they organize now and then celebrating either they're independence day or something cultural. It's important for me, for example, Mexico, the day of the dead which, is something that you don't see anywhere else. As far as I know, every Latin community gets together and celebrates that as part of an event organized by either the consulates for the embassy of the country and yeah. Emily; Speaking of celebrations, what celebrations are most important to you? Jaime; Well, since I became Canadian. Obviously I celebrate Canadian holidays like Canada day, but if I’m talking about Mexican days that we celebrate or events it would be, dependence day, which is September 16 and day of the dead. Which is October 2nd and then there's one that its celebration that is done everywhere else in the world, but Mexico, which is the La Batalla de Puebla which is the biggest avocado sale in the history and in the year for Mexicans which is February 5th, sorry Cinco de Mayo. And it's a celebration, I don't know why it's so big everywhere else, especially in North America like the United States and Canada. In Mexico, not so much, and the reason why we celebrate that or I don't know why it is celebrated more everywhere else, then Mexico because it's been the only war or battle fought on Mexican soil where Mexico has defeated the country trying to invade Mexico, and that was against the French. Mind you that was only one battle we lost just like every other war we’ve been invaded by other countries, but in the end we maintain our country. Another one would be the revolution, which is November 20th. Not that big, but obviously the embassy and consulates of Mexico do celebrate and try to get people from Mexico. I did find this year there was a celebration by the Mexican embassy based on the state where I grew up, which was I mentioned earlier, which is Sonora. So they have a lot of people from sonora. They had booths with different food from my state and city and different regional dancers. It was cool seeing my hometown celebrated and my home state being celebrated Katya; I have a question based on that, how do celebrations here like Christmas, New Years compare? If you have anything similar? Jaime; Mexico is a big country, it is divided between three regions, the north, center and the south. We all speak different, with different accents, from the north, that from the center and from the south. And obviously because of the north being so close to the United states, we have adapted some of their celebrations. In a way that is, it's the same celebration, but instead celebrated the Mexican way it is celebrated in North America way, which is just like Christmas. Even Thanksgiving is celebrated in Mexico right now in the north part of Mexico. So even though it is, a completely different process of colonization and independence. From the north part of Mexico because of its closeness to the United states, we celebrate similar to what they celebrate in the center Mexico has its own traditions. Obviously it’s the most densely populated area of Mexico just between the center states. I would say, sixty to seventy percent of the population is located there and they've had their own traditions also in Mexico. In the center part of Mexico we celebrate Christmas. So you celebrate the three wise men coming on January 6, and the way we celebrate in central Mexico is the reverse. So the food we eat is completely different to, again, the northern part of Mexico, when we're celebrating similar holidays, just like Christmas, we have adapted the way they do in American cities, whereas in Mexico it's more traditional. Obviously we have the piñadas, we have la posadas, which is we organize parties to get together to celebrate religion, in a religious way. As well because of our big religion, specifically the Catholic religion that we have in Mexico, we also celebrate a lot of things based on the Virgin Mary, not just Jesus Christ. So December 12th is also a big celebration, because the day is la Virgen de Guadalupe. Alida; Can you describe a typical day in your community, or the differences? Jaime; Well, again, depending on where you live. I lived in the North part of Mexico. In the center of Mexico. I was an exchange student when I was fifteen years old and I went to study for a year in Columbus, Ohio. So I've learned the culture within North America of how they celebrate things and the day-to-day things. Especially Sonora, Baja california, Chihuahua and all those states. The weather is very warm, it's very hot because it's a desert, so sometimes temperatures can reach temperatures of above forty degrees Celsius. You wake up early, you work most of the morning, then you quit around one or two and you take the siesta or a nap then you sleep for a little bit and you wake up until 5, because then by then the sun passed so the temperature has dropped, and we don't sit with sombrero right below a saguaro, we don't do that now. That was back many years. That's an enormous part of Mexico. However, Center of Mexico, the weather's so nice all the time. You don't have those inconveniences. A typical day in Mexico City, working hours would be from 9 in the morning till 8 o'clock the night 9 in the morning until 8 o'clock. Not in Mexico, like in the center part of Mexico you are expected to work, not regular hours you are not paid by the hour you are paid salary. So it's different, and you leave until you finish tasks or work you have to do. Traffic wise, Mexico city it's one of the most dense populations in the world. So traffic takes a long time to get from one point to the other. So in my case, when I used to work in Mexico city, it would take me an hour and a half to get from my house to work. Another hour and a half from work to the house, back to the house, so you lose three hours of your day, which is just driving straight, and you're actually not that far. I was only about ten to twelve km away from my home to the actual place alone because the traffic was bad. And to be honest, about the south of Mexico, where you see a lot more, not the Aztecs side of Mexico. More of the Mayans, which have all the pyramids like all that of the forest, the beautiful Caribbean sea and stuff like that is a different lifestyle completely compared to the center of Mexico and the North of Mexico. My day-to-day here’s pretty awesome. Get here at eight thirty am and I'm only half an hour away from work, although I'm almost 20 kilometres away. You have your one hour lunch twelve to one and then you're off at five. and there's no real expectations. Particularly, in my job, there's no expectation of you staying, extra hours unless it is completely necessary, working on a project or something that you need to deliver in the following day. Then yeah, of course, but you're not expected to do more than what you have to do during today. I think it's more laid back here in Canada. Compared to the pressure that you may feel working in Latin America. In countries, specifically Mexico, because that's my experience. I don't think it's much different South of Mexico. I think, is very similar to the stories I've heard from my friends. Emily; How do you celebrate your heritage? Jaime; Well, now that I live here, mostly when there's an event organised by the embassy celebrating some kind of holiday or festive day for Mexico. In terms of me doing specifically things that I would normally do, I would go back to Mexico or where I was born. I think more would have to do more with cooking. There's always tortillas at my house. There's always avocados in my house. You know, there are certain things like spicy sauces, like real spice. Another 1 you find here at the grocery store. Like I try to make my own and bring my own spices and chillies from Mexico to make my own salsas and stuff like any of those, even when they say spicy here, maybe that vietnamese cuisine. Similar to some Indians but it's not the same spice, and I think that's a way of celebrating or just keeping in touch with that part of your world back then. Because other than that, once you're here you’ll rarely find anything like on the tv or anywhere else where they would be doing anything. That has to do with where you came from, especially Mexico. I don't know, for other cultures it's different, but in terms of Mexico unless the embassy or consulate is doing some kind of celebration and we get together with other people that go and celebrate that. I think at home it would have to be celebrating my heritage and has to do more with that cooking. The grocery part. Emily; What are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latino American community? Jaime; Specifically in my case I would say the family values. I grew up in a religious, I wouldn't say strict, but I would say yeah, religious and strong sense of respect for other people, like my elders. Yeah, I tried to convey that to my daughters to always be like that. Always say, please, thank you. Respect other people, especially those older than you. Make sure that at least you eat together once a day, whether it's during breakfast time or dinner. You know, have that time to spend with the family. I find this more strict. I was raised more strictly as it's also, my friends and other cousins and my brother and we were all raised very strict. You don't raise your voice to your parents, you listen when the first instruction they give you is not, it's not I will do it later that doesn't work. It's only one time, and you do it specific, like at that moment, otherwise you would have been in trouble. That kind of culture and I believe that's how my parents were raised too, so I'd see the same with like. I still keep in touch with all my friends from Mexico and I think they're the way they were raised. It's pretty similar to mine. We all have very similar backgrounds and values and habits. Alida; What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people in Canada or just whoever is going to look at this website to know? Jaime; About me, I'm a very adaptable person, because of the way I was raised and the fact that I was able to leave the house from an early age. I was fifteen like I mentioned. I went to study for one year as an exchange student. I lived with people that I never met that I didn't speak the language. Which one hundred percent, even though I spoke English a little because of the closeness of my hometown in the United states. Yeah, we used to go there when I was little and it was a very common school to teach English, but that opened the door for me. To always think about adapting to whatever environment you're in. I think that helped me a lot while I was there in Ohio for a year. Then when I came back, I came with a different view, whereas I wanted to work and go to school at the same time then. As soon as they finished high school I wanted to leave the house, so I went to Mexico city to live on my own. I only had one cousin living there, no family, no friends and I started from scratch there. Went to school, made friends and the first opportunity I had to move. I consider myself very lucky. That ended after finishing university working for a Canadian company, and so when I got the job offer after three years of working. The first thing I thought was yeah, I don't have a problem adapting to Canada. I lived in the United states. Yeah, it's already, won't be that different, but it is anyway, especially the weather. That's something that there's a lot of meanings. There's a lot of videos, when Latin Americans and other cultures shoveling snow, a snowplow passes and you have to continue. You know what you thought you would do. Those kinds of things I think we all share as immigrants. But I think rather than complain, I see it as a fun exercise because there's nothing you can do about it. It's gonna happen, so you might as well go through it, and I adapted very well to the society here in Canada. Diversity here, that I've seen since I arrived in 2015, inclusiveness. I think most of the Latin community here, especially Mexicans. I don't know other cultures again but I think in terms of Mexicans were pretty adaptable to migrate to other places and adapt. Alida; Back to the food traditions the question is, what food do you like? Remind yourself from Mexico and like the tradition of that kind of preparation in the groceries you pick and if it's harder to find spices, specific things in grocery stores that you wouldn't see, but there would be in Mexico? Jaime; So I'm mostly fine with everything I need, the different grocery stores here, some have things that others don't have and when I don't find what I try to go to those Latin small grocery stores. Yeah, around Ottawa there's one in the east, another one, very close here, Mirabell. So in terms of what I look like well cooking Mexican food, I think it's very easy, because all you need is corn tortillas, corn or flour tortilla. And you can make a lot of things. So from a simple quesadilla, to a taco with different things that you can put on it, but it's mostly based on tortillas. Everything has in one way or another, you're using the tortilla to push the food into your fork. So there's a lot of chiles from Mexico that you can find here, the jalapeno or serrano. Mexico when you are grocery buying for them. Terms of fruits, I would say papaya, another fruit that it's normally typically either from central America or Mexico that you find here. Mangos, avocados, obviously those things that are there most of the time, especially avocados. It is always in my house, so you make the guacamole. Not the typical guacamole you find here in any restaurant we make it a little bit different. So the cilantro, I don't remember what's called english, but that's another spicy spice that you put on most of the mexican cuisine.One thing that I do buy that I don't find here are saber powder backs that have different flavors like, for example, pineapple, orange or chop bow or miko Tamaqua, hibiscus. Those kinds of things that you won't find here. Liquor too, you can find those Mexican liquors here in Canada. Not all of them, some are very specific to Mexico. As a Mexican, you start drinking, you develop certain tastes for certain and sometimes those brands that they sell there for different liquors. You don’t find them here. Alida; How likely would you or your family or whoever you want to show this work be to use the website that we are creating for uploading your stories, and how would you use it and like, would you suggest anything to make sure that, like we tell your story the way that you want to be told. Jaime; My daughters will see it and don't forget where they are from, even though my second child was born here. Her real culture, I think, is given by parents. Was raised in an American house or Mexican house in a Latin way, and so I think for them not to forget where they came from. Some of the things because they take it for granted. They don't ask the question, they just like if i'm cooking, they don’t experience that process of knowing. This brings me back to memories. So hopefully this kind of interview will help them remember their background. My wife always gets excited when I get an interview. I kind of like it because of the job that I do, the work that I do. I do give a lot of presentations, conferences and interviews. I'm invited to the podcast, I don't do podcasts. Alida; Any comments or concerns that you want to just ask us or anything? Jaime; No, I don't have any concerns at all. I think it’s good to be reminded where you are from where you are from and relive those moments when you talk about them. I do wish there was a Latin American community, or neighborhoods more identifiable that would be one thing I think a lot of culture have their own and specifically in Ottawa we are missing that part even though we do get together. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Jaime Bustamante Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-02-25 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 24 min 32 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Jaime Bustamante Salazar was born in Sonora, Mexico on March 3rd, 1976. He lived with his family until age fifteen, when he got an opportunity to go abroad as an exchange student in Columbus, Ohio, for a year. When he turned eighteen, Jaime moved to Mexico City, where he studied Industrial Engineering and International Commerce. Following University, he went on to work in Mexico City for a Canadian company that had recently started to operate there. After working for them for 3 years, the company offered him a position in Ottawa. Jaime moved to Ottawa in June of 2005 and has been here ever since. Jaime also celebrates his heritage by cooking, spending time with family, and sharing values such as respect for others, especially elders. Jaime strives to never forget his history and culture. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/d60352c40360d9d96b87b63e984bdd7a.mp3 6032d1e78cebd9c024389ad3dcdf82a1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Jonathan Griffith Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Noha Kandar: Ganaaboute Gagne: Rana Babiker Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Ganaaboute 0:01 Good afternoon or good whatever time of day you're joining us at. My name is Ganaaboute Gagne, and I'm a fourth year student at the University of Ottawa. Today, some colleagues and I are going to be doing an anthropology interview. Hello. Noha 0:14 My name is Noha Kandar, and I'm a fifth year student at the University of Ottawa. Rana 0:18 I'm Rana and I'm also a fourth year student at the University of Ottawa. Today we're going to be interviewing Jonathan who is going to be introducing himself Jonathan 0:28 Hi, my name is Jonathan Griffith. I'm a second year student at the University of Ottawa, and I'm in the nursing program. Rana 0:34 And what is your country of origin? Jonathan 0:38 I'm from Barbados. Noha 0:42 So what brought you to Ottawa? Jonathan 0:45 I came to Ottawa when I was eight years old with my family, so my mom, my dad, my older brother and my younger sister, and we came because my mother had been posted to Ottawa as a diplomat for Barbados. Rana 0:57 And do you have any other family here? And do you see them frequently? Jonathan G 1:01 No, I don't have any other family in Ottawa or Canada, and I see my family in Barbados every few years. Rana 1:09 So then, do you like live in a Caribbean community or neighborhood? Jonathan 1:15 I wouldn't say so, no, Ganaaboute 1:19 Do you or your family speak any Caribbean dialects or languages that you'd like to share with us today? Jonathan 1:26 Yeah, so my father and my mother both speak Bajan dialect fluently. That's the dialect we have in Barbados. It's just a it's a mix of English and whatever the African languages that the slaves spoke, I guess, mixed with the British English. And me and my brother and sister, we all speak it. We just choose not to, because it doesn't sound very nice with a Canadian accent. Ganaaboute 1:51 I mean, that sounds really interesting. And I want to ask, are there any like community spaces where you do find yourself speaking it while living here in Ottawa? Jonathan 2:00 Yeah, when I go to, like the Barbadian functions and stuff, I'll speak more of it, but, you know, very little bit, just whatever people will allow me to speak without clowning me. Ganaaboute 2:10 Of course, of course. And you mentioned yourself, there community celebrations and occasions. What sort of celebrations are most important to you and your family, especially being removed from the country. Jonathan 2:24 I would say independent celebrations, because that's when they get all of the bar medians living in Ottawa together. So we just have a big ceremony, and there's food, music, activities, and yeah, so I would say that's the most important. Ganaaboute 2:37 Well, I'll be really curious to hear a little bit more about that food a little later in the interview, but sticking to the community theme. Could you describe a typical day in your community if you feel like there's anything different or a lack thereof that you want to share? Jonathan 2:54 I don't think there's anything too different on a daily basis in my community, my community in Ottawa, or back in Barbados? Ganaaboute 2:59 you could share about both, that would be great Jonathan G 3:04 I would say it's very much the same as regular Canadians. Ganaaboute 3:10 So if a typical day looks pretty similar to other Canadians, how do you find yourself celebrating and remembering your heritage as you go through your life? Jonathan 3:21 I wouldn't say that there's a straightforward way that I celebrate my community here in Ottawa, because there's not a very large Barbadian community here, or at least not a large Barbadian community of people around my age. So I would say that I mostly try to just promote Barbados as much as possible. You know, I like to talk about it a lot back at school, whenever we would have any type of culture days or things where we got to, you know, choose a specific topic, or we had to bring in food for whatever reason, I would always talk about our readers. I would bring in food from our readers. We would have black history assemblies that we get to talk about Barbados there too. So yeah, so that's just what I like to do. Ganaaboute 4:05 That is great. And now this next question, it might be a different answer for both the Caribbean community back home for you, and your own experience living here in Ottawa. But what are some of the values or beliefs, things like that that you hold most dear, and that you think your community holds most dear. Jonathan 4:26 So back in Barbados, there's a very high expectation of education and just respect and honesty. I would say that's like the foundation of the country. And those are things that I believe are important to be like a productive member of society. And those are like values I try to live by so and values that my parents want me to live by, which is why, like, I've always had like, such a high push on education my whole life, and just respect, respecting others, elders, the environment, all of that. Barbados is also very like, environmentally friendly, because we are an island, and climate change affects islands in particular, like, harsher than a lot of other places. So yeah, environmental sustainability is important to me because of that, um, and then just respecting everyone. Ganaaboute 5:19 Well, thank you for that answer. That was great. I'm going to pass the microphone over to my colleague, Noha now for some more questions. Noha K 5:27 All right, so what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Jonathan 5:34 That's a hard question. Let me think. Take your time. No problem. Okay, yeah, so something that I think is important for people to know is that just because Islands are a part of the category Caribbean, they're not the same at all, and oftentimes they're very, very different. I think people have a tendency to group them together, but a large difference is that many of the countries in the Caribbean were colonized by different countries. So some were colonized by brands, some were colonized by Spain and some were colonized by England, which is why some speak Spanish, some speak French and some speak English. Barbados is one of the ones that was colonized by England, and when you have islands that were colonized by England, sometimes have accents or words that are this, that are similar or sound the same have similar meaning. But for Barbados in particular, our accent is usually thought of as very different from the rest of the English speaking Caribbean islands, because Barbadians were taught how to speak English while the original African slaves were taught how to speak English by the Irish indentured servants that were living in Barbados at the time. So the Barbadian accent is usually thought to sound very Irish to people who don't speak it. So that's one of the ways that the islands are different. One of the other one is food. So in Canada, like you could go to like any restaurant, and it'll be labeled like a Caribbean restaurant, but most likely it's going to be a Jamaican or a Haitian restaurant, and that's because, like, there's not the population of the other Caribbean countries isn't too big in Ottawa, specifically, except for Haiti and Jamaica but the food that Jamaicans eat is usually not the food that we would eat in Barbados. There's some similarities, but overall, like their core meals that are thought of like their island dishes aren't really things that we would eat in Barbados as like our we would eat them, but they aren't like our Island's core meals. So that's another thing that I would say people often lump us in together with and our culture is also very different from the other Caribbean islands. Barbados is one of the more conservative, more religious islands, and I would say some of the islands, they're a bit more like free they the music is different, a little more vulgar. They have more freedom when it comes to like substances. Barbados is, like, pretty big on drinking, but everything else is a big no. Jamaica would be more into like cannabis use. But overall, I would say Barbados is a very conservative Island compared to the others. Noha 8:23 Yeah. Okay, great. I didn't know a lot of that actually, but you did mention food. So I'd like to circle back to that. What foods do you make that remind you of home, and where do you purchase your grocery, your your groceries and things to prepare your traditional meals? Jonathan 8:41 So there are some Caribbean stores in Ottawa where you can buy groceries that are that are for making specific Caribbean foods. There's one right next to South keys. It's called Savannah. That's mainly where I will go. There's also another one in elmville, but usually the foods that I would make from my culture at home, there's breakfast foods and then there's lunch foods that I like to make. One of the breakfast foods is called bakes. And it's kind of like it's a it's a dough that you make, kind of from flour baking powder and just some cinnamon and nutmeg and sugar, and then you fry it surprisingly instead of baking it. And they're called bakes, and you'll just eat that as like a little snack or a breakfast type meal. Then the other one I mainly like to make is macaroni pie. It's a bit similar to mac and cheese, but it's just assembled differently, and then the cooking is different. So you you get long macaroni instead of the elbow macaroni, so it's long, hollow, like tubes. And then you would boil that, and then you would put some cheese and some milk and egg, and then spices and ketchup and mustard and. And then you would put that in addition, you would bake that. That's my favorite food from arbitus, so I like to make that a lot. Noha 10:06 Would you say that it's easy to find the supplies that you need to make these things? Jonathan 10:11 The long macaroni was actually the thing that took me the longest to find, which was really upsetting, because it was, it is my favorite food from arbitus, but I I wasn't looking for the right name. Just call it macaroni and Barbados. And here it's labeled as Bucha tiny. So when I finally found that, other than that, yeah, it was. It's pretty easy to find the ingredients. Noha 10:33 Okay, well, thank you for sharing that and moving on a little bit. How likely would you and your family be to using the website that we're preparing where we're creating and uploading stories from Latin and Caribbean communities. Jonathan 10:49 I think it could be interesting. Could you tell me a little more? Yeah, sure. Noha 10:53 So we're using a site called Omeka, and pretty much, we're just interviewing people of different Latin and Caribbean backgrounds, and kind of compiling the data into that website so that it's easily accessible, so that people can learn more about Latin and Caribbean communities in Canada, what it's like coming from those countries to Canada, and like the sort of barriers that they face and those things. So it's more like educational than anything, but you could find people from your community and build communities that way as well. So it's kind of got more than one purpose. But yeah, well, then Jonathan 11:34 definitely it sounds interesting. Yeah, my parents would enjoy that. Noha 11:38 All right. Speaking of the website, is there anything that you would like to see added onto there? Jonathan 11:46 Yeah, maybe, um, some maps about different Caribbean stores in Ottawa, or maybe some resources for where I could connect to other Latin or Caribbean folks in Ottawa around my age. Ganaaboute 12:00 Well, thank you, Jonathan, so much for everything you've shared with us today in the interview so far. Before we wrap up, I wanted to ask one more sort of open ended question, so feel free to share as much as you want or as little as you want. The floor is entirely yours. But I was curious, did you experience any big culture shocks coming to Canada, like, what's, what's the biggest difference that's really stuck with you or affected you? Jonathan 12:28 I would have to say it would be coming from a building that was like 90 to 95% black to moving to Ottawa and then going straight to a almost 100% white private school. And from that moment on, as soon as I came here, like suddenly I was aware of what it meant to be black and growing up in Barbados, like we knew, we knew we were black, but it just was not something that was it wasn't something that was a topic of conversation. It was just, it was just life. It was normal. It was nothing that we thought about to coming here and then suddenly realizing like that that defined me in a way that it had never before, and then having to navigate, like, still being like a Barbadian, and then suddenly, like being thrust into this environment, like, where no one was like me. People didn't understand when I talked. They made fun of my accent, and then having to, like, change the way I spoke so people could understand me. And then one of the things that I really regret to this day is just how much of my like, accent and language is gone because of the fact that, like, I purposely stopped speaking like in my dialect, or speaking like with a Bayesian accent, because I wanted people to understand me, or because people would make fun of me. And, like, now that I'm older and like, that doesn't matter to me anymore. Like, I wish I still had that aspect of my culture. Ganaaboute 14:01 And I actually do want to cap some of one final question, because you've said some very interesting, deep and serious things in there. If you could give a message to your younger self when you came here, Does anything come to mind that you wish you could tell that? Tell that boy, Jonathan 14:18 yeah, if I could go back, I would tell myself to hold on to my culture, because years from now, when you're going through an identity crisis or realizing that you don't relate to any of your extended family anymore, you're going to wish that you had held on to the parts of yourself that were truest. Ganaaboute 14:37 Thank you so much for that. I appreciate the vulnerability and I respect you for everything you've said to us today. And on that note, I think that actually concludes our interview for today. So on behalf of the three of us, I thank you again, Jonathan for taking the time out of your busy schedule, and we'll make sure to send you the appropriate links so that you can access this on Omeka one. It gets published later next month. Thank you again, and I hope everyone listening has a great rest of their day. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Jonathan Griffith Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-25 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 15 min 7 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Jonathan Griffth is a twenty-year-old second-year Nursing student at the University of Ottawa. Jon is originally from Barbados. He came to Canada in 2013 with his parents and siblings. His mother was posted to Ottawa as a Diplomat. Jon was eight when he moved to Ottawa, so most of his life was spent in Canada. However, Jon made it a point to honour his country while living in Canada. He discussed that when he was in high school, and there were culture days or black history assemblies, he would ensure that his heritage was honoured, whether through food or general facts regarding Barbados. Although not mentioned within the podcast, Jon also told us that he wears a Barbados Flag Pin at his place of employment to honour his hometown. Near the end of the interview, Jonathan also takes a few minutes to reflect on his experience and offer any valuable advice. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/552dad6bde536c293a59d82c3aa8f7f2.mp3 f8404a332e6786751201c848ebde5919 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Juan Pablo Higuera Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Charlotte Roy; Juliana Higuera; Deian Assadi Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound The following interview was conducted by Charlotte Roy, Juliana Higuera, and Deian Assadi. The interview participant, Juan Pablo, is Juliana’s father and is originally from Colombia. Charlotte [13:36:20]: Okay, so I'll just give a very brief introduction to the study. I'm sure Juli said that you had read the consent form. Charlotte [13:36:29]: I'm just going to go over the purpose of the study super quickly. Juan Pablo [13:36:29]: Yes. Charlotte [13:36:33]: So the study has three different goals. The first one was to teach us students ethnographic interviewing skills. Charlotte [13:36:41]: The second one was to learn about the cultural vibrancy of the Latin and Caribbean people here in Ottawa. Charlotte [13:36:48]: And the third one was to create an archive for the Latin American and Caribbean community so they can access it as a tool. Charlotte [13:36:56]: For keeping their cultures alive. So the interview itself has 12 questions and we'll each take our turns asking you four questions. Charlotte [13:37:05]: And so on. And really quickly, before we begin, did you have any questions at all about the interview? Juan Pablo [13:37:13]: Well, everything is okay. If you can hear me, perfect. It's okay, better. So I'm ready. Charlotte [13:37:19]: Okay, perfect. So I'll start with the first one. What is your country of origin? Juan Pablo [13:37:27]: Colombia in South America. Charlotte [13:37:30]: Perfect. And what brought you to Ottawa? Juan Pablo [13:37:35]: Love. Charlotte [13:37:39]: Okay. Do you… Juan Pablo [13:37:39]: Yes, yes. I met a beautiful Canadian native woman living in Colombia And… Yeah, that was the hook to attract me and that's why Yeah, that's the reason. Charlotte [13:37:59]: And do you have family here and do you see them frequently? Juan Pablo [13:38:04]: Not at all. Just myself and my wife and my kids, but there is no relatives in Canada at all. Charlotte [13:38:12]: And do you live in a Latin community or a neighborhood where people speak Spanish? Charlotte [13:38:18]: And or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions. Juan Pablo [13:38:24]: Yeah, there is some people around. I know they speak some Spanish. Juan Pablo [13:38:30]: Also, I'm quite involved in some way with the community because I work with closely with our Canadian embassy sorry our Colombian embassy in Ottawa, so also have some friends working in different embassies from different latin american countries So… Also, I have a friend who owns a newspaper specialized for the Latin American community. Juan Pablo [13:39:01]: Because my work related with different Latino people So yeah, that's why I have a a lot of connections with uh with latin america but there is no special community around my house or my place maybe in the past used to be in the past Juan Pablo [13:39:25]: Spanish class. As part of the international language training whatever that Ottawa carleton district board of education offer So we used to bring the kids to every Saturday, I think, or Sunday. Juan Pablo [13:39:41]: And that was the closest maybe Latino community Charlotte [13:39:47]: Okay. Juli [13:39:48]: Yeah, we also, what celebrations are most important to you? Juan Pablo [13:39:54]: Like Latino celebrations? Oh. Juli [13:39:57]: Yes. Juan Pablo [13:40:00]: Yeah, maybe… Maybe the last day of the year. Juan Pablo [13:40:06]: Is quite important for us as a Latino American culture. The Colombian national day which is in July. Juan Pablo [13:40:15]: 20, July 20? So I think those are the Yeah, Christmas time as well but maybe those two first that I just mentioned are the more representative i think of Juli [13:40:29]: And could you describe a typical day in your community? Juan Pablo [13:40:30]: My sorry? Juli [13:40:31]: a typical day in your community Juan Pablo [13:40:32]: When I'm… with people from Colombia. Juan Pablo [13:40:45]: Maybe number one. Theme that I want to highlight is Laughing. Juan Pablo [13:40:51]: So every time I'm with the community, with Latino community we are smiling we are laughing, we are having fun. Juan Pablo [13:40:59]: I don't know if that's related with our culture But it's always there you know that that desire to talk to to have fun uh music and sometimes you know, enjoying a special I don't know this or this from from our countries Juan Pablo [13:41:23]: I think those are very particular things that happens with Latinos are together. Juli [13:41:30]: And how do you celebrate your heritage? Juan Pablo [13:41:34]: Yes, again, every July 20th. The Canadian, because I have a very strong relationship with I work here at Colombian embassy in Canada with the ambassadors and people working there uh they organize every year the Colombian national party day so we go there and celebrate Juan Pablo [13:41:58]: There is soccer games, there is different activities, people get together. They bring different foods or different products from Colombia, we spend the day. Juan Pablo [13:42:12]: Celebrating there is people who also in ottawa and getting all these Colombian association which is quite strong so they celebrate, they organize this day, they bring groups of people that the dance and show our work culture and folklore So it's a party and maybe that's the main activity. And from time to time, our Colombian embassy organize different activities during the years. Juan Pablo [13:42:43]: They invite an artist or a folklore or a musician or a movie so there is a movie that invite us to to be together and to share experience and Yeah, maybe that's the best way. Juli [13:43:05]: And building off of that, what are some values that you hold most dear to you as a member? Juli [13:43:10]: Of the community. Juan Pablo [13:43:12]: The values uh Yeah, as I mentioned, you know, like, I don't know how you do translate to english like joyful to be together, you know, like celebrating and happiness maybe Juan Pablo [13:43:34]: Yeah, maybe… Juan Pablo [13:43:39]: Work together in some way, try to help each other because we are not in Colombia we are outside so there is always you know this desire to help you, to give you information or to assist you if you need something Juan Pablo [13:43:57]: So maybe that's, you know, cooperation and that's something that uh I can highlight. Deian [13:44:07]: Okay. So what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Juan Pablo [13:44:17]: Uh… I was talking with our Colombian ambassador recently a couple of weeks ago And he mentioned to me that there is a study that prove or show that people coming from Colombia are very hard workers. There is a lot of people coming from Colombia. Juan Pablo [13:44:43]: With a high standard of education level different to the other ones And… And for us, it's very important to see our community uh working in industries with different companies with a very representative or very important roles in the society. Juan Pablo [13:45:10]: That's very important for us because that show us that as an immigrant we can immigrants contribute we can contribute come to this country with our brains, not only our hands, but our brains and you know thinking and be part of this Juan Pablo [13:45:29]: Society. So that's one of the things that I found with our colombian community. Juan Pablo [13:45:36]: Yeah, for sure, there is possible. To find people that are not very maybe align with the values we have in Canada that could happen but after 20 years living in Canada. Juan Pablo [13:45:54]: Every Colombian that I met are very committed uh you know, working hard for our Canadian values and giving everything for our economy and our community. Juan Pablo [13:46:09]: So I'm really proud to be Colombian there's a lot of Colombians working and giving everything to this country. Deian [13:46:20]: Very nice. So what foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare traditional meals? Juan Pablo [13:46:28]: Oh, that's good. That's a good question. Now there is a couple of uh places that you can find some places tropical fruits, tropical vegetables you know that are very uh strong It's a strong part of our culture Juan Pablo [13:46:52] You can find… in all the grocery stores you know you can find a lot of our tropical fruits Our roots that were, you know, like cassava or a space that kind of sweet potatoes we use. Juan Pablo [13:47:08]: There is a lot of… things that remind us our heritage our culture So it's very easy. It's very simple. Juan Pablo [13:47:17]: Maybe 20 years ago, it was a little bit difficult at that time but right now We have a nice trade relationship with Colombia we have a a free trade agreement. Juan Pablo [13:47:31]: For last 10 years. So it's easy to find some of our There is a couple of restaurants in Ottawa as well. Not too much, not too many. Maybe Montreal is more rich. There's more flavor of Latino American, Montreal. Juan Pablo [13:47:49]: Even Toronto. But in Ottawa has been growing for the last decade. Juan Pablo [13:47:57]: We eat a lot of one of those things is corn bread we we name we call arepa it's a kind of cornbread that we use for breakfast so that's very very typical from our our country and also we eat a lot of plantain which is a kind of banana Juan Pablo [13:48:20]: But we use a lot of plantains. Mango, avocado, that kind of fruits really it's good for us to be close to our not your home, you know? Deian [13:48:37]: Okay. And so how likely would you and your family be to use the website we are creating for uploading your stories? Deian [13:48:45]: And how would you use it? So we'd like to better serve the community. So any suggestions from you about access as well as what should be posted would be greatly appreciated. Juan Pablo [13:48:56]: Yeah, as I mentioned before, Colombia has a very strong community of Colombians, auto work Colombian Association or something like that. Juan Pablo [13:49:11]: So… this tool would be nice, would be very useful for our community. Juan Pablo [13:49:19]: And, you know, to share experience or to would be okay for us maybe also maybe approaching every embassy that would help to you also to help promote this website or the tool that you just mentioned So it would be nice to have that Juan Pablo [13:49:44]: Website to find a place to meet each other maybe to meet to talk about our history our what we are doing in Canada perhaps create a networking of people helping each other. When you are an immigrant and you calling for the first time to a country Juan Pablo [13:50:05]: You have so many questions. And it's good to know there is people outside that can help you. Juan Pablo [13:50:13]: To answer those questions or simple things you know like to open a bank account. Juan Pablo [13:50:19]: Or whatever so many times you just gain a new world everything is new So if you have a website or a place or tool that you can communicate or give you contacts with other Latin American people living in your city Juan Pablo [13:50:37]: That would be nice. That would be very helpful. Deian [13:50:40]: Okay, great. And then last question, just do you have any other comments or concerns for us? Juan Pablo [13:50:48]: No, actually, I'm very happy that you as a student and as a faculty in the university helping Latin American and Caribbean community We are close. We have a lot of things that are in common even though the weather is totally different Juan Pablo [13:51:12]: We have several, as I mentioned before, free trade agreements not only with Colombia but we have Honduras costa rica peru recently ecuador. So trade is especially right now with this problems that we are facing with the United States. Juan Pablo [13:51:30]: It's very important to key is strengthen our relationship with Canada. Juan Pablo [13:51:39]: When I came to Canada for the first time, I was able to write a book. Juan Pablo [13:51:45]: For trade as a consultant and one of the themes that I realized 20 years ago it was like uh united states is like a wall and that dan And because that, as Canadians, we are not allowed to see the Latin American culture Juan Pablo [13:52:06]: Latino America is more than Mexico. And also the Latin American people thinks that Canada is like another extension of United States. And no, Canada is totally different, totally different values So I think right now there is an opportunity to strengthen our relationship to Juan Pablo [13:52:28]: Meet each other's. And that will be helpful for every country in Latin America and for us in Canada for trade So it's a very special momentum does what I think is happening right now. Juan Pablo [13:52:43] So yeah, I'm very glad that the university is helping in some way to strengthen that relationship. Deian [13:52:53]: All right. Thank you. Juan Pablo [13:52:55]: Oh, thank you guys. That was easy. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Juan Pablo Higuera Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-17 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 16 min 48 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Juan Pablo was born in Colombia and moved to Canada after meeting and falling in love with a Canadian woman. Juan Pablo now lives in Ottawa with his wife and children. Although far from his home country, he remains connected to his Colombian roots through his work and community engagement. Although Juan Pablo does not live in a distinctly Latin neighbourhood, he still plays an active role in the local Latin American community. Through work, he collaborates closely with the Colombian embassy in Ottawa and has built strong connections with various Latin American embassies. For Juan Pablo, crucial aspects of his Colombian identity and community are celebration, togetherness, community values, and food. He additionally places immense value on the friendships and professional relationships he has established in Ottawa, and he recognizes the importance of maintaining cultural ties while integrating into Canadian society. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/b200c3f526d294f240a3908043dc620c.mp3 4685dc835364d99bb9135e9738c5387e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Kelmys S. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Amy Lam Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Riverside Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Amy: Yeah, so my name is Amy, and I'll be interviewing you today for my, I guess, my little assignment. Why don't we start off with a little introduction of yourself? Kelmys: For sure. Hello, my name is Kelmys. I am an advertising and marketing communication management student at Algonquin College. I'm from Colombia. Amy: Yeah, so as you mentioned, your country is, your country of origin is from Colombia. What brought you to Ottawa? Kelmys: It was mostly studies. I always wanted to travel and like if I had the opportunity to live somewhere where I could speak English, as I've been studying it for a while, I would have loved to do so. So this was an insane opportunity for me in Ottawa specifically, but because not many colleges offer a program like the one I'm taking right now it's either marketing or advertising and I wanted to get into both because I'm into strategy and creative so it was just like the perfect choice I'd say. Amy: How do you like Ottawa so far? Kelmys: Uh it's fun. I really like downtown. I think it's a very beautiful city and the canal was such a culture shock for me. I feel like there's so many things that have definitely been a huge culture shock. But overall, it's a very pretty city. And I like living here, yeah. Amy: Yeah, do you- were you the only one who moved here? Or do you have family here? And how often do you see them? Kelmys: No, I'm on my own. I moved on my own when I was 17, yeah. Amy: Do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where you speak Spanish or Portuguese and celebrate various celebrations? Kelmys: I don't live with Latin American people. All my roommates are from various parts of the world, but I do have many close friends with whom I basically spend my whole week, like from school, who speak Spanish. So I guess I mostly celebrate with them. Most of them are from different parts of Latin America. There's not many Colombians per se, but like they do help me like remember the importance of my culture because I feel like for a while when I was living, I lived on campus for a while and it was with a girl who's from Canada. I felt like I was getting separated from my culture in a way. So now that I have closer friends, it's definitely helped a lot. Amy: Do you still live on campus? Kelmys: No, I live in a different accommodation. Very far away from Algonquin. Amy: Yeah. What celebrations are most important to you? Kelmys: From Colombia? Amy: Yeah, from Colombia or just in your everyday life? . Kelmys: I guess…I mean, I don't know, I feel like we have so many things that I can't think of something specific right now, but there is one celebration that I have been, I haven't been able to celebrate this past year, so it's been really sad, which is called El Dia de las Velitas or the Day of the Candles, which is an event we do every 7th of September- December, I'm sorry, where we just like light up some candles and the city will look very pretty and I haven't been doing that since I got here so that's like the one celebration I really miss that I would like to start doing again although my roommate kind of did it for me last year but like still um but yeah overall there's so many things in the culture that I guess I just implement in my daily life but not a lot just because it's very different I feel like many things from my culture are down like outside or the weather is like a very important part of it so it's kind of hard to do so being in Ottawa in the winter but apart from that it's fine, yeah. Amy: What kind of things that you still do to implement your culture in your everyday life? Kelmys: Umm, I feel like I, the main thing I will say I do is that I really talk about it a lot. I feel like I'm known as the Colombian girl everywhere I go just because I talk about my culture a lot and I talk about like Colombia a lot just because I really don't want to forget anything about the culture that I'm not being able to like experience on my daily life. But there's not many specific things I managed to do also because of like time limitations, I guess Amy: Right, because you’re still a student. Kelmys: Yeah, I feel like it's mostly just like talking about it very regularly and trying to get people to know more about my culture and my country. Amy: Yeah, I love how you're still, even though you're not at home, you're still trying to connect with your culture and your heritage and backgrounds. And it's, to me, it's always so interesting, I guess, like, to hear different culture shapes, like the way that culture shapes the way we approach things. Can you describe a typical day in your community, or like a typical day at school? Kelmys: Um, I guess it's just like a normal college day. But when I try to implement like the culture part, I have a very close friend who's from Peru. So I feel like my typical day would be like just going on about like the Canadian culture and trying to get used to it. But at the same time, we're always having conversations in Spanish. And we I feel like the main thing we do is like reminisce a lot being like, Oh, back home, we do this and this and this. So I guess every single day is just like that trying to remember stuff I did back home. But at the same time, it's just like a normal thing in the life of a college student, just being stressed and talking to my family back home, but I can't. Amy: Yeah, going along with that, what are some values that you hold most dear to you and or your community that you think is important? Kelmys: I feel like all of my ethics just com like from my hometown, I guess. I don't know how to explain it, but I guess I really value a sense of community. I really value…Honestly, I'd say I don't know it's just back home we have a way of like being with people. And I feel like it was another culture shock when I got here, just because I feel like people are not as close with one another. I don't know how to explain it or word it, but it feels like back home, there's a very, very strong sense of community amongst people you don't even know, just like your neighborhood or stuff. Whereas here, it's like everyone's kind of on their own. So I feel like I've always tried to implement that sense of community with people in my life here to try and remember the way I did it back home. So I feel like I've become a very social and extroverted person that I wasn't when I was back home, because I've tried to remember how it was in Colombia. Amy: I totally get that. Like when I first moved here too I felt so I guess like, dissociate with the community, because we're not really social in that kind of sense. Kelmys: Yeah, everyone's kind of awkward and they're nice, but you have to approach people first. Amy: Yeah, exactly. Is there anything you would like to share about yourself and the community that you think is important for people to know? Kelmys: I don't know if it's about myself, but I feel like about Colombia, there's just so many things in the culture that I feel like people just overlook, in a way. I feel like when people think of Colombia, they sometimes think of very specific things that do not represent the country at all. And one thing I've always wanted to do, and that I feel like I've been doing since I got here, is trying to show people that Colombia has so many things within itself. There's a culture in every single part of the country, like it's different in every single city basically. And there's so many things, like it's such an artsy country, it's just like everyone loves dancing, everyone's a very like happy, I don't know, they're very happy individuals and I feel like there's a stigma around Colombians and Latin Americans in general that I have been trying to get like people to change their mindset on just from like talking about it all over and over and over again, but yeah. Amy: Yeah, no, I totally understand. Relating back to food, what kind of food do you make or do you try to eat that reminds you of home and where do you purchase these groceries or how do you prepare your traditional meals? Kelmys: I am very bad at cooking, so although I've tried, it's been unsuccessful. But when I'm very sad or when I just need, like, something from home, there is this one Colombian restaurant called Toasty Arepas that I sometimes order from. And there's also a restaurant called La Fiesta Latina in Chinatown. So I usually order from them. I've tried cooking. I'm not good at it at all. But if I were to cook, I'd probably just make some arepas or, like, I don't know, empanadas. Those are like things that are in many countries in Latin America that we have a very specific way of cooking. And I've always wanted to cook it myself, but I'm really bad at cooking, so I gave up on that. But I still try to eat like Colombian food as much as I can, or just Latin American food in general, because I like food from all over, like, I don't know, all over the world, really. But like Latin America specifically, I feel like has a very specific taste that I really like. Amy: Right. What would you say is your most favorite food? Kelmys: There's something called papas locas. I don't know how to explain it, but it's just like, it's like a poutine if it had way more things. So a lot of cheese and a lot of, I don't know, it's a mix of so many things that's yummy. It's delicious. Amy: It sounds delicious, yeah. Kelmys: We have a lot of specific way of doing it in my hometown because I feel like every single city of the country, as I mentioned, just has different ways of doing things. I really like how it's done in my city. So yeah. Amy: So throughout class, we have this website called Omeka, and it's basically to create digital exhibitions, allowing individuals to share their cultural heritage. So how likely would you and your family be able to use the website we are creating to upload any of your stories? How will you use it so that we can better serve the community? So any suggestions from you about the access as well as what we should be posting would be greatly appreciated. Kelmys:I feel like I'd be very likely just because I really try to find ways to, as I mentioned, just talk about the culture. And I like connecting with other Latin Americans and just in general people from all over the world, which is something really cool about Canada now that you can find people from everywhere all over the world. I guess just like having people utter stories is a really good way of doing it and getting people to maybe respond to those stories with like, I don't know, like a conversation forum or something. I think that would be very cool because it's a way to like simplify connecting with people from your culture and other cultures that can be hard from I don't know introverts or people who haven't been able to find. Like those with whom they can connect, so I think it will be very useful and there will be many, many ways of just like. I don't know how to word it. Amy: Yeah, no worries. I was talking to another one of my friends about it, and she also mentioned that we could change the language of the website itself too, so it's not only English. What do you think about that idea? Kelmys: I think that would be great. The thing is, Latin America has so many languages, so it could be complicated, but I feel like English, Spanish, Portuguese, like French because Canada is a bilingual language, a bilingual country, I'm sorry, would be perfect just for people to feel like better when they're writing it down because many people just, it's like hard for them to get their words out in a different language. And it's totally understandable because it's their first language. So being able to just do it in your own language or feeling more comfortable about what you're saying, it's definitely going to be something they will appreciate. I will appreciate it myself too. Although I like speaking English, I miss Spanish all the time. So it's like, yeah. Amy: Yeah, do you have any other questions, comments or concerns? Kelmys: Um, no questions, but I think it's just a really interesting assignment. I was very interested when you mentioned interviewing, and I really appreciate getting the time to just talk about like a culture because I feel like just with all the college stuff and just being so busy you kind of start forgetting about those things that are really important just for like your own personal I don't know like who you are I don't know how to word it again but like just who you are you start forgetting how to approach that so it's just Amy: At first, I think I mentioned this before when we were texting, but at first, this assignment, the whole course in general, to me, was just an easy bird course. But then the more the professor talked about it, I got so interested in like the community and the heritage and the backgrounds of different people, and even though Ottawa is so like I guess multicultural, it still feels so disconnected. Even though we celebrate all these events, all these cultures, the people themselves don't communicate with one another. We don't have a specific community for this culture or that culture. I feel like people who come here who originally aren't from Ottawa or Canada in general, I feel like, at least for me, even though I was born here, I still feel a little bit left out. Kelmys: No, it feels like there's a connection with the culture. It's all very surface level, also because of the amount of cultures there are. It's very difficult to get into every single one, so it can be surface level and it can be hard to connect with people, as we've mentioned. But yeah, it's just a really good opportunity just to be able to feel more integrated with Ottawa. Amy: Yeah, thank you for the interview. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Kelmys S. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-02-07 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 13 mins 37 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Kelmys is an international student at Algonquin College. She is currently in her second year, studying advertising and marketing communications. Although she is very busy with school, in her free time, she loves to try new food and eat at different restaurants. She also loves going to jazz lounges with her friends. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/cc742c7c679701012821440bea3797d9.mp3 8346a1eef61ffb4931621f044c7a1b85 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Kevin Parra Duque Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sabrina Shah; Carlos Gnecco Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On MS Teams Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Carlos Gnecco: Alright so... Sabrina Shah: Thank you for letting us ask you some questions. We invited you because we are very curious about your culture and your opinion on your day-to-day life in Ottawa. We hope by the end of the interview we will have a better understanding of Latin American culture. Carlos Gnecco: So, we’re with an individual from Latin America. Who’s here to share their culture and experience integrating in Canadian society. Sabrina Shah: So, the first question is, what is your country/city of origin? Kevin Parra Duque: I’m originally from Medellin, Colombia, but I’ve been living in Canada for around 15 years and in Ottawa for three years. Sabrina Shah: Thank you. What brought you to Ottawa and how long have you been here? Kevin Parra Duque: I’ve been in Ottawa between three and four years. I came to Ottawa originally for a job. I am Colombian, but I did my university in Toronto, so after that I spent some time travelling around and then I had a job offer, and then yeah, I’m happy to say that I’ve been in Ottawa for around three to four years now. Sabrina Shah: Very interesting. Do you have any family here and do you see them frequently? Kevin Parra Duque: So, I don’t have any family in Ottawa. I have my parents live in Hamilton, Ontario but most of my family still lives in Colombia. So, the ones in Colombia, I only see maybe every year, every two years, sometimes every three years. My family in Hamilton, I try to see them every few months, but yeah, unfortunately I don’t have much family here in Ottawa. Carlos Gnecco: In Ottawa, do you belong to a Latin community or live in a neighborhood where Spanish is spoken, and do you celebrate special occasions? Kevin Parra Duque: Here in Ottawa I live in a neighbourhood, that in fact is in its majority francophone but I have a community around me that speaks Spanish, my partner speaks Spanish, so in my house we still preserve the Spanish language, I have Latino friends with which I speak Spanish, when I speak with my family is in Spanish and also I am fortunate that in my job there are many people that speak Spanish, even there is a couple of people that speaks Portuguese, that way we can communicate socially in Spanish and even when celebrations happen we invite them to social gatherings what we do a lot is things like when there are events in the Latin community, we all go together for I believe is called the Pupusa fest or a Colombian festival in the past so we try to build at least the sense of community and still being part of this Latin American activities and events. Carlos Gnecco: How good, I really like that, and for you what is the most important celebration, I mean in the community what celebration will you say is the most important. Kevin Parra Duque: I will say as a Colombian at least the region where I am from, the most important celebration and by far is Christmas celebrations, and I think that Colombians celebrate Christmas in an intense way I would say and is something that I preserve something like “Candles day” when I go down south were my family is we do the “Novenas” we celebrate Christmas as we do back in Colombia with typical dishes with the younger children the “Niño Dios” still comes to bring gifts for them, so then yes by far that is the most most important celebration, at least for the community that I belong, but also in the past I have celebrated other things like the “Colombia’s Independence Day” but they are more here in Ottawa and in smaller scale I’d say. Carlos Gnecco: And what about the food, what type of food is there? Kevin Parra Duque: Yes so then let’s say that the most typical food at least that my family still makes is “Natilla” and “Buñuelo” “Natilla” is a type of dessert made out of corn and “Buñuelos” is a dough between cheese, a very cheese dough that is fried and are very tasty but we also make “Tamales” “Lechona” that are also typical foods in Colombia or even Latin America we could say. And yes, Christmas is the season where we make the most traditional foods. Carlos Gnecco: Good answer, and then, can you describe me how does a typical day in your Ottawa community looks like? Kevin Parra Duque: Yes so at the end of the day the majority of Latin Americans living here, have similar journeys like the people around us, but then yes if I described my day it doesn’t differ much from an average person like waking up and go to work I come back home I rest a little bit so what I think is different is maybe that there are certain things from my culture that I see in my everyday life, for example the way I have breakfast always I have to have coffee sometimes when I have some I eat “Arepas” even though is not that common but for example drinking a lot of coffee during the day is something very Colombian, I also like when I have a chance to socialize a bit after work, like Latin American I think that by itself the stereotype is that we are extroverted and if there is something there in the fact that after work I really like to spend a bit of time with my coworkers stay for a while chatting, go out for a walk and so I think that those are the little differences per say that mark me as a Latin American in my daily life but I would say that the rest well I’d say that to have been here for so long I’m really integrated in the way how people live their life here. Carlos Gnecco: well thanks for sharing that… Now Sabrina is just going to continue. Sabrina Shah: How do you celebrate your heritage? Kevin Parra Duque: So, I celebrate my heritage. I mean I am still very proud of being Colombian and I really love being Colombian and being Latin American. I think one of the things that I’m very lucky is that I get to celebrate my heritage almost every day. I have the opportunity to work with Colombians, in Colombia for my actual work here and for me that is a celebration. That’s something of giving back to a place where I’m from. But things for example, like I like showing my friends and colleagues that perhaps, they are not as familiar with Colombia. I love showing them what we eat, how we celebrate, telling them a little bit about our history. Sometimes for example, I have this thing where I buy Almojabanas, which are like Colombian pastry, to give to my colleagues because I know they love them. So little by little, you know by sharing my culture with them, I think it’s how I try to celebrate my heritage. But it is also a question of like, I like trying to keep in touch with my country by reading news, I deeply care what happens there. So, I feel like the celebration is continuous and I’m able to maintain those very strong links with my own culture. Sabrina Shah: That’s a lovely response. Um, you mentioned that you work, like you do work for Colombia. Kevin Parra Duque: Yeah, I do. In my work, I work in kind of the Government Sector, in international development and a lot of our projects are based in Colombia. So, I get the opportunity to be in touch with Colombians very often, continuously. Sabrina Shah: Oh wow, that’s amazing. Do you mind sharing some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin/Caribbean community? Kevin Parra Duque: Yeah, of course. First, I will say is that, is that I think we’re a diverse community. Uh, we come from many different countries so, it’s a little bit hard to say that there is some value that we all share. But there’s definitely somethings that we have in common, I think most of us Latinos, or Latin Americans, we really value family and community. I think that is still something that is very important even to me, like maintain those links with my family, we really value solidarity. It’s something that you can see when you when you meet Latin Americans here. We try to help each as much as we can. That when we’re in Canada, we realize that we have actually so many things in common, as I said. Language is also another thing, that is I think very important to our community because it’s kind of what set us a little bit apart from other communities because, you know as I was saying from the beginning, like we come from many different countries, we come from many different ethnic groups. But I guess one of the things that we all have in common is that most of us are able to communicate in Spanish and share some kind of culture references. So, I will say that family, solidarity and language are probably some of the most important values that we share. Sabrina Shah: That’s great to hear. What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Kevin Parra Duque: Well, I think one of the things I really would love for people to understand about the Latino community or Latin Americans is that we are very diverse, as I said before. I think a lot of people think we’re kind of just, sometimes people don’t know much about the region, so they think we all kind of, you know, there’s a stereotype that we like only tacos and tortillas and stuff like that, and, that is just a small part of us, and that also we come in different shapes and forms, and that we are incredibly, as I said, diverse, and that we are a community that’s very rich because of that, and that we also are diverse in the way we think, the way we behave, in the way we live our lives. So yeah, I think there’s a lot of stereotypes of our community that maybe because of media, a lot of people think that we are, that we’re kind of very similar, but the truth is that we are extremely different from each other. I think that is also what makes us so unique and so great at being Latin American, it’s a category that includes many others, I will say. Sabrina Shah: That’s amazing. Just pertaining to travel, I was wondering when your most recent visit to Colombia was and what did you do there? Kevin Parra Duque: I was there yesterday, actually. It’s the reason I couldn’t do this interview sooner, but I was there for work. So, it’s a little bit different because I am from Medellin, which is the second largest city of Colombia. But for my work I mainly travelled to Bogota. So, during this trip I don’t really get the chance to see my family much, but it is still amazing to be able to be in Colombia, surrounded by people that are in a way, a little bit like me. I get to eat some of the food, hear some of the music, hear the language. So, even though I don’t see my family when I go on those trips or in most of them, I don’t see my family, I still really enjoy them. Carlos Gnecco: Alright. Now that you mentioned that you were recently in Colombia, what foods did you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals, here in Ottawa? Kevin Parra Duque: You know, so I am very lucky that I live in neighborhood where there’s actually a lot of Latin American stores. So, I think for most of things in Ottawa, there is a few stores that are like Pan-Latin American, that sell a little bit of everything from the region. So, when I’m really craving Colombian food or Colombian.., I mainly crave Colombian candy to be honest, or Colombian fruits, it’s the main thing. I’m lucky that I can go to the stores and a lot of that candy I can get. The fruits are a little bit harder to get, but it is also not impossible, Colombia is like a country with many-many different fruits that I eat, honestly, I’ve been to some places, and I never seen a country where there is so much variety of fruits. You are able to actually get some of them here at some of the other.. there are some African stores that have them, some East-Asian stores that also have them. So, I’ve done a little bit of research, and I know where to get my fruits from. But in terms of cooking food, I’ve been here for so long that I will say that I don’t really cook as Colombian as I used to. Something that I really enjoy. For example, when I’m with my family is, there is some food that we enjoy. Arepas, are one of them. I really like Mondongo, which I don’t really make, my mom makes and it’s something that which she makes, she makes a lot of it. So, I can freeze some of it and eat for a little bit. But yeah, things like that I really like. Carlos Gnecco: Oh, that sounds so good! Well, just to wrap up. How likely would you and your family use the website we’re creating for uploading your stories and how would you use it? We would like to better serve the community so any suggestions from you about accessing the website as well as what should be posted, would be greatly appreciated. Kevin Parra Duque: I think this is a great idea. I think it’s really important because there is a lot of Latin Americans, here in Canada, here in Ottawa and I think sometimes we are not as visible because most of us have come here very recently in the last couple of decades. So, a lot of us are very still new to Canada and it’s important to record what our lives are like now, in this very special also period of Canada. I think I will definitely use it, and I think I will also be very interested to hear from all Latin Americans that live here in Ottawa. I know we’ll have very different experiences arriving here and we share also many commonalties, and I think it’s so important to be able to hear about those too, where should it be posted. I think an online platform that is easily accessible to people that are maybe not even part of the university community, will be great because I think that also another of the issue is that a lot of people don’t really.. are not very familiar with the way the academic world works here in Canada, because you know a lot of the Latin Americans come here and they start working and raising their families, so they don’t have a lot of time to maybe.. explore exactly how all these platforms work. So, I think something that is easily accessible that doesn’t require to have like an OttawaU ID or anything like would be great but I think this is a great idea and I really like that this is being done. Carlos Gnecco: Well, thank you so much for that feedback because it will be very helpful and useful for us. So just before we end, do you have any other comments or concerns? Kevin Parra Duque: No, I think I don’t have many concerns. In terms of comments, I, yeah, I’d just like to emphasize that as Latinos here in Canada are so diverse and that you know, as I said, we share some things that it is also important to remember that we all come from many different countries, and we come with different ideas and that we’re a community that is extremely plural and that is important to remember. I like the interviews that are being done because it allows us to also understand how different we’re from each other. So yeah, that would be my only comment, just to emphasize that. Sabrina Shah & Carlos Gnecco: Again, thank you very much. Sabrina Shah: We really appreciate your time and your willingness to share your heritage. Carlos Gnecco: We will let you know when the interviews posted on the Omeka website for you to access. Kevin Parra Duque: Alright, thank you so much to both of you. This was great! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Kevin Parre Duque Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-16 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 17 min 33 s Language A language of the resource English Spanish Description An account of the resource Kevin Parra Duque was born in Medellín, Colombia, and later immigrated to Canada 15 years ago to pursue new opportunities. His journey began at the University of Toronto, where he laid the foundation for his career. Over the years, he travelled extensively, exploring different regions before settling in Ottawa three years ago. Kevin's move to Ottawa was driven by a job opportunity that allowed him to establish himself in the city and kept him closely connected to his Colombian roots. His work enables him to travel frequently between Canada and Colombia, maintaining a strong link between both countries. With 15 years of experience living in Canada, Kevin has built a life that bridges cultures, blending the best of both worlds. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/2288309d0776590db7ccd93eebe780a3.mp3 6de0dc5de5b3a62846308833651b2ee1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Laurine Beau de Rochars Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Lucille Nkunzimana Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound LUCILLE NKUNZIMANA: So, my name is Lucille Nkunzimana and I’m doing and ethnographic interview for Doctor Weinstein’s class in Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean and my interviewee… LAURINE BEAU DE ROCHARS: My name is Laurine Beau de Rochars and I’m the interviewee. LUCILLE: Okay so, we’ll just hop right into the questions. What is your country of origin? LAURINE: The country is Haiti. LUCILLE: Okay, and what brough you to Ottawa? Was it school? Was it… LAURINE: So, I came here, so I was raised in Haiti until the age of 11 so I came here at 11 with my mom and my sister. SO, we came here in 2010 after the earthquake that happened in Haiti. After the earthquake we moved to the states for three months and then we moved to Toronto for like a year and then to Ottawa and I’ve been here ever since. LUCILLE: So, I also grew up in Haiti. I don’t know if this should be part of the interview (laughter). But, yeah, so I also grew up in Haiti. SO, my parents aren’t Haitian, but my mom was raised there so... LAURINE: Okay, nice! LUCILLE: …yeah, we also lived through the earthquake… LAURINE: Oh, you also? LUCILLE: Yeah! SU, but a lot of people did move to the US and Canada after that so...you mentioned that you moved here with your mom… LAURINE: And my sister as well but my dad stayed back because both my parents are doctors. So my dad, He moved to the states with us but then when we moved to Canada, he went back to Haiti to continue his practice because you can’t be a doctor in Canada so he had to stay there. LUCILLE: What kind of medicine does he practice? LAURINE: Ortho…uh… LUCILLE: Like bones and stuff? Ok, cool! So, in Ottawa, do you live in a Latin community or neighbourhood where people speak Spanish or Portuguese and celebrate various Latin American occasions? LAURINE: No, I would say no. I live in Finley Creek so it’s like a newer area it’s like, uh, no I wouldn’t say that. LUCILLE: Would you say it’s a diverse area? LAURINE: Yeah. LUCILLE: Ok! So, there’s a lot of diversity but it’s not necessarily… LAURINE: Like a community? No. LUCILLE: And do you have any celebrations that are most important to you? LAURINE: To me? No, but I know my mom likes two of them. She likes Christmas and Easter. LUCILLE: Mhm. LAURINE: Oh! I do like Carnaval! Yeah... LUCILLE: Yeah, that’s fun! LAURINE: That’s the one that I enjoy. LUCILLE: Yeah. Ok! And then, could you describe to me a typical day in your community, even though it’s not a Latin American concentration, what does it look like? LAURINE: Well, for my mom all her friends live either in Haiti or in the States or like in Montreal so she’s always on the phone with them so I wouldn’t say that I have a Haitian community here so a typical day would honestly be overhearing my mom talk on the phone or when she watches news about Haiti either on her phone or the TV. But also, at work there are some Haitians but it’s like Haitians that were born here so it’s not the same. LUCILLE: The experience is a little bit different, yeah. LUCILLE: And do you have any specific way that you celebrate your heritage, like I know you said your mom obviously keeps up with the news and everything but are there any people here that you celebrate certain holidays with, or do you do something special with your family? LAURINE: Um, I would say... Oh! One thing that I do do is on the first of January, well on the 31st of December we would go to church and stay until like 2 am and then the next day January first we eat like a soup. LUCILLE: SO, I’ll skip to one of the next questions, but would you say that that’s one of the foods that reminds you of home? LAURINE: Yeah, for sure. LUCILLE: And then, do you have like a specific grocery store that you guys go to to get stuff, or could you just get it anywhere? LAURINE: Uh, we get stuff at this, I don’t remember the name but it’s a store on Walkley, I don’t know if you know it. It has like a lot of, I think it’s named Caribbean store or something so yeah that’s where we… and then for, um, like, meat and stuff, we go to the Asian grocery store. LUCILLE: Mm okay so that’s one of the ways that you celebrate heritage so it’s like for the New year but also Independence Day and then do you have any values associated with that? So, like, you did mention your tradition where you go to church, like, would you say that that’s a value that you hold close to you as a member of the Haitian/Caribbean community? LAURINE: So, I personally, am not a Christian but I still go to church because my mom wants me to go to church. I don’t think we share the same values, which is fine. Um but I do like one thing that I like is how the independence day is a symbol for, uh, the liberation. LUCILLE: Yeah, and like unity and… LAURINE: Yeah, yeah. LUCILLE: Um, okay and was there anything that you want to share about yourself or your community that you think people should know? LAURINE: Um, maybe language. Because one aspect with us is like the language because in Haiti, it was colonized by the French so there’s still very much this remnant of like French is the superior language, right? So then when I grew up there even at school creole was not allowed to speak even though everyone speaks creole. SO then like my parents enforced that rule at home so everyone only spoke French, and the reasoning was that us kids we need to focus on French hand then creole is so easy to learn if you’re in the environment that we would later on catch on but then we ended up moving to Canada so then like I didn’t. Because I honestly feel like my grandma, for instance, that joined us in 2014. She helped raise us, like, me and my sister, so she would only speak creole and her French was not good so we would answer her in French and I understand Creole but it’s still like a language loss because it’s not natural [to me] to speak creole. And Haitians have a strong pride about the language and it’s like they, not everyone, but they will mock you if you don’t speak creole and stuff like that. And also, like another aspect of the language part is that a lot of the Haitians stutter because it’s in the genetic pool but it’s so prevalent in the speech that even people who don’t have a stutter will stutter but it’s just in the speech. I don’t know if I’m explaining it well, but I don’t know the term in linguistics but it’s a thing because language is so easy to pick up and stuff so they also all stutter but they don’t have the… because it’s like genetics, right? But it’s interesting to see how it’s like intertwined in the language. LUCILLE: Yeah, it’s also um it’s like part of its genetic and part of it’s like that’s just the culture because most people have a stutter um you start to talk like that just because it’s your environment. LAURINE: Yes! Exactly, yeah, so they both feed off of each other. It’s just interesting! LUCILLE: Mmhmm! Do you think, like, um, do you think it’s difficult to put together, or to reconcile the fact that parents don’t want their kids to learn creole because it’s the “inferior language” or it’s “shameful” but when you don’t know creole it’s also “shameful”? [LAUGHTER] LAURINE: Yeah! LUCILLE: It’s weird because you’ll be at home and nobody wants you to speak in Creole, like that was a thing for my mom, she wanted us to learn… LAURINE: Creole? LUCILLE: Yeah, and we did but everyone around her was telling her not to do it because it was, especially for girls, for little girls it was not “proper”. But how do you, yourself, like is that something that bother you? LAURINE: It does bother me, yeah, for sure. And anytime I’ll, because now I’m old enough to understand how wrong it was and then anytime I bring it up to her [Laurine’s mom] she’ll just like ignore it, she doesn’t understand how it’s actually bad. And then, she’ll say, “oh no” and that I speak Creole fine. And like, yes but I like I don’t because it doesn’t come off natural. I have to overthink so hard so it’s really not. So, yes, it’s definitely hard to reconcile that and yeah, it’s like… LUCILLE: Yeah, it’s just one of those things that like you can, I don’t know, people probably tell you all the time like “oh well if you just keep practicing, you’ll get better” but… LAURINE: It’s like if I was still in the environment then like yes like I would actually absolutely be fluent, right? But then, I’m not like I moved here when I was eleven like that’s a young age to have a language loss. And also, it’s really more shameful that it’s like a status thing. Like the reason [not learning creole] was status. But guy would just, like boys, would be allowed to speak creole and then it’s weird because um like it’s so ingrained din my head to not speak creole that when I hear kids talk to their parents in creole it takes me aback because my reflex is to think it’s rude. But it’s not impolite, it’s a language, right? But it’s like it’s so ingrained in your head so it’s hard to like uncode your brain. LUCILLE: To unlearn like the hierarchy and then the status rules and everything and people--yeah, you’re right. I think it’s going to be useful for people to hear that because I think it’s difficult to explain when-- because everyone’s experience is different, too, so even if you do come from a country that you have a local language that you weren’t allowed to speak for whatever reason, I think that reason is always going to be different and in Haiti it’s like, it’s exactly like you said, there’s, like, a discrimination but it’s, like, it goes back so far in, like, the history of Haiti’s colonization that it’s still a thing today like I’m sure there’s little kids right now being told off for speaking creole at home when they—when it’s not proper. LAURINE: I’m sure now English is more pushed on them than French. LUCILLE: Mhm, yeah, for sure. [LAUGHTER] LUCILLE: Yeah, well thank you for sharing! Um, and then I’ll just ask you like two more questions and the first one’s going to be: how likely you think you would be to use the website to upload stories? So, like if it were to become more of a public forum do you think you and your family would use it to share? LAURINE: Yeah, I would, yeah. Um, I would if it’s like a prompt or something, I would but I can’t think of stories just like that but if there’s like a question or something. LUCILLE: Like if it became a discussion sort of forum? Kind of like Reddit? LAURINE: Yeah! Yeah, sort of. LUCILLE: Yeah, okay, yeah! Cool! Um, and then, yeah, so you already answered the second part so how you would use it would be more for like answering questions that people had that came up on the forum. Did you have any other comments or concerns about it? LAURINE: No, I can’t think of anything, did you have any questions outside of this? [LAUGHTER] LUCILLE: I don’t have any more questions outside of what was provided for us in the document but if you think of anything that's worrying you or anything you said that you’re double thinking and I will figure it out with Taylor and the professor to see if we can cut the recording. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Laurine Beau de Rochars Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-02-27 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 19 min 33 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Laurine is a student at the University of Ottawa. She is currently studying in the graduate program in Anthropology. She mentioned being recruited to participate in the study through Taylor Paterson, our T.A., for this course in the Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean. Laurine is originally from Haiti. She was born in Port-au-Prince and grew up there until age eleven, when the 2010 earthquake hit, and she and her family moved to the United States. Later, they moved to Toronto and then to Ottawa, where they have been living ever since. In this conversation, Laurine shared how it can be difficult to feel fully accepted by the Haitian community on and off campus as someone who doesn’t speak and, for the longest time, was not allowed to speak the native language. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/4999149e33ea81a26fe015301d3c0458.mp3 b433c915b2154d05a4abaeb5180550ca Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Latin American stories from Ottawa Description An account of the resource Ottawa, Canada's capital, is home to a richly diverse community. This reality makes Ottawa great. However, it can also make it difficult for Canadian citizens, residents, and newcomers to know where to start when looking for a community. For the winter 2025 Latin America and the Caribbean class, we endeavoured to inspire our students to explore this diversity through ethnographic interviews. Over thirteen weeks, our students interviewed friends, family, and Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean community members and the surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time, preserving knowledge and promoting their cultures. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Luis Abanto Rojas Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Roxane; Semon; Danielle Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On MS Teams Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound <div data-ogsc="rgb(0, 0, 0)" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000 !important; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; direction: ltr; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roxane: Esta bien. Luis: Perfecto. Perfecto. Muchas gracias. Oh, Roxane. Danielle. Ustedes viven en la misma casa. Roxane: Sorry, we don't speak that much Spanish. Danielle: I don't speak that much Spanish. Roxane: I understood house. Luis: I got excited when you say all that. Roxane: Yeah, I took a class first year, that's why. Luis: Oh, okay. No, I was saying you are at the same house. Oh. Danielle: Yeah. Luis: I have the same house. Roxane: Nice. Luis: Okay. So thank you for your invitation. I know it's been kind of tough to get organized, but. Okay. Finally. Okay, here we are. Danielle: Sounds good. Sounds good. Um, so. Hello, professor. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. My name is Danielle. Um, and our group will be conducting an ethnographic interview to learn more about the experiences, traditions, and cultural heritage of the Latin Caribbean community in Ottawa. Your insights and personal stories will help us better understand and appreciate the diverse perspectives within the community. This interview will take approximately 20 minutes, so please be mindful of your time. Feel free to share as much or as little as you are comfortable with, and remember that you do not have to answer any questions that make you feel uncomfortable. This is an open and respectful space and your voice is valuable to us. Luis: Thank you very much. Danielle: No problem Roxane. Roxane: I'm Roxane, and for a little introduction, I'm taking this anthropology class as well. It's actually my first anthropology class, but I'm a fourth-year student in conflict studies and human rights in my last semester, so almost done. And I also have a minor in sociology. And just before we start, I'm going to start recording whenever Simone has done her introduction so that we can start. Simone: Hi, my name is Simone and I'm in the same program as Roxane. I'm in human rights and conflict studies. I'm also in my last semester. I'm very excited to be done. This is my intro. This is it is my first anthropology class, and it's very interesting. Like it's very interesting learning about different cultures. And I really appreciate you for being here. Luis: Oh, thank you very much. And again, you're doing a hard work. Uh, very professional. So I'm here to make any contribution you like me to do. Danielle: Thank you. Sounds good. So first question is, what is your country of origin, professor? Luis: Country of origin is Peru. Danielle: Perfect, perfect. What brought you to Ottawa, by any chance? Luis: Oh, to Ottawa particularly. It was a master's degree. So I, I migrate actually, I did a kind of detour. I, I left my country in back in 1985. Maybe your parents were not born at that age. And then I lived, um, six years in France, where I was a refugee. And, um, and so at university, I met a Canadian girl and my girlfriend, and that brought me to Canada, but not to Ottawa. We went to Kitchener, Waterloo, where we lived two years, and I attended, uh, I mean, the continuation of the undergraduate studies at Waterloo. And for the Masters, we decided to come to Ottawa, to U of Ottawa because French. So French was the I think the connection with Ottawa is we didn't have any family here. Luis: Yeah. Danielle: Okay, great. You actually did answer my third question. Do you have family here? And do you see them frequently? And you? I think you said no. Um, so I'm just going to skip to the last question. Do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions? Luis: Um, in fact, no, no. And I've been living in, in Ottawa for the past 30 years now, and I found that quite interesting because there is not a Latin American neighborhood. Luis: There are corners like plazas. Luis: I was, um, so impressed, actually, when I came to Canada. How the multicultural visual. If you want to say something, you can see it in the mall plazas, especially in the small mall plazas. So where you can find like a Latino store or African store or Arabic store or a Caribbean. So that combination. Yeah, it was kind of wow. Oh, wow. That's that's good. But in terms of neighborhoods, no, not really or otherwise. Luis: It's not I mean, our population is not big to start. It's not it's not huge. Just Toronto maybe Toronto. Yeah. Yeah. I notice a very old Hispanic neighborhood like the Ecuadorian is very interesting back in the 70s. But here. No. When I came here, the. I lived in Vanier. Vanier for 13, 13 years, actually. Luis: So my closest community in terms of culture was the Portuguese. And together with the Portuguese, there used to be, um, Portuguese language Spanish people who were actually closer to the Portuguese than to the Hispanic. But that was in my closest, maybe in Vanier. But that's all the generations now. I mean, they are gone. They are gone to other neighborhoods. And so. Yeah. So yeah, no, no, I haven't lived in a Hispanic community or neighborhood here. Hopefully there's one that can develop with time. Yes. I'll be I'll be asking a few next questions, and it's starting with your most important celebration from your culture to you. Luis: Mhm. Luis: The most important celebrations. That's a kind of existential question. Luis: As a Peruvian we have an official celebration which is July 28th. Luis: Okay. July 28th. So the Embassy of Peru will organize something for local Peruvians. A kind of picnic, sometimes something at their embassy. But I have to tell you that my biggest celebration has been the festival. The soccer festival organized by a national club, Sporting Peru. Luis: And that's funny for me because you don't expect that from a soccer club. But I think in anthropology it makes sense because I know this is more a male thing, but if I can say that for 30 years, probably 3 or 4 guys, they've been organizing this festival every year. So it's a summer festival and they call the other teams the Mexican Colombians and whoever would like to play soccer. And it goes from a different generation young guys, juniors and also adults and grandpas like me. Luis: And when we talk about a soccer player, that person will come with the family. So I have children and we'll have the food like, um, yeah, an international Latino fair, summer Some affair, and that's been going on for 30 years. And that's when I've seen lots and lots of people at the same time, same place. Fantastic. I think for me, that's probably my biggest community. I would say the soccer teams. Roxane: That sounds very fun and very I feel like festive. Definitely in the summertime. The next question is, could you describe a typical day in your community in whichever context? Luis: Um, well, um, I'm kind of absorbed by my job, but I have the pleasure of working with my language. Luis: So, um, my job is to serve, uh, people here at the Faculty of Arts, and I am in the language training for all students. So I see people every day, like all origins. And while I was only a Spanish teacher, I used to have more contact with the Spanish language countries. I used to send. Luis: Students to Mexico or Chile, Argentina and Spain to organizing groups like going going there. And so my typical will be teaching versus having some administration today and also contacting community institutions like embassies or omgs. Yeah, I mean typically. Roxane: Thank you. And the next question is how do you celebrate your heritage? Luis: Um. Luis: Well, I have to tell that my Hispanic heritage is already quite celebrated by Canadians. That helps a lot. So. And we have different, uh, activities during the year, like, for example, the Latin American Film Festival in May. It's a two-week, two-week festival. And, and where we have, uh, movies from all 20 countries. So every country invites their, their locals and we have new new movies, new new filmmakers this year. Ah, I co-organize it here at the University of Ottawa. That was interesting. But that that that celebration has been there for probably 20 years because the Ottawa Film Festival used to organize it. So that's one of them. Um, 2 or 3 years ago, the saw the Parliament of Canada. Luis: Uh, created this, uh, Hispanic, uh, Hispanic month celebration in October. Luis: And, uh, yeah, that's a Canadian celebration. Not of countries, but I mean Canadian with, uh, Latin American origins roots. So that's a big, a big celebration. October. There are many things going on in October. I think those are the two main celebration communities and the MyHeritage. Roxane: Thank you so much. And the last question for me will be, what are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin community? Oh. Luis: Wow. That's another existential question. Luis: And. Luis: I would say, you know, being born there, educated there. So I migrate already when I was 17. Luis: So I can say that, um. Luis: We are used to, to deal with trouble all the time. And we are okay with that. Okay. I mean. Luis: Probably we have more patience in that case. Luis: We don't panic. Luis: We we have kind of more hope. that maybe. Luis: Um, so you're more resilient to any adversity. And I and I like that. But at the same time as being migrant and combining this migration with Canada, when I match together, I say no. But this country has fantastic things too. Like I feel respected. Luis: I. Luis: I mean, my inclusion is much, much way bigger than my inclusion in Peru. Peru is we have a system of kind of colonial castes. You know, I'm not allowed in certain urban neighborhoods, things like that. A lot of corruption too. So I don't like that. I'm not proud, actually, about those. Luis Abanto Rojas: Chase. Wow, that's another existential question. Luis Abanto Rojas: Eh, I would say, you know, being born there, educated there. Luis Abanto Rojas: So I migrated already when I was 17. Roxane Akakpo: Yeah, the big story is like closest seller market and like the little, yeah, they have a lot of stuff there. Luis Abanto Rojas: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the place for. Yeah. Semon Jama: OK. Semon Jama: That's good. Semon Jama: The third question goes how likely would you and your family be to use the website we're creating for uploading your stories? Luis Abanto Rojas: This could be something in the sun. Luis Abanto Rojas: Would you repeat the question please? Semon Jama: How likely would you and your family be to use the website we're creating for uploading your stories? Luis Abanto Rojas: Oh. Luis Abanto Rojas: A site you're creating. Luis Abanto Rojas: I haven't checked that site, but I find that fantastic. I mean to have. Luis Abanto Rojas: A non-alternative for those stories to share. Luis Abanto Rojas: I mean to connect people. Luis Abanto Rojas: Oh, no, thank you very much for your work. Semon Jama: No problem. Semon Jama: Thank you very much for sharing your stories. Luis Abanto Rojas: And. Luis Abanto Rojas: Yeah. Semon Jama: And yeah, sorry. Semon Jama: And then it goes. Semon Jama: And how would you use it? Semon Jama: It would be better to serve the community to any suggestions from you about access as well as what should be posted would be greatly appreciated. Luis Abanto Rojas: Yeah, I think so. Luis Abanto Rojas: I think so. Luis Abanto Rojas: I mean the big differences between, you know, the time I came to Canada and now is that you can give a voice to people. Luis Abanto Rojas: I mean the good use of social media, I think, is very, very positive. Luis Abanto Rojas: And then the interesting part is the micro story, you know, the micro story, people's stories, those micro narrations, they in fact give us more information than, you know, the big discourses when we see them testimonials or people of all ages. Luis Abanto Rojas: So we can have a better understanding of this history of migration, so giving the voice today, you know, all the communities, the best you can do. Luis Abanto Rojas: And to have a digital archive of that, you know, together with my, my team, linguistic team in Spanish. That's what we plan to do, to do interviews with people from the community. Luis Abanto Rojas: And our goal is just linguistic, just to hear the narrations, you know, so students can understand. Luis Abanto Rojas: So it's to develop the oral and listening comprehension story, but the content can serve to other areas. Luis Abanto Rojas: Or areas of like sociology and anthropology, yes. So I mean, we are in the same frequency. Luis Abanto Rojas: I think this is a necessary work to do while the communities are still very, very active. Semon Jama: Thank you very much. Semon Jama: And last but not least, do you have any comments or concerns you would like to share with us? Luis Abanto Rojas: Well, I have to congratulate you for this initiative and please come and see me anytime. We are here at. Luis Abanto Rojas: Laurier St. This is Department of Modern Languages. Luis Abanto Rojas: We work with the other linguistic profiles. Luis Abanto Rojas: We are basically international communities and happy to help with other communities too, like the Arabic Community, Chinese, Japanese, and so on. Semon Jama: Thank you so much. Semon Jama: I really appreciate you coming here and sharing your stories, and thank you for giving us your time. Luis Abanto Rojas: Oh, thank you very much. Luis Abanto Rojas: Thank you, Roxanne. Roxane Akakpo: Yeah. Thank you so much. Luis Abanto Rojas: And yeah, and Simon, OK. Roxane Akakpo: Thank you. Roxane Akakpo: Enjoy your day. Luis Abanto Rojas: Thank you. Danielle Muceros: Thank you so much. Luis Abanto Rojas: You too. Thank you. Luis Abanto Rojas: Bye bye. Gracias. Danielle Muceros: Gracias</div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Conversation with Luis Abanto Rojas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-03-06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 29 min 08 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Luis Abanto left his home country in 1985 when he was 17 from Peru and lived in France for six years as a refugee. Due to corruption and ongoing conflicts in his country, he moved for a better life. During his time at university, he met a Canadian girlfriend, which eventually led him to move to Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada, where he lived for two years. Motivated by his connection to the French language, Abanto chose to move to Ottawa to pursue his master's degree. His experiences across different countries have shaped his academic and personal journey. He feels like Ottawa is not big when it comes to the Latin population compared to Toronto. When came to Ottawa he lived in Vanier for 13 years. He enjoyed spending time with Portuguese who lived in his neighborhood.