4 25 96 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/918ab05d88fa0bd9bd2ba4524de11db3.mp3 96953fb1679c4efeb0f03cd66d7f98d9 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Taryn Ayton Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Adrian Machado 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 Adrian: 0:00 In recording progress, okay, I think the recording has very so we can get started on I just sent you over the questions so that way there was no surprises. So thank you for doing the that ethics form, which I have, I need to also sign myself. But anyways, um, so let's firstly, do you want to know a bit about the project to kind of just start? So basically, this project is for my anthropological studies in the Caribbean and Latin America. Basically what we're doing is that we're interviewing people in Canada that are from those continents. And basically we're going to take their stories and put them all into one website so that way people can view it, experience, learn, and it's overall, going to be this incredible, beautiful thing. So I have a partner. He's he has actually done another interview. So this is my interview with you. And yeah, we're gonna get started with the general introduction. So here we have, like, what part of the Caribbean are you from? What brought you, you and your family to Canada, and how much family do you have here living in Canada with you? From the Caribbean? Taryn 1:27 Feel free to introduce Speakers 2 1:29 Okay, so my family's from Jamaica, and majority of our family is now either in Canada or the United States, mostly being in Canada. My mom has eight siblings, and I believe three of which are still in Jamaica. But the rest are here. Actually, the rest are Unknown Speakers 2:01 sorry. Let me do quick now, three in Jamaica, Speakers 2 2:07 or here, one in America. Speakers 1 2:10 And this kind of diving a bit deeper. Where in Canada would you say most of your mom's siblings are located in throughout Ontario, throughout Ontario, and I can seem closer to Toronto. Yes, yeah. So for this project as well, we were looking for people from Ottawa, but I wanted to particularly tackle the GTA area, because I feel like there's a huge Caribbean culture there as well, and I think that's very lovely. And for the one that is in the US, where are they from? Where are they located right now, in the US? Speakers 2 2:51 I don't think he's there legally, so I don't know. Unknown Speakers 2:57 Well, you know, it's the experience. Speakers 1 3:01 Who knows, but totally cool. I'm so best aware about that. So let's get into the community and heritage part. Um, so do you live in an area where a large Crimean community, what language, slash vernaculars are spoken, and do you speak or understand any of them? Unknown Speakers 3:19 Okay, so Speakers 2 3:22 being from Richmond Hill, no, but being slightly north of Toronto, yes, if you understand what I mean, I do. I do because, like living in Richmond Hill, the the Caribbean culture is absolutely zero, but driving just like 15 minutes south into Toronto, it's huge, right? And I do not at least Jamaica's dialects patois, which is English. It's just broken English. I don't speak it, but I completely understand it. And it's honestly, so funny, because it's something I grew up with, and it's something I've always, like, understood before. Whenever my mom is speaking Pato in front of me, and my friends are around, and they don't get it, I'm like, but she's speaking English. No Speakers 1 4:15 exactly. I feel that actually, when I'm looking up and like, reformatting the questions I put in the notes here, Pat was because I was like, obviously, but I think that's really cool. Like, what are kind of some of the words that like stick out to you a lot? Or what are some very common sayings? Um, Speakers 2 4:35 common sayings. My mom doesn't use common sayings because she doesn't. I feel like a lot of parents have their go to sayings. My mom doesn't do that. She has a go to look for every situation. Unknown Speakers 4:53 I love that. Honestly, Speakers 2 4:56 it's actually really funny, because the other night, I'm like, Hey Mom, I'm going out and. She's, like, Unknown Speakers 5:04 iconic, iconic, um, not. Speakers 1 5:09 And I think that's like, really, really cool that we're looking at podcasts in different vernaculars. Um, anyways, what are some notable celebrations when? Which ones are the most important to you? Okay, Speakers 2 5:23 so I did look at that question and I'm like, Hmm, nothing really differs, because Jamaica is a very like Christian country, right? So typically, everything we celebrate here is celebrated there in the aspect of faith, but they do have carnival, which we would look at as Caribana or Toronto Caribbean carnival. But a lot of people don't realize they're completely different times during the year. So Carnival in the islands is typically right before Lent. Oh, so a carnival time just actually passed, and carnival there is completely different to what we do here. Like, Unknown Speakers 6:16 have you ever seen like a holy celebration? Speakers 1 6:18 I've no holy celebration. I have definitely seen, like, a couple videos of, like, the parades and whatnot, and like, the kind of pageant aspect of it, okay, yeah, Unknown Speakers 6:28 they do that too. But Speakers 2 6:32 with Holi, it's an Indian celebration. It's a lot of colors, and they're, like, bright colors and like, pinks and stuff they do that during Carnival, like balloons. It's like paint filled balloons. And so it's like a mixture of holy and Caribbean carnival as we see it here, like kind of mashed into one. It's actually really cool. Speakers 1 6:57 And that's like a very huge part of the Caribbean as well, because there's so many different types of people that are coming together. There's so many cultures that are being represented, if you will. And I think your point about like Christian holidays, I am curious, in comparison to kind of prison holidays here in Canada, what are some, I guess, unique aspects that, to me, kind of brings to those cultures, any particular foods or traditions that might differ or unique. So Speakers 2 7:29 for Easter, I know, like here during Easter, we're not supposed to do the whole meat thing, but there during Easter they typically just, it's just fish and then spice, bun and cheese. Okay, that is food for Easter. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Speakers 1 7:48 I think one thing that my family does is, of course, garlic pork for Christmas. I'm not sure if you do that as well. I think that's a Guyanese thing, right? But no super cool. And I think the different types of foods is, honestly, the food is incredible. Like, that's really, yeah, the food is incredible, incredible. So, um, there's kind of two questions here. Um, how do you celebrate your heritage and what values do you hold most dear to you that come from your community? And those might be kind of odd questions. So yeah, do you have an answer for that? The insight, um, Speakers 2 8:29 sorry, could you repeat the first one? Unknown Speakers 8:33 The first one, how do you celebrate your heritage? Unknown Speakers 8:37 Honestly, I don't Speakers 2 8:41 in the aspect that being Jamaican is just like a celebration in itself. Because, like, I feel like when you're Jamaican, everyone knows you're Jamaican. I've quite literally been told you look, Jamaican. Speakers 1 9:01 Would it what does that mean? Exactly? Bucha, Unknown Speakers 9:05 who knows, but Speakers 2 9:09 as the most like known Caribbean island, like, when people hear you're from the Caribbean, they go, Oh, Jamaica, Unknown Speakers 9:19 right. So I don't Speakers 2 9:21 really celebrate being Jamaican, because I feel like it's a celebration in itself. It's like Speakers 1 9:30 every day almost. It's like a huge part of who you are. And I think that's a very interesting perspective. It's it's different. And I not different actually. I think it's unique, and I love it honestly, so kind of moving on to that second question, what are some values that you hold that come from that place? Unknown Speakers 9:51 Okay, well, my mom Unknown Speakers 9:53 always instilled in me family Unknown Speakers 9:58 and I. I have Unknown Speakers 10:01 a huge family. Speakers 2 10:04 So I have five brothers, sorry, four brothers on my mom's side, and then my dad has 12 kids. Unknown Speakers 10:12 Huge family, huge Speakers 2 10:14 family. Um, so I've always been taught to be there when I can be but like also not to exert myself for the good of others, but I like to always try to be there, at least for my siblings. Speakers 1 10:32 That's incredible, because there's so many of them, little army, little army, Unknown Speakers 10:40 my dad could have two basketball teams. Speakers 1 10:44 Honestly, I think that's very incredible. Are Muslim and tall? Speakers 2 10:48 Oh yeah, oh yeah, not a single short one. Unknown Speakers 10:53 Genes are strong. Unknown Speakers 10:56 I mean, other than the seven year old, Speakers 1 10:59 makes sense. But we'll give it a couple years, we'll give it a couple of years. Um, no, and I think that's super cool. I think actually the aspect of family is, I mean, that's really huge in the carina as well. I think as a stem from that as well as, um, respecting elders is a very huge part of that. How are you can do you feel connected to that part? Is I value your bold um, Speakers 2 11:22 so I feel like respecting your elders is very instilled in Caribbean children. However, in this day and age, I feel like we've come to a point where we've learned to stand up for ourselves. Because it's one thing to respect your elders, and it's another to completely sit there and accept being annihilated, which 90% of the time is exactly what's being done to you. Speakers 1 11:54 I see it's very, very interesting. So looking at the next question here, would you like to share? Sorry, what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Speakers 2 12:12 Nothing specifically about myself, but not every Caribbean is Jamaican. Unknown Speakers 12:18 No. Speak on it, speak on it. Speakers 2 12:21 And I feel like that's something so so many people get so offended. Because, like, when people are like, Oh, my God, you're Caribbean, you must be Jamaican, it's like, no, there are so many countries in the Caribbean, and like other other Caribbean countries, just feel so looked over Unknown Speakers 12:44 because of Jamaican. Speakers 2 12:45 And as a Jamaican, I'm sorry, but we are the center of attention. I understand that. But there are others. Speakers 1 12:54 There are other you want to give Friday. You want to give praise. Exactly, interesting, very interesting. I love that. And I think we touched on this question kind of beforehand. But what foods remind you of your home, and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare any traditional meals if you cook Unknown Speakers 13:21 so? Danforth food market, Unknown Speakers 13:24 Danforth food market Speakers 2 13:27 and things that remind me of Jamaica, per se, ackee and salfish. I love a good ackee and selfish, which, honestly, I didn't realize until I spent the summer there when I was 10. But that is a breakfast food, okay? Because I, yeah, I always grew up eating it for dinner, because that's when my mom would make it. But it's a breakfast food. Breakfast Speakers 1 13:54 food, and sorry, the ackee and saw fish describe the meal a bit more. So  Unknown Speakers 14:01 ad is Jamaica's national fruit, Speakers 2 14:05 but it needs to be cooked, because if it is not cooked, it can be poisonous. Oh, yeah. And then the salt fish is, I think it's cod fish, but salted. Okay. So then you have to boil off, like majority of the salt, otherwise, like it, like it's inedible because of the Unknown Speakers 14:27 amount of salt, Unknown Speakers 14:30 high sodium, high sodium, yep, Speakers 1 14:34 sounds like it, um, out of curiosity, like, Are there any particular like, desserts or any kind of spots that you can find in Toronto or Ontario that really like hit home for you. Unknown Speakers 14:49 No, I can't say so, because Unknown Speakers 14:53 I've never really been one for Jamaican desserts. Speakers 2 14:58 Honestly, most it's like. Black cake and then pudding. And it's not like, yeah, it's not like a westernized pudding. It's like a it's like a cake, per se. But Unknown Speakers 15:12 I do love black cake, Unknown Speakers 15:13 but I make Speakers 2 15:14 my own. So absolutely I don't have any recommendations on that aspect, and I have tried to make in restaurants. However, couldn't recommend any of them either, because I can't say anything is better than my mom's cookie. Speakers 1 15:34 I think, I think a parent's cooking, a grandmother's cooking, even it will surprise any restaurant really, exactly up until the grandmas decide to open up their own truly, um, but no, I think that's like, very interesting. Black cake is also really good. I I've had some myself, um, I would grab it by the slice and eat it, um, and I don't think my parents knew, but we don't tell anyways, so kind of moving on to the last section here. Apologies, we're looking at the project questions. So I told you a bit earlier about the website, and I just want to ask you, since this interview is part of a larger project to tell the stories of Latin American and Caribbean Canadians using a website that displays this information. Does this sound like a concept that you would be interested in, or communities in Canada would be interested Speakers 2 16:35 in? I would definitely be interested in it, because I feel that there are a lot of Unknown Speakers 16:42 first gen Speakers 2 16:44 Canadian children that feel neither here nor there in the aspect of you're too Caribbean for the Canadian kids, or you're too Canadian for the Caribbean kids, and just someone that falls in the middle. I feel like it could be very intriguing for like, finding more people like you that can relate to you, whereas you've just been living in a state of Unknown Speakers 17:14 purgatory, in a way, Speakers 1 17:19 absolutely, I think that education, it would bring a lot of education, and would really help to bring a huge asset of history. I'm not sure if we've talked about it as of now, but Toronto, especially Caribbean people, have contributed an immense amount of culture, and even, like the Toronto man accent, a lot of that is just a Caribbean accent. And I think that would be a huge part actually, you know what? Like? Let's speak on it. Um, you've obviously been to Toronto. You're in the GTA, um, how have you seen Caribbean people like influence the culture? Speakers 2 17:58 So, um, I would say that they are a huge influence. However, they are definitely disappointed in the Toronto man action, because 90% of them feel like they're just being mocked. First off, secondly, none. None of those Toronto mans actually sound like that. Speakers 1 18:17 Yeah, no, the one thing on the Speakers 2 18:21 internet, yeah, it's awful. It's so bad. It's It is, yeah, and they're making, they're making a mockery, and they don't care. And I find it so funny and entertaining, but I understand how people are offended by it. Speakers 1 18:40 Yeah, it's something to it's, yeah, it's, I'm not sure, to laugh uncomfortably or to laugh at them, like, what are we doing? It's, you know, what? Lock it up. Truly, I think the most shocking part is when I hear a trauma and accent come from someone in Ottawa. Oh, no, yeah. Um, you know, especially when they are a young child who grew up in, like, suburban Ottawa, it's like, what are we doing? Why? Um, but that's, that's a whole separate conversation. Um, going back to the website for a moment, how would you use this website? Um, I think we kind of already touched on that. But what are some ideas that you personally would contribute to the projects? Unknown Speakers 19:28 I feel like adding, Speakers 2 19:32 like, not a dating app aspect, but like a find a friend aspect, you know, to be able to see, like, if this person's nearby, maybe, like, make a friend. Speakers 1 19:44 Networking, exactly, networking, connecting communities. I think that would actually be really cool. So you want, like, from this website, not only for a place to be educated, but also to connect people a variety. Of cultures sound about right? Yeah, and we can shed light on other Peruvian countries as well. Right? Absolutely, absolutely. And do you have any final comments, questions or concerns that you would like to ask about the project or at all speak your mind, truly? No, we're all good. Okay, well, I think with that, thank you so much for being a part of my interview today. This has been an incredible experience, and I hope that maybe when we get the final project all finished up and done, you'll be able to see it for yourselves. I think with that, we can end things off. Have a good day. Right turn. Thank you so much. Okay, no problem, bye, bye, 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 Taryn Ayton Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Conversation with Taryn Ayton Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 20 mins 46 s Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource This interview with Taryn Ayton by Adrian Machado is a part of a project for anthropological studies in the Caribbean and Latin America. Taryn is a 21-year-old Jamaican Canadian university student living in the GTA area (Richmond Hill). She is a long-time friend of the interviewer and provides a unique perspective on Carribean identity. The interview covers various aspects of her heritage and identity, such as celebrations, traditional foods, and values. Taryn hopes that her contribution to this project will enrich Canadians’ knowledge of Caribbean stories and bring members of the Latin/ Caribbean community together. 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> 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/750457e22cc412b7083db73cb7bbb08c.mp3 e28488ea39f71bd35caeaa3652303649 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Adam Armstrong, Sierra Forth Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed David King Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Sierra: Well, good afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Do you mind just stating your name for the sake of the interview? David: David King Sierra: Okay, perfect. So we're interviewing you for our anthropology class of Caribbean and Latin culture. So we're going to go through a list of questions, and if ever you have any questions that you feel uncomfortable answering, just let us know, and we can skip over to the next one. Is that okay?  David: Sounds good Sierra: Perfect. So we're gonna jump into the first question. What is your country of origin? David: Jamaica Sierra: And whereabouts in Jamaica David: Black River. St Elizabeth Sierra: Perfect. And what brought you to Ottawa?  David: My parents was here, so they flew me over and didn't have a choice. I was only 10 year old. I left Jamaica when I was 10, so that's the culture, and then everybody else came up 10-15, years later. I met my mother when I was seven. And I said, “Hang on… I've been living with this lady for seven years, and she’s not really my mother?”.  “No, that's your grandmother”  “Okay…and that's my mother?” Yeah, I don't know you. And then had me leave the country with a stranger, which I didn't even know.  Sierra: Huh  David: And then they came and I lived with her, and then lived with her husband and my two half brothers and a sister, which I've never met. Adam: So what year was this?  David: I came up in 76,  but I thought my grandmother was my mother until I was nine year old and realized, no. Because actually, I never met my mom until I was seven.  Sierra: Really? David: Yeah Sierra: And you had no idea, like, did you find out by yourself? Or did they end up just telling you? David: No, when she came down, my grandmother told me. Sierra: Ohhh David: Yeah. So I was like, I was my grandma the whole time. So I thought it was my mom and my grandfather, and then seven years later, this lady shows up when they go, “that's your mother”.  And I'm going, “No, it's not”, **Laughs “never heard of her, never seen her before”. Yeah, so it was a whole different culture shock in that.  Sierra: So how was the dynamic after that? David: I was happy with my grandmother! She came once, and then I saw her, and then they didn't see her again for another year and a half. And then she came and picked up Janet and Winston and brought them to Canada. She said, “Oh yeah, I'm gonna come and get you”.  Sierra: Okay David: Yeah, well, that was another three and a half years before that happened.  Adam: And did you wait so long, like, for financial reasons, or was there something else about it?  David: No idea. Couldn't tell you. Sierra: Really? David: Couldn't tell you.  Sierra: Huh.  David: So when I came up here, it's like, who's all these people?  Sierra: Yeah. David: Because I never knew I had a brother and sister either.  Sierra: Until he was five. David: Yeah, and even Janet and Winston. They were in Jamaica. I never knew I had a brother and sister. I met them the day before my mom came to pick them up as she was taking them to Canada. And she said “Oh yea, this is your brother and sister”, then they all disappeared. **laughs Sierra: Were you guys living close to each other in Jamaica?  David: They were in St Marie, I was in Black River. Which is about an hour's drive away. Because I lived there. And I thought, all, my cousins – like Uncle Paul and so on Sierra: Yeah. David: We all live together. So I thought they were my brother's sister. In Jamaica, the families are all intertwined Sierra: Yeah. Adam: So kind of like one big family?  David: The whole country is almost like one big family Sierra: Okay, so I guess there's like, a big sense of community David: You go from one Parish – you guys have provinces but we call them Parish, different sections. So I guarantee you have a cousin or a step brother, a half brother over there, and you probably won't know until after you get married. They don't marry. Just get together. Oh, yeah, well, it's too late. Sierra: I guess that's kind of risky, though, like, just given how deep the family ties are, I wouldn't want to marry someone who's Jamaican. David: I mean, that's just the way the culture is. Sierra: Yeah David: They just go wild and crazy.  All: Laugher  David: Yeah, because they had the slavery back there. And so what happened with slavery in Jamaica, is that whichever slavery owner you’re under, that's the name they give you. So we were under the name Baker – the guy who owns the plantation, his last name is Baker. So all the families that worked for them, they got the name Baker, and then it gets passed on.  Adam: Oh yeah, because I was gonna ask you about your last name David: Well here it goes, I found out from mom, before she passed away. So, my father had a different last name. So when she was leaving Jamaica, or when she got married – no, when she had me. She gave me King, because the guy told her that was his last name. Said his last name was King, but it wasn't.  Sierra: Did he know his last name? David: Oh yeah, but he got pregnant, and didn't want to take ownership. Adam: Ohhh  David: So he gave her the wrong name. He was a pass through guy through the country, he passed from province to province. I thought he was in the army, but Uncle Donald said he was a baker. He delivered baked goods, so he took a garbage truck and went to each parish. So he lied about his last name. Sierra: Okay, so I guess, like, you don't actually know the name of your father, then? David: No, don't know a first name and don't know a last name. Nothing. Sierra: Wow. David: Yeah. So, when I was getting married the first time, mom said, Well, you should change your last name to Forth, which is her name. But then says, I had to pay for it, so I looked it up. It was going to cost me 350 bucks, and I went “that's not happening” **Laughs Adam: King's good for you. David: King is good for me. I'll be the only king in the family. I'm good! ** Laughs Adam: So have you ever tried to find him?  David: About seven years ago, I tried to do that to find him.  Sierra: Really?  David: Yeah, but I had nothing to go with.  Adam: Yeah, it's not even King so.  David: Yeah and mom wouldn't tell me. Uncle Donald knows. Sierra: He knows your father?  David: Yup, but he wouldn't tell me information either.  Sierra: Wow David: But he knows him, and he wouldn't tell me.  When I was in my 20s, I was asking.  “Oh, yeah, I know your dad. You know he comes by the yard, we see him often. And this and that”  Sierra: Really?  David: Yeah.  Sierra: And this was here?  David: No, in Jamaica, yeah. I try for 20 years, and then I go “ all right,  I'm done”.  Never gonna know who this man is. I'm good! It's just wild. Sierra & Adam: Yeah.  David: I have no grudge. Im happy my name Sierra: Yeah, I like your name too. David: I do too! Joined the military. “King?”, yeah! Not gonna change it. And I wasn't gonna pay 300 or something dollars to get it changed. Sierra: Okay, so now that we know a little bit more about your childhood and your name, do you remember wanting to come to Canada when they first brought up the idea?  David: No idea. I was 10 years old.  Sierra: So they just like, took you to the airport?  David: We were looking. My uncle said “Well, you're gonna go to Canada”. Okay, so we went downtown, to the courthouse to get my passport and stuff signed. David: So I ride home and said, yeah, it came back. I left the country the next day.  Adam: Woah.  Sierra: So like, no warning or anything? David: No, it's just like, well, you're going to Canada. And it's like, okay, and I had no clothes. I had two shorts. That was it. So I come with nothing.  Sierra: When did you come? Like, was it like summer or winter?  David: It was November. Sierra: Oh, so you really had nothing Adam: Big change.  David: It was a big change! I came, and I was like “what's the white stuff? All: Laughter  David: Oh yeah. So it was done. We left Jamaica. We came in 76 in November, 76 and then, yeah, mom got me some jeans and stuff. And I went outside, and my foot and my jeans got wet, and then it sat off in the cold breeze. That was my only time wearing jeans,  never wore them since.  All: Laughter  David: Not  doing that!  All: Laughter  David: And then the summer time came and I was outside with no shoes on. Because I didn't wear shoes back home. The only time I wore shoes was to church. School is barefoot. Everything is barefoot Sierra & Adam: Yeah. David: Yeah. And then they forced me to wear shoes. And I'm going “what? No”. I'm in the backyard, running, playing and there's grass and rocks. And everyone is going "your feet are going to hurt”. Bottoms too tough. Doesn't hurt. Sierra: Yeah.  David: Even in the heat I'm there running around.  Adam: So I guess you just got used to it over time. David: Yeah, oh yeah. Mom was always to put shoes on. It took me about three years before I got used to that, because I never wore shoes. Adam: How's the difference in education? Like from coming from there to coming here?  David: I was in grade five. I start in grade five, but I had to go back one grade because I was trying to keep up with the language. I speak Jamaican, they couldn't understand a word I was saying, so they moved me back one, which is fine. But then I just take up after that. Oh yeah. But it was scary because my first teacher I met, she came in. And she was dressed in a green dress and a green scarf. And back home, we don't wear makeup, right? This lady had this big green thing above her eyes Adam: Ohhh David: And she came to give me a hug and I went “whoa” All: Laughter  David: I still remember, it scared the hell out of me because I've never seen a person with makeup on. But yeah. Sierra: So were the classrooms? Like, smaller? David: It was a smaller classroom. I think there were 15 to 20 kids in the class.  Adam: And in Jamaica, how many were there? David: Well, it's based on school, because Jamaica, you have one big school, but you have split class because there's not many. So in my class, there was grade four and grade five together. Sierra: Oh okay David: Yeah, so it was different. It was a different culture shock. But, you know, I got used to it.  Adam: Got used to it. David: Made a few friends, had fun, learned the system, then became crazy. All: Laughter  Adam: So did you go to your school with your cousins then?  David: Umm no, I went to school with my brother and sister. We went to Vincent Massey Sierra: Okay David: Which was literally about, you know, 9 to 10 blocks from the house. There was a school bus that takes you there. But, when I got older, I said “ enough of that school bus”. They said I can't walk to school. But I said “what do you mean?” I walked to school anyways Sierra: Yeah. I mean, I guess you were used to it because you've walked to school your whole life.  David: I walked to school, but, yeah, I had to go across the stop line and so on. So I didn't bother, I just walked to school.  Sometimes when I was walking to school, and my gym teacher saw me, she’d pick me up and just keep on driving down. Sierra: Really? David: But you're supposed to take the school bus because you're under 13 Sierra: Like for safety David: It didn't mean anything to me. I break your rules when I can. All: Laughter David: Still do! All: Laughter  David: Oh no. It was good. I got used to the culture, so it was nice. People were nice. And got into track and field. I like to run. Sierra: I guess that's also like keeping up with like, culture, too.  David: Yeah. Oh yeah. Back then, I could do a mile in five minutes. That's my average. Sierra: Oh wow, and that carried out like throughout high school? David: Yup. I did a 3000 meter, I came in second every year. This one guy would always  beat me. He was taller than I am, but he'd done the marathon, but yeah, so came in second for that, and they wanted me to join the Athletic Club. There's one big Athletic Club thing there. They want me to join it, but initially, got to run all summer. And I go “no”  Adam: During the summer? No  All: Laughter David: It's training, right? So in the summertime is your training, so you're like, 24/7 training, running. And I'm going, “No”. So I joined the Navy and travel and then come back home and put myself to university. I love to run, but I wasn't gonna sit around every summer. Adam: Uh huh Sierra: Yeah.  David: Yeah, back then it wasn't a big thing to me to be an athlete, to run and get paid and get money, no. Adam: What do you do for work now? David: I'm an IT guy. I work for the department of national defense.   Adam: Now that you've moved to Ottawa, do you have much family here? And how often do you see them?  David: Yeah, we got a really big family here. I see them every day, really. My grandmother has 15 kids, so the family is here. Adam: Wow. David: Laughs* And each kid has four kids after that. So yeah, the whole family is here, just in Ottawa alone. We're probably right now over 60 or 70.  Adam: Oh, wow.  David: You had a great Uncle named Alfie, he had 101 grandkids.  Sierra: 101? David: 101. The family tree is crazy. I can't keep track of it. Sierra: But I guess that was just kind of like the norm. David: That was the norm back then. Sierra: In Jamaica, everyone had big families David: Everyone had big families. And back home, it was the grandparents that raised the kids. Like my mom had me, and she left, Aunt Ther had the four kids and they left. Mama was raising them all, plus her 15 kids that she had. So she had 15 kids, and she raised them, and they grow up and have kids. When she was pregnant, all her girls were pregnant with her.  Sierra: Huh, a lot has changed since then. Like, at least in Canadian culture, it's not as normalized  David: No, when you go to Jamaica, it's the same thing. In Jamaica when you have kids, they have the kids and the  grandparents raise the kids, and they go do their thing. Sierra: Interesting. David: That's what the culture was. It probably still is. Sierra: Yeah. Adam: Do you have people that you still keep in contact with?  David: I left when I was 10. I had a few friends there, but I haven't been back. I mean, I've only been back to Jamaica twice since I've left Sierra: Yeah David: In 76. But there was no need to go back. Sierra: Because everyone is here  David: The families are out here..  Adam: So now to get deeper into that community aspect, do you have individual celebrations that are more specific to the culture that you find the most important to you?  David: Well, the celebration we do most is Christmas as a family. We do a whole bunch of Christmas parties, get together, and then we do birthdays. There is also Jamaican independence day. Sometimes we go and celebrate that, if we have time to do that. But most of it is family related, as in Christmas and birthdays. Sierra: Okay. And then back home in Jamaica, I know you were only 10, but can you describe a typical day in your community? David: Yeah, a typical day would be like the kids would get up in the morning and go to school. I usually – our school there was no transportation. So, I would walk, you know, four or five miles to school, same thing, back for lunch, and then back again after and then we have a culture thing. Where I live, there was a big community center, and we play sports. There was cricket or we played soccer. So it was like a family run area.  Adam: So besides, like the whole community aspect, what about just your, you know, your personal family, what was the dynamic like there?  David: My grandfather slept, there was no room for him, so they took a door, put it on to a chair and that was his bed. Sierra: Really? David: Yeah, there was two beds in the house Sierra: And 15 of you? David: 15 kids, and you sleep head to foot. So whoever get to the bed First, grab the corner All: Laughter David: And if you're the edge, you get knocked off. **Laughs** Oh yeah, there were just two beds, and all the kids, they would sleep head to foot. My grandmother slept on the sofa. Sierra: Uh huh David: But I never see her sleep because she'll be up. We go to bed, wake up and she's still up. Sierra: Yeah. David: Oh yeah. It was great, because we thought we just live together, brothers and sisters. We had no idea Sierra: Wow, it sounds really different than, you know, life here in Canadian culture.  David: Yeah, it's a different lifestyle, yeah. But I said, you live after land. I mean, I know when I was younger, my grandma didn't have a lot of money and food. So now you get I get, you get a squarel meal. Like Sunday, you will get rice and peas and chicken, on Sunday. So that was your dinner. Every Sunday you would get that.  The rest of the week. You know, you may get soup. To go to school in the morning, you get a slice of bread with some butter and some green tea and you're off to school. You come back home for lunch, because then you get the same thing, bread with the butter. You go back to lunch. And you usually walk about, you know,  two to three kilometers to go to school and back. There's no transportation.  Sierra: So was your grandmother, like, working during the day, when you guys were at school? David: Mama didn't work much, but she uhhh, on the weekend, she would make balmy, which is like a bread on the stove, and she would sell those, and she had clients. So every Sunday, she makes those, and I would bring them to a client and sell and get money on the side. But while she was doing that,  there was my mom and my aunt. Since they're overseas, they would send her money, because she's raising the kids. Sierra: Ohh okay. So there were still, like, that transaction  David: They were still supporting her. A transaction going there. So she got all the kids, right. So they'll send her money to keep it going, because they're all having fun, and she's got, like, her kids, plus the grandkids she's raising.  Sierra: Yeah David: Yeah. And then, on the weekends my grandmother would go shopping every Saturday, but she have to walk five miles to town and five mile back. We had no vehicle. Then she put the basket on her head and no hand, and she just walked with all that stuff. But you had your duty on Saturdays. You have to clean the house. You got to clean the yard. You had to get ready before she came back.  So my job was to go get firewood. So we have a little wagon that Uncle John built for me, I would walk, get firewood. And if i cant, id bring it on my head. And the yard had to be swept.  You just know that. Mama says, do this. You just do it. Sierra: Yeah All: Laughter  David: You don't want to fight with her on whether you're gonna do it or not. No, she doesn't beat you.  Sierra: Yeah?  David: She called Uncle Roy to beat you. That's a different story. Uncle Roy  is coming. Everybody runs.  All: Laughter  Adam: And then how do you currently celebrate your heritage? David: Well, as I said, they do Independence Day, which the family get together, and we cook different foods and flavors, and then we play dominoes and songs, and then we just have entertainment there. Sierra: That sounds nice Adam: Just to add on to that, are there individual values that you think hold you most dear as a member of this community, or other members of this community also would hold the most dear?  David: Yeah, you just try to keep your Jamaican culture in the family and pass it into generations. So you teach your kids how to play dominoes, how to do Jamaican food, how to cook, and then celebrate that way, and then listen to reggae music. Adam: Perfect. And to add on to that, which foods particularly remind you the most of home and where would you go to purchase these groceries to prepare your traditional meals?  David: The big thing is we do Oxdale, so there's a Jamaican store in New Orleans called Mantego, It's on St Joseph. We go there and get some oxtails and a lot of Jamaican food. So there's oxtail, there's um, we do rice and peas. And then there is the national dish, which is called Aki and saltfish, and you can get them there as well, too, at the grocery stores. Walmart also sells aki, they come in a can. So, different places sell them. Same thing with Basics. Adam: Perfect. What would you particularly like to share about yourself or your community that you think would be most important for other people to know?  David: Other people should know you should try to keep your culture of your country going and pass it on to your family members and kids. Because a lot of them have never been to Jamaica. I mean, I've been here for over 50 some years, and i’ve only been back like twice since I've been here and traveled. So it'd be good to pass on heritage, pass on the culture, teach them how to cook and the music and just read up on it. I'd like to go back to Jamaica, but I have to plan that. But yeah, it's been a long time. It's changed. Jamaica has changed a lot, and since the last hurricane that's really wiped out Black River were we lived Sierra: Really? David: Oh yeah. Downtown. Black River was the city part, and you have hotels and bakery and so on right along the ocean. Well, they all just wash right up to the sea. They're all gone. So they gotta rebuild the whole place Sierra: Do you think –  are they able to rebuild it like? How was it like? So the neighborhood that you lived in, was it like, financially, like, was it stable or like, was it more like?  David: Well, it's in the country where we had homes like, we had brick homes. We had a decent sized home there. So that wasn't hit much as much was just a downtown core that was hit as much Sierra: Okay. So, as we've spoken about before, we are doing this to upload information to a website, just to kind of get a better idea of, you know, culture and where people are from. How likely would you say you are to use any of these websites just to get more knowledge on different cultures? David: I do once in a while, like, I mean, I browse a different culture, like Spain. I like the Spanish culture or the British culture, because half of our family is also in Britain. That's where they migrate to.  Sierra: And then do you have any other comments or concerns? David: No, it's nice that you guys are doing this, this way other people could see the different cultures and what goes on. Like Jamaica, as I said, its an Island in the Caribbean is very nice place to go and visit, and we have different cultures in different parts of the island that are celebrated. So all there the Caribbean islands, they have their own different cultures. It's a competition between Jamaica and Cuba. Sorry, Jamaica, Cuba and also um Barbados and Trinidad. But no, Jamaica always wins.  All: Laughter  David: Yeah, when they go to the family line, I try go to them, it's like, okay, this is getting confusing. Oh, just got confusing and messed up. But you know, everything starts somewhere, right? So now you're well educated.  Sierra / Adam: Now I know.  David: Yeah, the Jamaican culture is nice. Yeah, music is nice, food is nice. People are nice and friendly, just don't get in the bad side, because they hold grudges. Sierra: Yeah? David: Oh yeah, and never call a Jamaican a Barbadian or Trinidad. They hate that. Sierra: Really? David: Oh god, yeah  Sierra: I never understood that, because it's still like part of the same, like, Caribbean. David: Nooo  Sierra: No? David: No, don't tell them that. No, Jamaica, no. Don't tell them they're a  part of Barbados. No, they’ll shoot you, man All: Laughter  David: It's been a war from them. And also Cuba. Cuba is, yeah, Cuba was way back when I used to be there, when Fidel Castro used to run Cuba, because his son actually came to Jamaica to go school. I went to school with his son. Yeah, don't know why, but anyways, we always see a big black limousine pull up to school. Little kid comes out of it, and we go “ yeah, that's Castro's son”... Ok! All: Laughter  David: Different society, yeah, no. Jamaican Barbados and Trinidad is always an ongoing thing to see who's the best. It's all about reggae music. Sierra: Mhmm, but we have all the best ones. David: Exactly. That's how the rivalry goes on. All: Laughter  Adam: Well, that's all thanks so much for taking the time. This has been very informative, and we appreciate you taking the time to do this. David:  This has been fun. This was cool! Sierra / Adam: I'm glad you enjoyed it, I had fun too. David:  Yeah, get me to the next one. I'll be there! All: Laughter Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 20:04 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 David King Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview explores the life story of David King, beginning with his childhood in Black River, Jamaica, and continuing through his immigration to Ottawa, Ontario, in 1976. The interview highlights key themes, including migration, identity formation, intergenerational knowledge, and cultural preservation. David's interview is punctuated by his keen sense of humour, kind disposition and detailed description of his childhood in Jamaica and the life he has built in Canada. </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">David began his story by sharing details of his childhood in Jamaica, where he was raised by his grandmother, whom he believed was his mother until he was seven years old. He grew up in a small home with his Grandmother and fifteen of his cousins. During this time, his family struggled with food insecurity. They lived far from any stores, so his grandmother walked ten miles on Saturdays to shop for groceries and bring them home. Although there were many struggles, David looks back at this time fondly. He shared one story with a smile, stating, </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“Yeah, there was two beds in the house. 15 kids, and you sleep head to foot. So whoever get to the bed first, grab the corner. And if you're the edge, you get knocked off. **Laughs** Oh yeah, there were just two beds, and all the kids, they would sleep head to foot. My grandmother slept on the sofa. But I never see her sleep because she'll be up. We go to bed, wake up and she's still up. Oh yeah. It was great, because we thought we just live together, brothers and sisters. We had no idea.” (David King). </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Throughout David’s life, family has been an interesting, ever-changing reality. He was five years old when he was first introduced to his biological siblings, and continued to meet other siblings as he got older. Most shocking was his introduction to his biological mother when he was seven years old, who would return to take him to Canada when he was ten. David explained that even his last name, “King,” was not a direct link to family. It was a false name given to his mother when he was born by his birth father to avoid legal responsibility. </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">When David was ten, his mother moved him far from his home to live with her and his siblings in Canada. He describes the event as being deeply traumatic, punctuated by his feeling of uncertainty and displacement. He described arriving in Canada in winter with nothing more than a backpack, the shoes on his feet and the clothing he wore. As he got to know the Canadian society, he found it strange and unfamiliar. He provided an example of this through a story of his first few weeks of school in Canada. </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“I start in grade five, but I had to go back one grade because I was trying to keep up with the language. I speak Jamaican, they couldn't understand a word I was saying, so they moved me back one, which is fine. (…) But it was scary because my first teacher I met, she came in. And she was dressed in a green dress and a green scarf. And back home, we don't wear makeup, right? This lady had this big green thing above her eyes. (…). And she came to give me a hug and I went ‘whoa.’  I still remember, it scared the hell out of me because I've never seen a person with makeup on. But yeah.” (David King). </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Today, David has been living in Canada for around fifty years. He’s married and has a family of his own. But he still finds himself reflecting on his move to Canada in 1976 with grief. Regardless of his tumultuous transition from Jamaica to Canada, David maintains a strong connection to his family and culture. He states that it is vital to pass his culture down to the next generation of Canadian-born Jamaicans. He does so through introducing them to Jamaican foods such as oxtail and rice and peas, celebrating Jamaican Independence Day, teaching them dominoes, and listening to reggae music. In his closing statement of the interview, David reiterates the importance of passing down culture to the next generations, stating, </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“the people should know, you should try to keep your culture of your country going and pass it on to your family members and kids. Because a lot of them have never been to Jamaica. I mean, I've been here for over 50 some years, and i’ve only been back like twice since I've been here and traveled. So it'd be good to pass on heritage, pass on the culture, teach them how to cook and the music and just read up on it. I'd like to go back to Jamaica, but I have to plan that. But yeah, it's been a long time.”</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">David’s story provides insight into the lived experiences of Caribbean immigrants and demonstrates how cultural traditions are maintained over time through community, food, music, and family practices.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1st, 2026 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3, 19.3 mb Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/29f028306ccc2966acca98cb30e98f17.mp3 1e9ca03e7e47e54689e20fcb5bde4bc9 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Abby Covert, Isabella Eccleston & Ryo Koike Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Lance Monice Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Abby 00:00:00: - Okay, so hello everyone and welcome to our interview.  Abby 00:00:03:- My name's Abby and I'm here with my colleagues Ryo and Isabella, and we're here today to conduct an interview to understand the experiences of Latin American communities in Ottawa.  Abby 00:00:14: - Allow me to introduce our interviewee, Lance. Welcome, Lance, and thank you for being here today.  Lance 00:00:20: - Hello, hello. How are you guys doing?  Abby 00:00:22: - Good, good.  Abby 00:00:22: - So the first question we have for you today is, what is your country of origin?  Lance 00:00:27: - So my country of origin, I was born and raised in Haiti.  Abby 00:00:31: - Okay, And what brought you to Ottawa?  Lance 00:00:33: - So what brought me in Ottawa in 2011. Lance 00:00:36: - There was an earthquake that happened around January, February.  Lance 00:00:40: - And after that event happened, my family decided to move here, to immigrate here because the status and the economical state of the country started going down.  Lance 00:00:54: - And my dad used to be a judge back in Haiti. So he had a lot of ties to the political system back here. So he decided to take us and move to Canada from that.  Isabella 00:01:08: - That's cool.  Abby 00:01:09: - Very interesting.  Abby 00:01:10: - So I guess, yeah, do you have any family here and do you see them frequently? Lance 00:01:15: - So I have my mom, my dad, and recently my grandmother came a couple years ago. And I also live with my older sister.  Abby 00:01:23: - Okay.  Abby 00:01:24: - That's cool.  Abby 00:01:25: - And the next question we just have for you is what celebrations are most important to you?  Lance 00:01:30: - In my community, there's a prevalence of celebrations that we do. Mostly we celebrate Christmas.  Lance 00:01:38: - We also celebrate Gide. So that's a voodoo type of celebration. It happens around Halloween.  Lance 00:01:49: - And also one of the favorite ones is 1st of January, which is the independence of Haiti that we like to celebrate too.  Abby 00:01:58: - Very cool.  Ryo 00:02:00: - Okay, move on to the next question. Can you describe a typical day in your community?  Lance 00:02:08: - In my community, of course, as soon as we wake up, it's very, very loud. So how can I say it?  Lance 00:02:14: - We wake up, we usually get some coffee with some bread, like a typical breakfast.  Lance 00:02:20: - But usually in my community, the breakfast is pretty heavy. So we start off always either with some rice or with some type of carbs or pasta. And then of course, accompanied with some juice with there.  Lance 00:02:36: - Moving on to the later date, because it's so hot over there, we usually always stay hydrated, go to the beach.  Lance 00:02:43: - If we have to go to school, we go to school.  Lance 00:02:46: - And then because it's a tropical country, the sun stays up all day.  Lance 00:02:51: - So after school, we either play some soccer or go back to the beach. And then from then, we call it a day.  Ryo 00:02:59: - Nice.  Ryo 00:02:59: - And how do you celebrate your heritage?  Lance 00:03:02: - Like I said, the biggest part of our heritage in Haiti is we were the first independent black country. So that was in 1804.  Lance 00:03:12: - So every January 1st, we eat something named soup jumu, which was the significance of it is the French used to eat it every single day, but didn't allow the slaves to eat it.  Lance 00:03:28: - So as soon as we got our independence, it was a sign that we are allowed to eat the soup jumu too. So every 1st of January, we decide to eat the soup jumu, it still gives that significance.  Ryo 00:03:41: - And what are some values that you hold most here as a member of the Latin or Caribbean community?  Lance 00:03:49:  - So the biggest value we hold is family and also helping one another. As soon as we know either you're Caribbean or you're Latin or you have descendants from the Caribbeans, it's mainly helping each other out either with life situations or support from them.  Ryo 00:04:12: - And what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know?  Lance 00:04:20: - What I would like to share about my community is we're a community that's very strong and sometimes we're very wrongly represented in the media of today. But I just want to let everyone know that whatever is happening in the media is not really what's happening in the country itself. So that's what I would like to say today.  Isabella 00:04:44: - All right. The next question I have for you is what foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your meals?  Lance 00:04:56: - Perfect. So I'm a big foodie.  Lance 00:04:59: - So the food that I like the most is griot. So griot is basically fried pork.  Lance 00:05:07: - So basically how we prepare it, by a pork, you kill it from then and then you skin it. You only, you cut up the meat. Of course, you wash the meat. And then from then you cook it. And then from then you fry it from then.  Lance 00:05:24: - And you can always eat it with some plantains. So it's basically bananas, but not the regular bananas, but like the green ones. From then you cut it, and then you boil it, and then from then you crush it, and then you fry it from then.  Lance 00:05:40: - So it's basically deep fried.  Lance 00:05:41: - And we usually get it from the African store because that's where most of the imports come from, either African countries or Caribbean countries, and then it's easier to prepare from then.  Isabella 00:05:54: - How likely would you and your family be, sorry, how likely would you be to use the website that we're creating to upload your stories and how would you use it?  Lance 00:06:06: - Very likely because it shows exposure and it brings exposure to our country and what's really happening from a perspective from someone that is, that lived through the country and not from a third party perspective, which really shows what's going on and what happened instead of just media attention from them.  Ryo 00:06:29: - Cool.  Isabella 00:06:32: - And then last question, do you have any other comments, other things to talk about?  Lance 00:06:36: - From Haiti?  Isabella 00:06:37: - Yeah.  Lance 00:06:38: - For sure. I would just like to say that even though the political situation that's happening, I do wish one day that it gets better and so that the reputation that we do have gets better along the years from then. Yeah.  Ryo 00:06:59: - Okay, thank you so much, Lance. Thank you for your time and answering all the questions.  Abby 00:07:03: - Thank you.  Lance 00:07:04: - Perfect. Thank you.  Lance 00:07:05: - Thank you for having me, guys.  Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 7 mins & 10 secs 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 Lance Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Lance, a Haitian man in his early 20s, who immigrated to Canada with his mother, father, and older sister in 2011. He and his family came to Canada due to a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, which occurred in 2010, and caused the Haitian economy to crash due to the high death toll and extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure (Pallardy 2026). He explained that his father was a judge in Haiti and already had professional connections to Canada, which is why they chose to come here. During our interview, he recounted what a day in his life was like when he lived in Haiti, sharing anecdotes about the heat, the loud bustling noises around him, the intense heat in the afternoons and playing soccer. Now living in Canada, Lance’s life is different. However, he has found ways to celebrate his Haitian heritage, such as by observing all the major holidays from back home. He provided examples of a few of his favourites, such as Christmas, January 1st/Haitian independence day, and a holiday in Canada usually celebrated around Halloween called Gide. He also works hard to cook traditional food such as a fried pork dish called <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/dining/haitian-griot-is-a-postcard-from-the-caribbean.html">griot</a>. Overall, he wishes that Canadians could see Haiti for what it is, rather than believe all they see in the media about Haiti and its people. It is important to him that Canadians see past the politics of Haiti and see the people of the country for who they are.</div> </div> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/2010-Haiti-earthquake">Resource on the 2010 Haiti earthquake</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026-02-24 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 7 mins, 10s Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/4a431214ca6192c9d53c3fd7dd54b342.mp3 796524cb32ad9e8798650fc367f1a353 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Haoming Xiao, Thomas Armstrong, Souleymane Camara. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Hakim Marquez. Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Thomas Armstrong: Welcome everyone. Today we are joined by Hakim Marquez. Hakim is an educational development and digital learning specialist from the University of Ottawa, and we are very happy to have him participate in our interview today. So thank you very much for joining us today Hakim. Haoming Xiao: Alright, so thank you for having the time to talk with us today. So, could you tell me about where you were born, and where your family is originally from? Hakim Marquez: Okay, I was born in, actually, I was born in France. My mother is from France, and my father was Venezuelan. So they met in France, and when I was 3 years old, they went back to Venezuela, my father and my mother. And I lived in Venezuela all my life before coming here. Like, I was when I migrated here, I was 51 was when I came here, so I lived all my life in Venezuela. Haoming Xiao: Yeah, alright, yeah, that's very nice. Yeah, so, what led you to come to Ottawa, and what was that move like for you? Hakim Marquez: It was because I found this job working at the university. When I came here, when I came to Canada, I first lived with my sister back in Oakville. That's near Toronto. I don't know if you know the city. She actually bought a big, she was living in a house and she bought a bigger one with a walk-in basement for us to live with her while we were establishing ourselves. And during that first 3 years, I was working in whatever kind of jobs that I found at the moment. It was particularly jobs that required to be bilingual. Those are the easy ones. And the easy ones to find, I mean. It's more when you're coming to the country, if you are bilingual, you kind of have more chances to find a job, so I was working in that kind of jobs, but I was looking for something that was more close to what I was doing in Venezuela. I was a professor there in a university that my university was for teachers, they gave only teaching training for teachers. And I was looking for something at least related with education. I was always looking for like professor kind of jobs, and those are very difficult to find. And at some point, I thought, okay, let me try with because my other specialty was technology, and I said to myself, let me try combining the two things, like education and technology, and I immediately found like 3 different jobs in 3 different cities in Canada. And the best offer was this one, was Ottawa, and it was hard, because it was nice to live close by my sister. And here we knew no one, we didn't even know Ottawa, never been here before. And the change was it was a big change. We love Ottawa as a city. But it was colder, so we were, like, kind of, it was a whole process of getting used to the cold. When I was living with my sister, and then we came here, it was cold that we had to buy new things, new boots, new jackets, new sweaters to live here. But besides that, it was a nice change. We loved the city, we love the. My daughter was still little when we came. She was 7, so it's a city that is good for family to have family, and there's a lot of nature, there's a lot of, I love, like, kind of cultural things, I love to go to concerts and things, even those things which you have it close by, so it was a nice change. Haoming Xiao: Alright, yeah, so you kind of answered our third question. So on to the next one. Do you spend time in any Latin American or Caribbean communities in Ottawa, for example, like places where you could speak Spanish or Portuguese, and celebrate your holidays? Hakim Marquez: No, not actually, we don't. We don't. At the beginning, we didn't. The first year, we didn't even know no person that spoke Spanish at the beginning. And then after our first year, somebody from my daughter's school was from Latin America, and we started having a friendship. And we started, like, hanging out all the time together. But we don't go, like, to places where we can celebrate things, like go to events or things like that, we don't. Actually, I'm lying. My wife, but that started, like, the third year here. My wife started working for the Spanish embassy, Spain, the Embassy of Spain. And that's kind of our contact with the language. Because she works all the time there, and she has a lot of events that happen related with her work. And sometimes we meet people from the embassy, and so that's kind of what we do, but that's pretty recent, like, that started in our third year here. Haoming Xiao: All right, so, what celebrations or holidays are the most important for you? Hakim Marquez: In my country, maybe the most important one is Christmas. It is a big, big one. And also, New Year's. But our celebration is the day before. It's not, it's Christmas, in this case, it will be Christmas Eve, or New Year's Eve. The day before is a big celebration, and we try to start. You start at 7, and you try to get the party going after midnight. And for Christmas Eve, we cook, we, I don't know, we dance, we drink, we do a lot of things together, and we wait for midnight for the kids to open the gifts. We don't wait for the next year for the next day. We do that at midnight, and then we continue with the party. The kids start using their toys if they have anything to share, or to, they start playing with those, and the adults keep on the party. And with New Year's Eve, it's the same thing. We go, we start having, like, dinner together, we wait until midnight, celebrate the new year, and then we continue with the party. Sometimes it depends on the families. Sometimes you wait for New Year's, you wait until midnight, and then you go out with your friends. That depends on the families, but those are the two big, big, big celebrations. I don't think there is another holiday that is as important as those two. Haoming Xiao: Alright, so, what does a typical day look like for you here in Ottawa? Either in your own life or in your community? Hakim Marquez: Typical day is we start very early in the morning, we get up at 5:30, because we have to, in my case, I have to walk the dog. Very early in the morning, and my wife starts preparing breakfast and preparing the, we take our lunch, my wife, my daughter, and me, we take our lunch from home. We have this, for us, lunch is the most important meal in the day. We don't eat that much for dinner. The big one is lunch, so we take it from, we cook, like, sometimes on weekends, especially on weekends, we cook for all the week. And if we don't have all the meals, we, sometimes Monday or Tuesday, we finish the job. So, my wife stays at home while I'm walking the dog, she stays, like, warming my daughter's food, and putting hours, because we have microwaves, so we don't need to warm it. And then we have breakfast together, and we come. She goes to the embassy, I come here. I work all day long, I stop at noon to exercise, sometimes I go to the twice a week, I go to the pool. And then I finish my day, I take the train back home. Because my wife goes out to the office earlier than me, so I have to take the train back. The days I don't swim, I go to the gym close to home. When I get back, I walk my dog again. And then we have dinner, family, we are together for dinner. We try to stay together for dinner to, like, talk a little bit and see how the day went. And then we go to bed, like, early, because we get up early. And for weekends, I already told you part of it. We need to work for the meals, but we try always to visit Ottawa, or towns close to Ottawa, or maybe things we notice that, for example, this week, we noticed something in the papers, they were talking about some caves nearby, like, two hours using the car, and we try to do those kind of things when we know, oh, this is something, there is something nice to visit, we go and do that, or if we have the opportunity, we see our friends, or we repair things at home, my wife and I would love to do manual jobs at home. We like the handy jobs and we like that you save a lot of money doing those. So, if we have something to do, we do that on weekends. And that's mostly it. Souleymane Camara: Okay, perfect. So, how do you stay connected to and celebrate your heritage while living in Ottawa? Hakim Marquez: I think the main, main way we stay connected is we are very close to people we still have back home, like friends and family, and we connect with them on a regular basis using social media. We call each other. We're using WhatsApp or we send messages and we try to see what is happening. And for celebrations, we try, we do, especially we're very foodie people. We love food and we try to prepare dishes that are typical of our country. And we try to do that in normal days, but also for celebrations. And we try to share that with our friends. And maybe the main, main moment where we try to reproduce everything that we do that we did back home is on Christmas Eve and as I was telling you, those are the important festivities. So we have dishes and rituals that we try to reproduce, and sometimes it's not easy, but we try to do those on those celebrations. And we try to, I don't know, we keep track of what is happening with the news in the country. We read books about our country if we have the opportunity and, yeah, my wife, I don't have family back in Venezuela, but my wife has her mother, her sister. Everyone is there. So we talk with them like every day and we are always asking them what is happening. And we are in close contact with what is happening right now there. And we try to establish some connection between them and our daughter because she grew up here and we tried to interest her on what is happening there and talking to her about the country and the good things and also the bad things of what she has there. Sometimes we insist a lot on the good things because, due to the situation, sometimes she's scared. And when we tell her, "okay, next year we're going to visit the family," she's like a little bit scared, like, is that safe? So we try to, yeah, okay. There are risks, there are dangers, but you are going to enjoy this, enjoy that. Souleymane Camara: Yes, you did. Thank you. And as someone who's connected to Latin America or Caribbean community, which values or ways of life feel most important to you? Hakim Marquez: I think one of the values that I cherish more is a certain happy way of seeing life, you know, we try to concentrate on the good side of life. And we are very in that sense, we sing a lot, we dance a lot, and we try to have that every day. Like I didn't mention that before, but we hear Latin American and Korean music all the time, every day. And if we have the opportunity, my wife and I dance, and now it's not that difficult because you have in the gym, you have classes where you can dance, but if not, we do it at home and we are always singing, always. So this side of our culture that is very in contact with, I don't know about you guys, but for me, music is happiness, and I have this contact with music that puts me, it can be snowing, minus 30 degrees, and I am walking outside and I'm hearing some salsa and I'm singing. Sometimes I find myself, this is so weird, singing while the snow is falling, minus 30. And I imagine if people watch me, like singing and maybe I do a little step on the street, people must say, "this he lost it because it's snowing. There is no reason to be happy right now." But we have this, I think we have this part of a culture, like it's a way to not avoid sadness, but to be able to enjoy every little thing in your day, even when sad things are happening. It's not that you avoid thinking on that. Sometimes, even when you are thinking about that, you say, okay, no, I'm going to dance it or I'm going to sing it because I'm going to feel a little better if I do that. So I think that's the part I cherish more. Souleymane Camara: Perfect, and is there anything about your community or you that you wish people in Ottawa had a better understanding or appreciated more? Hakim Marquez: No, that's a good question. I haven't, I don't think I have this sensation that our culture is not appreciated by Ottawa, by our community. I think I have this feeling that we are, that Latin American culture is an important part of Canadian and Ottawa culture. People appreciate Latin American culture: food, music, even the language. I have met a lot of people learning Spanish because they love the language and want to go to Latin America. And so I don't have that regret, like something, "oh, I would love for people to see this," or, I think people here in Ottawa show interest in our culture and try to enjoy things about our culture. Souleymane Camara: Perfect, and are there any particular foods or dishes that remind you of home? If so, where do you usually go in Ottawa to find the ingredients or a restaurant to eat these dishes? Hakim Marquez: We love to cook, so we don't go that much to restaurants because to have meals as good as we cook ourselves, you have to pay a lot. So we don't do that that much. And we are lucky that we find a lot of our most important ingredients easily here. For example, our main dish, like the most important thing we eat, is arepas. I don't know if you know arepas. They are kind of a round bread, but it's made with corn flour. They are round and you can cut it in the middle and do kind of a sandwich with whatever you want. The most basic one is cheese, and then you can go from there and do whatever you want: put meat, put, if you are, for example, gluten-free or vegetarian, you have a perfect arepa because you can put pasta or gluten-free and beans inside, and you find, we combine arepas with everything, so you have a lot of ingredients you can use. The basic one I was telling you is with cheese; we love our arepa with white cheese. And we have a very special white cheese in our country made in very basic conditions. You don't find that here, but this Greek cheese, oh, I have a brain fart, we have here everywhere this Greek cheese that is hard and white that comes in, I don't remember the name right now. Sorry about that. But you find it everywhere, so it's pretty easy to make like our white cheese. And our culture has a lot of common elements with some African countries' culture. So, the fact that the two communities here are big and strong, you find everything like corn flour. Now you find in Walmart, for example, plantain, sweet plantains already cooked, a very important part of our meals. Some things you don't find, we love this fruit called papaya. I don't know if you know it. And it's not that easy to find. It's especially a summer fruit. Back in the country, you find it all year long. Here, it's more of a summer fruit. But those are a few exceptions of food that you cannot find here. I don't remember the original question, but I hope I answered it. Souleymane Camara: I see. Yeah, perfect. Thank you so much. So we're creating a project website to share community stories, and we would like to know how you or your family would use a site like that. What would make it most useful or accessible for you, for example, the language or the content on the site? Or how would it need to be organised? Hakim Marquez: It would be wonderful if you had the possibility of changing the language, but it's always nice to have your native language in the app and site. And if you can make it so we can see it on our phones nowadays, which is what we use the most, that would be wonderful too. And if you can share, like you were talking about, places where you can go and be more in contact with the community, if you can include that kind of thing, that's wonderful because that always helps. That is the way you'll say, okay, oh, let me try this, and let's see what happens. That will be very nice. Souleymane Camara: So, last question, is there anything else you'd like to add, an experience, concerns or suggestions that we haven't talked about in this interview? Hakim Marquez: No, not that I think of. I think your interview was very nice, very thoughtful. Souleymane Camara: Perfect. Well, that was our last question. Thank you for your time. Hakim Marquez: No problem, it was a pleasure, guys. Souleymane Camara: We appreciate you taking the time to do this interview with us. Hakim Marquez: It was a pleasure. I hope you have a good mark on your work, and that you have good results in all your courses with Laurie. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 28:00 min. 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 Hakim Marquez. Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Hakim, a Venezuelan migrant living in Canada. Hakim spent the majority of his life in Venezuela, but Canada was not the first place he had lived abroad. In truth, Hakin was born in France and returned to Venezuela soon after. He later moved to Canada at the age of fifty-one, seeking opportunities in education and technology. Since then, he’s found success working at the University of Ottawa in Teaching Learning Support Services. Initially, Hakim's family had limited access to Latin American culture, let alone Venezuelan culture, and the Spanish language while living in Ottawa. However, they have been able to find a connection through an introduction to another Latin American family at their daughter’s school, and Hakim’s wife has since begun working at the Spanish Embassy. Beyond the social connections they have formed with other Latin Americans in Ottawa, Hakim and his family also prioritize maintaining their culture at home. He notes in the interview that social media has been one avenue that has helped them stay connected to Venezuela. Other ways they celebrate their family heritage are by making traditional foods, like Arepas, and by celebrating major Latin holidays. They listen to Latin music and dance, keeping their cultural heritage alive! </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Thursday, March 12th, 2026, 1:30 pm EST Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 20 MB. Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/724663a1875a83f04e27d757142e218e.mp3 c7b945dbd615de733e737843578b5e8a 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Annalise Carson, Malaika Mwabila Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Miguel Gonzalez Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Annalise:Perfect, we are ready to start the interview. Welcome Miguel to our interview for our anthropology and hispanic and caribbean class. Okay, so we're starting it off pretty simple. Our first question is what is your country of origin because we are addressing like your past of being an immigrant to Canada so they're all deriving around that. Miguel: Yes, well I am originally from Venezuela. From Venezuela and what brought you to Ottawa? Well basically the situation was really difficult in Venezuela so I have to take care of my family and we have to move back to here in Canada and specifically from Ottawa because the options were like in Montreal where I have family members they're going to speak French so in terms of integration for me to be more easier because in Venezuela we learn some English but not French so okay it's like in terms of getting started into the working field as soon as possible it's going to be a short period of time for me if I just polish my English instead of going to start a new language from zero so basically Ottawa was the best city for my family at the time. Annalise: Okay, perfect, so that was pretty much a little bit of our next question. So if you do in fact have family here, do you see them frequently? So you have family here with you and you have family in Montreal is what I'm gathering. Do you see them pretty frequently? Miguel: Well some of them yes, I visit them a few times a year because of my job I also have to go a lot to Montreal so sometimes I get a couple of days here you know what let's have a coffee I will visit other place but yes I have my wife and my two babies here in Ottawa and also my cousins and my aunt is in Montreal. Annalise: Okay, our next question is do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish in your case not so much Portuguese and celebrate various occasions so like any holidays that attribute to Venezuelan culture? Miguel: Being honest there are not that many Venezuelans I mean I know there are some of them sometimes they coordinate some Venezuelan activities because of the situation that is currently happening over there they meet together and that's it but actually I don't know that many I don't know that many Venezuelans and I would like to know more if there are more of them anytime I speak with someone they say oh I'm from Venezuela oh I have a friend I have a you know the the girlfriend of my friend the boyfriend of my friend say oh introduce them to me because I am interested in getting more involved with more Venezuelan people but there are not that many and also nothing related to Venezuelan culture. And so that would mean but Latin community in general would you say that you have more of a Yes Latin community 100% I mean in Mexican communities there is a festival like the Dia de los Muertos for example the Day of the Dead in November there is also a Latin festival how do they call it in English it's like we call it in Spanish desfile it's a paradise parade sorry no paradise parade so there is a Latin parade in September but where all the communities get involved but obviously Colombia, Mexico are bigger communities than Venezuela. Annalise: And what celebrations are most important to you? Miguel: Okay that's important and this one is because the city where I came from we are very we have our own celebration so for example in November there is a celebration a Catholic celebration and also we commemorate the we commemorate like a Catholic celebration so we have our own celebration in November 18 because that's the city where I came from but as Venezuela basically we don't celebrate that much I mean we have like a Semana Santa which is I don't know how to call it in English is because in Venezuela we talk the whole week but it's like here in Canada it's just Thursday and Friday for the Catholic celebration around May or June how do you call it I don't remember in June in May April or May it's like 40 days oh my god I am so bad with this May or June let me see let me let me just translate the Semana Santa in English because the holy week we call it the holy week is you have it here in Canada it's just two days on Friday but that happens sometimes here but over there in Venezuela we do celebrate the whole week and also we have carnivals we call it carnival carnivals it's like you know Brazilian carnivals in Venezuela are kind of the same but it's just two days it's not that big as in Brazil but we do celebrate that and also Christmas, Christmas is like the best celebration that have as a family and Latinos we love to celebrate Christmas it's a little bit different in Canada how do you call it when you eat like the pavo one well I will Easter you know Eastern time yeah that's that's for us it's a whole week you have like two days okay Easter Friday and Easter Easter Sunday Thursday or something like that well we have the whole week for that and we celebrate that a lot and also Christmas in Christmas we do celebrate a lot okay Annalise: Perfect, okay, so could you describe a typical day in your community so your community potentially here that you have with people or your community back home? Miguel: Okay, okay, well back home I left Venezuela 10 years ago so I would describe a day a typical day in my countries it's like okay you get up and then you took your breakfast go to work then I was able because of my job to get back home for lunch and then going back to work and then finish around five and then I have the rest of the day for myself that was after finishing my university studies and it was pretty much amazing being honest then when you move here you say oh my goodness you have you need to have two jobs sometimes three and there is no time to do anything and but no back home was amazing but here here in Canada I am independent so basically I have my own schedule I have my appointment because I am in the customer service field I am a financial advisor so basically what I do is I just schedule my appointment I don't do like anything related to my culture here it's just you know I am working I am focusing right now on my business so if there is a Latin event I would like to go because I like to show up and I want to people know me what I do oh it's a Latin guy having an office in a finance office in downtown Ottawa that's great I want to be there but I just try to go to those to these events to to have presence in the Latin communities but different than that I do not coordinate anything like that so so basically that's my day-to-day it's like having work have to work a lot of hours for my business Annalise: Perfect, okay, and then our next question is how do you celebrate your heritage? Miguel: Okay, well basically in Venezuela we have a the the independence day is in July it's July 5th yes July 5th Canada is July 1st July 1st Venezuela is July 5th we have that independence day but I don't know why but we are not that patriotic yeah I mean it's like yeah it's a holiday it's just like any it's like any other holiday in Venezuela we have so many holidays so basically every single month there is at least one or two every single month and carnival is like two days then for the Easter Easter week it's like the whole week then we have a July in June basically every single month that it has celebration but we do not do that we in my city specifically I am from Maracaibo people used to call us like we are the Quebecois we are the Quebec guys of you know why Canada and Quebec wants to be independent so we basically thinks about the same in our city so we are more it's like okay our culture here in Maracaibo this is what we do we have our own traditional music for festivities we have our own food we have our own celebration and we do that a lot in November yeah Annalise: Okay, cool, what are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin community or as a member of your Venezuelan community? So values that you would hold dear to your heart? Miguel: Okay, well I will just talk obviously about myself, but basically I like helping a lot of people so before coming to Canada I went to Chile and Chile also I was able to help a lot of Venezuelans that they were coming from Venezuela to Chile and that for me is important they always I don't know why my wife always say oh you always say yes and sometimes I say yes even before thinking oh my god imagine all the things I have to do just to do a favor but well you know it's because my instinct is to help others so basically I would be like I am always trying to look for the best for the people in any areas that I can help with for example when I came here I have two degrees I have a bachelor in accounting and also a diploma in insurance so I was able to get a way into the accounting industry getting hired for a big accounting firm and then when you see there is a lot of people looking for information hey how do you how were you able to make it how how was that possible because for me I don't find any information so basically I was sharing that information with them because if for me was that easy I think everybody should have access to that information as well but sometimes other Latin Latino people who are here they are not that friendly to share that information I don't know why sometimes like if for me it wasn't easy so for you it's not gonna be that easy as well so I don't think that way I think if for me it was easy I want this information to be shared with everyone so everybody every other everybody's life would be easier if I share this so that's the way how I think I think we should be more involved as a community even some people say that we are like we think that we are a great community because we help each other from inside I think we should be doing better because we we are not like like for example Jewish or Arabic communities they are very African communities they help each other a lot we are not like them but hopefully we can get better into that okay cool um what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know well um is that it's an interesting question um well here's to all in sometimes uh you are gonna find you're gonna find people with a lot of knowledge with a lot of a lot of experience but sometimes they don't speak English or they don't speak French so I have to face it by myself I have knowledge I know how to do this stuff but sometimes I am not able to communicate that that doesn't mean I don't have the knowledge so for example you are going to see a lot of people like if you have the patience enough to to listen to to get the way how to understand what they is what they are saying you are going to find a lot of talent that is not being taken advantage by the city because they are they have that barrier the the language barrier is so difficult for them and I can see that with my wife for example my wife has a bachelor in human resources so in HR so basically uh sometimes we say if if you would know how smart I am it's just because I am not able to communicate you know so so people who is raised and born here in Canada is fortunate because they can learn English from scratch and French from scratch or both and that's great but you are going to find a lot of time outside in Latin community there's a lot of professionals willing to do the effort but sometimes the the language barrier is is something that you know for example in my field is accounting that's okay I can handle the numbers I will find a way to get the message across but in the health in the health field for example if you're a doctor if you're a nurse you should be able to communicate very well what what what you are seeing what you know so well if you're like not because you don't speak English or French perfectly that doesn't mean you are not somebody with the knowledge enough to do anything here because you have a lot we have people with a lot of experience in their fields it's just about the language which is okay but that doesn't mean we need to let them on the side because if if we can find a way as a country to take advantage of those people we would be in a you know even better position Annalise: I think that's super relevant, like I've just I've thought about this a lot so I think that's super cool that you bring it up um what foods do you do what foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare these traditional meals? Miguel: Okay, well in Venezuela we have arepas yeah so have you tried arepas before um I don't think I've tried them but I've heard about them so there's that place in Ottawa I haven't gone there yet but everybody said you have to go you should go it's amazing called Gunis it's in downtown Ottawa okay and I don't remember the streets but this is in downtown Ottawa nice place I have heard a lot of good reviews about that place you can go there and try it but so we have arepas and also we have a traditional dish called it pavijón in spanish pavijón I don't know how to translate it's like a regular you don't need to translate so it's like shred beef with rice with a yellow plantain and also a cheese and black beans of black beans it's a strong dish for for the lunch time you're gonna love it and also the arepas it's something like it's like I don't know how to describe it it's not like bread but it's a kind of bread so you can put inside whatever you want it's like amazing you know you want to put tuna you want to put cheese you want to put chicken beef pork whatever eggs whatever you want it's amazing it's a good mix with everything so that's something that we do and also we get it from the Walmart from the grocery store than the Super C, Maxi all of them sold those those products that to make arepas and it's really really nice and great to have the chance because when I get when I get out of Venezuela in 2015 I went to Chile first and they were there were not that many places I remember my my dad coming to visit me in Chile and I have to ask them hey bring me some condiments you know some spices because there is nothing so basically I'm eating food from here like Venezuelan style but the taste is not the same because the spices are way way different so so yes here at least here in Canada all the groceries store has a section for latin food or something like that yeah for latin food Annalise: Do you feel like it got better over the years the amount of um like produce that you guys have in the grocery stores? Miguel: Yeah, anytime it's it's it's more it's a piece of oh now they are bringing this product now they are bringing this product now they are bringing this product it's amazing amazing I am just missing the cheese the cheese a traditional cheese at home so this is because of the weather is the weather here in Canada doesn't help to rest the cheese appropriately so we have an amazing cheese back home but it's about the weather Annalise: Okay and uh wait, this is our 11th question, so um pretty much our interview is going to be shared on our website that's produced by our professor so it's been like accumulating interviews over the past years so the question. Is how likely would you and your family be uh how likely would you and your family be to use the website uh that we are creating for uploading your stories and how would you use it um we would like to better serve the community so any suggestions from you about access as well as what should be posted would be greatly appreciated so right now our interview our website I don't know if you've ever gotten a chance or if the link was shared with you by my professor but it's pretty much just you open a blank page and then you select a in a file and then you have all of these different interviews um from different immigrants from different parts of the latin and caribbean parts of the world. So, um, the question pretty much remains as what what could we do to make it better? Miguel: Yes, um, well, first of all we have to share it with as many people as possible so if you can find people even the the same interviewers interview for example if you share the link with me I can share the link in the group in the facebook group for example in my social media hey guys you know what this is a link where these people are interviewing a latin latin entrepreneur or latin professional or whatever so so they can take a look and because being honest I didn't know the website that website existed so would be interesting and also because talking about exactly the same what I mentioned before if I if I see if I can see an interview with someone who has my profile and I can hear he say here his or her experience to all so there is a way to do probably in a short period of time what I want to do so I will contact him or her to get the information to see how he he or her or she is doing it so basically if we can spread the word is is we are going to have we are going to reach more people and more talented people are going to have access to it so that means okay so look at this there are other ways to do the things that you are trying to accomplish but probably that will save you time and money sometimes depending on what you want to achieve you know I think if we can spread that would be would be great Annalise: Perfect, well I'll send it to you by email after this so that you'll have access to your interview eventually once it comes out and to any other interviews that are available on the website and then our last question is do you have any comments or concerns about our whole process? Miguel: No, not really. No worries at all. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 21:45 minutes 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 Miguel Gonzalez Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Miguel Gonzalez, who immigrated from Venezuela to Canada to escape what he describes as a “difficult situation” unfolding there. Miguel had family in Ottawa and Montreal prior to moving to Canada, and selected Ottawa as his home base because of his family's prior experince with English, which he believed would allow them to better integrate into the community. Family is central to Miguel’s identity and experince in Canada. He has many family members who immigrated to Montreal, and he sees them frequently. As a husband and father of two, he is motivated to provide stability and opportunity for his children. He believes success is measured not only by professional achievements but also by the ability to support loved ones and remain grounded in one’s values. Maintaining strong relationships is important to him, whether within his household or his broader social circle.  Miguel has a passion for helping others with mobility and supporting them. He finds it deeply important to have mutual support and information-sharing, particularly within immigrant and Latin communities. He believes collaboration and empathy are essential for overcoming challenges, especially in unfamiliar systems. Having seen how easily people’s skills can be overlooked, he strongly believes in recognizing the knowledge and experience individuals bring. Overall, Miguel is guided by respect, hard work, and a strong sense of responsibility toward others. These beliefs carry over into how he celebrates and shares his Venezuelan culture, as he prioritizes seeing his loved ones share knowledge and supporting the broader Latin American community. </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026-03-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 21:45 minutes Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/5010b31d1eef9b330ad7d0cdd41196a6.mp3 9a5af71c6e7410e99b540079c5f958bc 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Deema Adi, Phoenix Bruneau and Dahlia Verrelli Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Ángel Albarrán-Ponce Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Interviewer (00:00 – 00:02): So, what is your country of origin?   Ángel (00:02 – 00:04): I'm from Mexico, from Mexico City.  Interviewer (00:04-00:06): And what brought you to Canada?   Ángel (00:06 – 02:00): I was like 14 or 15, one of my cousins, he's an opera singer, he got a scholarship to go study singing in Germany. And for some reason, I remember back then, it was way harder to communicate, ah like 20 years ago. So, we could only talk to him once a week over video call. And it seemed like it was a very hard struggle for him being away from his family and all that. He didn't speak a word of German. So, he had to learn German there. And for some reason that seemed very compelling to me. I thought like, I wanna put myself to that same standard and prove myself that I can do it. That I can just move to a different country and be successful just like he is. So, on one side I was following him. Um, I studied sciences. So, I  in Mexico, we don't really have majors in minors, but my major would be biology. And then I did a Masters in experimental biology and then a lot of people offered me PhDs then, in Mexico. But I honestly know that or knew back then that doing a PhD is really hard. And I thought, I'm only gonna do this if it's in a different country. I'm not going to put myself through all of that stress if I'm staying here. So that's the second reason, and the third reason is specifically Canada because up to this point is just wherever in the world, right? I just want to go somewhere else. Um, but coming to Canada was because back then I was dating like a girl, and she was also one of the reasons why I wanted to do all of these things. Cause for me, she's always been excellent at everything, and she's reached every one of her goals and one of her goals was to study abroad as well. She got accepted in McGill for her PhD in 2017 and, um, it happened. I just thought, yeah, I want to do this thing and I want to be closer to her. And so, I only applied to McGill, and here and I got accepted here. And so that's why I ended up staying in Ottawa.  Interviewer(02:00 – 02:05):Do you have family here and do you see them frequently?   Ángel (02:05 – 02:24): I have no one here. I moved here by myself. Um, I see my family at least once a year, um, usually when I go back for winter holidays, but every now and then I go back for the summer and sometimes there are some other important events or like tragic circumstances and I will go back for a weekend or something like that.  Interviewer (02:24 - 02:26): Has your family visited you here?   Ángel(02:26–03:12):No. Um, the something maybe you're going to ask me about later, but like one of the cultural differences, the most striking ones for me was how easy for people is to travel here. So just see it like, yeah like 21, 22, just like, yeah, it's gone go to Europe for like three months. And I'm like, I never in my life, if I wanted to do that, I would have to belong to a very high class in Mexico or yeah, it’s just like something I never learned to do because money is such a constraint. And so, for my parents, they are not struggling, but they would want to come here with my siblings and just like familiar for coming here for like or three weeks. It’s an expense, so it's a bit prohibited, but they are planning on coming here for my dissertation so hopefully, yeah.  Interviewer (03:12 – 03:18) So, um, do you live in a Latin community here. Do you have like a, like a place you can practice here?  Ángel(03:18 –05:01): Bit of a sore spot cause ever since I moved here, um, I'm just going to revert back to following people that I love. Um, my ex-girlfriend, she had a very strong community with her, and some of those people were Latin American. And so ever, like the moment I stepped, like a foot in here, I thought I wanted for myself and I'm gonna have a bunch of maybe not Mexican friends but Latin American friends. But for some reason, it's been really hard for me. Um, I feel like I'm also older than most of the people that I hang out with. So sometimes I feel like that age difference made it a bit complicated. Also, a lot of the people that I ended up meeting here from Mexico were here and had circumstances different to mine. So, I was here in a somewhat privileged position where I have a permit, I have enough money to just do certain things, and my education level is different and sometimes those things will also become a barrier. Um the last thing is some of the people that I met here that have Latin American backgrounds because they also have this Canadian background, the energy matching is not fully there. So, I actually found a really nice community in dance. Um. I think that, again, it's just because it was here at the university’s Salsa Club, but again, because of the age difference, I feel like, uh, those connections weren't as strong. Um. Right now I only have the one friend that is Jillian and that I think that I have a very strong connection with, but he is just not available pretty much. And like so I feel like I still need to find that a way to find, yeah, my community here.   Interviewer(05:01 – 05:02): So, you found it hard?  Ángel (05:02 – 05:03): Yes.  Interviewer(05:03 – 05:10): But you did talk about like the salsa club at the university, tell us about that experience.   Ángel (05:10 – 07:34): So what like, just cause moving here was hard, not only becausse with my family, and culture shock, um I was pretty good at English I had to in order to study a Phd, but I still had some language barriers every now and then expression, or realise I didn't conjugate properly. Um. I moved here at the beginning of 2020, so right before the pandemic. And so, I would have been studying here for three months and then the pandemic hit, and you couldn't go see anyone or hang out with anyone. Um, I couldn’t go see my girlfriend at the time because at some point they even closed the borders between Quebec and Ontario. Um, so that was really hard, and I was very depressed, and then when I found the club, it was very stressful at first because I, being from Mexico, means that I have some rhythm and I can kind of dance but the way people dance here was a completely different level, something that I've never done, that I've never learned. And it was really hard for me. So, I was feeling also very, maybe it sounds silly but vulnerable because I was surrounded with these people that were way better dancers than I was. And I felt like that was one of my things like that I, how come I am so sucky at this thing that I should be better at? Um, and then as I got better, I, again, like I found people that I really looked up to. Uh, the leader of the club at that moment. She’s a fantastic person and I just think she's just like an innate leader and whatever she, like her personality was influencing me in a positive way, in such a strong way that I just wanted to be like her. I just wanted to be the person that lightened up the room and that made everyone feel welcome and safe, and I don't know. And I found a really nice community in there. But there were some issues, that again Its just because that I think that most of the people that were part of the club were way younger and [they] just approach issues in a different way that I would, and in the end I just ended up having issues with people that I thought were close friend of mine, and I just never heard back from them after that and I we just came apart in kind of an ugly way. And even though I'm part of a different club and what not it's kind of stupid because now these people are all there but the energy is different I don't feel the need to connect or anything it's like pretty much everyone is for themselves and whatever I'm here for dancing bey see you next week. It a lite bit hard to adapt but whatever. But in my experience, yeah.  Interviewer (07:34 – 07:41): When talking about your heritage and things like that, what kind of celebrations are really important to that bring you back to Mexico.  Ángel (07:41 – 10:16) : Particularly independence day which is also something I tell people here, um I guess this is kind of funny Cinco de mayo is not a big deal in Mexico it is a holiday and we don't go to work or school whatever on Cinco de mayo  but it's not the Mexican celebrations and in the states and here were everyone losses it about Cinco de mayo and at first I thought it was so stupid and silly but I've been living here for a while now and now that just one day that people go celebrate Mexican heritage and even though I know it's the stupidest thing that I go celebrate Cinco de mayo I go and celebrate Cinco de mayo  cause that when people want to listen Mexican music and drink tequila and go for tacos and **** like that so like, it's a bit silly to me  but I enjoy it. But aside from that the most important date in Mexico is September 15, which is Independence Day. And it’s really nice here, in Ottawa, the embassy organizes the ceremony. In Mexico we have a ceremony where the president comes out to the biggest square in the city and they recreate the call for arms from a famous priest that pretty much told everyone that we don't wanna live under the Spaniards realm so take off your arms and lets fight for our independence. So, every September 15, the president in term comes our to the balcony and yells out some things, and it’s kind of like long live all of the heroes that gave us our country, and they do that here in Ottawa, and they have music and people dancing and food, so I do that here. I think that the last one that is also important is Dia de loss Muertos.  I think that the last one that is also very important is the Dia de Muertos, which, um, people also thought here. Um, and I thought everyone, or most people understand or not understand. Most people can identify the symbolism of the other Dia de Loss Muertos. But for me, it's particularly important. I grew up in a Catholic, um, household and I'm not religious, but in Mexico, the Dia de loss Muertos are kind of like a pre-Hispanic or indigenous culture and Catholic European culture. And so, it's pretty much a date. I deliberate the people that are gone. And the original idea is that you just set up an offering with food and drinks and whatever, and overnight the souls of the people you love to come visit you and share a meal with you or whatever. Um, and it's weird cause I'm not Catholic. I’m also very, uh, aseptic about life after death. But I will set down one of these offerings with food and what not, and I will set a picture and whatever. And it's kind of ridiculous, but part of me does things like, okay, yeah, like, here's your food, here's your drinks. It’s, it's on, um, so I with those, those three, yeah.  Interviewer (10:16 – 10:23): And what’s interesting about those is, is even they don't necessarily believe in it. It's just the fact that they unite and they just bring you back to, to home.   Ángel (10:23 - 11:32): Yeah, definitely first night when I moved here, I didn't really hear Spanish at first, and it was very sad cause then my ex-girlfriend lives in Montreal, so I would go visit her every two weeks or so, and then everyone would speak. I would hear Spanish all the time and only Spanish, but I will be Mexico City Spanish frequently. And, and when I back here for the rest of the week or whatever, I just knew I would never hear it. And it was a bit sad for me. Um, and so now what I love is like a ragaton so popular now, even though it's not Mexican music in itself, but all of this Latin America culture that people are starting to embrace overall. And it's been, it's been, it's making with things that like I, for example, like ragaton and now I love it and I listen to it all the time. Uh, there are some Mexican music that I thought were so annoying and absurd, but now I just listen to them because I, sometimes I go back home and I go out with my cousins or my friends and whatever and they play music and I have no idea what's in the background. And it makes me feel a bit alienated as well now from my own country that I go back and I'm like, yeah, what's going on? I'm just listening to things that I never listen to in music and it's kind of funny.   Interviewer (11:32 – 11:38): Speaking of heritage celebrations, how do you celebrate your heritage here?  Ángel (11:38 - 14:48): I so um I feel I'm very unapologetic of being hum, Mexican and I feel fortunate enough to be living specifically in this country where I, I'm not afraid of people knowing that I'm from a different country, but also in this age because I've heard from some people, um, my girlfriend's parents heard that they didn't want to teach her French or Italian or whatever, which were the original languages because for them, it was just so important for her, for her to perform in English first and foremost, just because of the experiences they had when they were growing up. Um, so I, I don't, uh, one of the things that happened to me is I had to present that I conference and the conference, my presentation was recorded and for the longest time I thought that I didn't have an accent. I, I, I just, and then out of curiosity, I played back the presentation, and I listened to the first words that I said and I was like, oh my god, my accent is very thick. But I, instead of feeling ashamed or bad about it or trying to correct, I was like, no, you know what? Like cool that way, people that I'm not from here. And I'm always happy to talk about my country. I'm always happy to talk about the beautiful places, not only the beaches and the amazing food and the, um, super moving music are, um, yeah, yeah, it just makes me very proud to be Mexican. And one of the things that I did after I moved here is I got a tattoo from a Mexican, not even a Catholic, but like an indigenous Mexican. And so, I did it so that I would be always reminded of where I'm coming from. Um, but yeah, I like the way I speak, the way I dress, and the things that I just like to do. I, I just love about Mexico and people knowing that I'm from Mexico. Yeah, thank you. Well, now I unfortunately have to work a lot because I have to finish my pH. So that's one thing and then it's taking me so long that now a lot of the scholarships that I originally had have ended. And so, the cost of studying in itself has increased a lot. So, I also need to work part time in order to be able to cover those costs. But whenever I hang out with people because as I said, I don't really have a strong Latin community to go to here. So, my community is just made up of friends that are, yeah, like first of all but also have different backgrounds. And so sometimes we, um, I don't know, I have a friend that is from that has Salvadorian heritage. So sometimes we go and get, um, food from El Salvador. My friend is chilian and then like I, I just whenever we, I just Learned his language, like he's worth speaking Spanish in general. It’s just usually at together for dancing, so that is a big thing and getting something for food before, but I don't really have a specific community or Latin community to go to with whom I can share a lot more things or speaking Spanish completely for the whole day or something like that. So, it’s a very mixed culture approach. And I think that what brings us together is and or like connecting to Latin American heritage is whenever we get anything, yeah.  Interviewer (14:48 – 14:50): What are some values that you really attached to home?   Ángel (14:50 – 14:52): Values that I associate with home.  Interviewer (14:52 – 14:54): Yeah.  Ángel (14:54 – 17:20): Um, I feel like the important that we have as Mexicans that we're just super welcoming and we are, we're just happy things with everyone. We’re just, uh, I remember even before moving we're here, I would have some, uh, foreign friends studying at the university and then they would be just upald, I just met you and I'm like, hey, do you wanna like get dinner with? My mom's gonna make some food and like you just eat. And they would be like, I, I just met you literally. We've been talking for two hours. How do you know that I'm not a weirdo or something like you look cool. If, whenever you want, let's, yeah, let's just like to my, um, so that's one thing sometimes here, I feel it is lacking a bit and it would be nice for people to just be more open and, and welcoming. I feel I'm very open.I feel like I, I just, um, I'm bit of a book sometimes to my detriment. And so if you ask anything about me, most likely I will just tell you with like a background story and we'll just give away information for free. And I feel like a lot of people in Mexico also kind of like that. Um, and I feel like Mexico, we do have a strong sense of community, but, but I see it kind of like in your people that you hang out with and what not and just trying to be nice um to the people around you. And Mexico, it's just like this very strong. We're Mexican, this is what define us. This is, uh, yeah, if I find a person in any other country, you're just happy to know that, oh, you're from Mexico. Damn, like, okay, where are you? Like when you get here, you start building up in a friendship that is just out of the fact that you're just Mexican. Um, and, and, yeah, it's becoming a bit of a more relaxed way of seeing things and living life, trying to not take everything as seriously, um, particularly here, sometimes I just see that they're so stressed all the time, and they're just constantly working and not sleeping at all. And I remember when I was in university, it was hard, and there were days in or some weeks in which I wouldn't, wouldn't sleep, but never I can, that same level of, oh my God, like, if I don't do, my life is gonna crumble into pieces and whatever. I would go out and party, and I would, I would have bien time with my friend, not worry so much about the things that wouldn't go well. And I'm not sure that's a positive or negative because maybe Mexican people could benefit with more serious and stuff. Um, but probably those just, yeah, rather we are ourselves how welcoming we are to everyone outside of our communities and, yeah, how United and, and we are.   Interviewer (17:20 – 17:22): That’s really beautiful.  Ángel(17:22 – 17:24): Thank you.   Interviewer (17:24 – 17:29): Is there anything you would like share about yourself or your community that you think is important for us to know, apart from what you have already said.   Ángel (17:29 – 20:15): Um, here, not really again, I feel very safe in Canada. I feel, I feel like you understand a lot the importance of multiculturality. Um, yeah, like I know people in different countries from here and that is something that you don't really have in Mexico. It’s very, it's very homogeneous things that I've started to notice a bit, um, and this is not related to my community here, but it's, uh, there are an end of tourism whenever I go back. Mexico, some, some things now are starting to make me feel like my country is not my country anymore, um, in a sense that would be walking through some neighborhoods, and they are becoming more North American, and some rules are starting to apply differently there. I was there just in December, and some restaurants have their menus fully in English on display for everyone. And I don't like that. And I've heard from different people that sometimes tourists' kind of like act as places and then they are not used to whatever, um, habits or, or traditions are in. They just try to force the people from those places into accommodating for them or they're like, I never realized until I moved here that Porto Ajeta, I got is such a haven for people that just buy Condos and whatever and then just live there. And there are places near porto Ajeta that I visited and, and the people around the North Americanized communities are so poor... and it's just crazy to see a big ass rise with a ton of condos filled with white people and then you walk for five minutes more and then it's just a village of fisherman that it's just poor, dirt poor. Um. And so that is what I feel it would be very important for people to understand or for people to be more aware of whenever they're visiting Mexico or whenever they're buying property in Mexico, to know that Mexico is not your place to go get rich. Mexico is not your place to go exploit whatever advantages you have there that you don't have here. Because it, it's pretty much, um, it's kind of like modern colonization. It's just you bringing your resources and your power and just forcing people out of where they live and out of, out of their barely scraping by opportunities. And I want to like a condo in the floor where I can just get up and look at the sunrise and buy super cheap food because these people are barely able to pay for it. Um, so that is not entirely to hear, but every time I go back to Mexico and visit, it's more and more apparent how many foreigners there are there and, and how alienating sometimes feels for me. And I'm, I, I can, I speak I speak French and like, I I can, I felt some places in my, kind of, my country, so I cannot imagine how it is for, for Mexicans that do not have the same opportunities that I do. Yeah.  Interviewer (20:15 - 20:26): Okay, um, here we are about what food, talking about more foods um, kind of review actually, like prepare those here. Do you find a place that it doesn't feel that you need?   Ángel (20:26 – 22:03): Um, making food is hard, and I suck at cooking, so I try, I don't suck at cooking. I'm, I think that I'm a decent cook. I, it, I'm just not good at, and in terms of time, it takes me forever. So, something that my mom could make in 30 minutes, it will take me two hours. Uh, so I don't like cooking and because of that, it's harder. But I found some stores that have all the supplies that I would need if I wanted to make stuff funny enough. My girlfriend who is Canadian and her dad is Italian, and her mom is Dutch, she has made more Mexican dishes for me than the Mexican, like the complicated Mexican dishes I've done for myself. Um, but I do have certain things like Mole which is kind of just like a powder you cook someone fast and that I can make a bit more easily. Easiest food to find. Here are tacos and enchiladas. There are some places that have really nice tacos, so some of those very particular, there's a burrito, it's called Maria's Tacos, and they sell this thing called, uh, Longanesa which is kind of like a sausage but you're very Mexican style spices that you can only find in Mexico and here it's just hard to find. Longanesa is just not easy to get at any restaurant and that is a tiny place. It's a hole in the wall and that lady makes the best longanesa. So that is, that is one that I get a bite, and, yeah, like, it brings me, and yeah, like, it's hard to find more complex dishes. And sometimes I'm just scared to try them, cause I, I feel like if all ruined, I'm not gonna enjoy them. And I'm just gonna be complaining about them. So, yeah.  Interviewer (22:03 – 22:12): Okay, for the last question we have here, how likely would you or your family be to use the website we are creating for uploading your stories? And how would you use it if you were to use it?   Ángel (22:12 – 23:25): Um, my family is a bit hard, because I think that only my sister speaks a decent enough level of English to be able to use it. My dad speaks no English, and my mom barely, maybe my brother, but, yeah, it's just I don't think would use it. However, whilst trying to learn French, I've been trying to listen to. There’s this very silly Duolingo podcast that just shares stories from people, obviously from francophones, and those are really interesting to hear. It's cool to know, particularly from, from immigrants and for you to be aware of how you, as an immigrant living in a different country can make a difference, and how, like, the positive impact of things that you're doing have in, in the much larger. Only you're, like, Latin American friends’ words. So, in that regard, I, I would like to hear about other people's experiences of moving here, and, like, their own struggle. Sometimes I feel like it's so important to connect, like, also in the hardships and to know that yeah, this actually was kind of, like, hard for most really complicated for me to get over it. And, um, in spite of whatever to me, I still made it through. So that would be, that would, if it was everyone else.  Interviewer (23:25 – 23:35): That creates just consciousness, like, how people around you do not sharing their stories openly. Everybody’s going through something and coming to a different country, having your past. I think it's, it can be really hard.  Ángel (23:35 – 23:36): Yeah.  Interviewer (23:36 – 23:343): But you've expressed it really well, and we wanna thank you for joining us today, you are a very great speaker, and, yeah, thank you so much.   Ángel (23:43 – 23:46): Thank you Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 23:46 min 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 Ángel Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Ángel Albarrán-Ponce is a 33-year-old PhD student at the University of Ottawa who originally comes from Mexico City, Mexico. His experiences as an international student and member of Ottawa’s Latin American community highlight how immigrants maintain cultural connections while adapting to life in a new country. Ángel moved to Canada primarily for academic reasons and is currently pursuing doctoral studies, balancing a demanding research schedule with efforts to stay socially and culturally engaged. Ángel describes his daily routine as “really busy with work,” reflecting the intensity of graduate studies. Despite this, he prioritizes social connection during his free time. He enjoys attending salsa events in Ottawa, spending time with friends, and sharing meals, activities that allow him to maintain a sense of community while living abroad. These moments of connection are especially important for international students who may be far from family and familiar cultural environments. Maintaining cultural traditions is central to Ángel’s identity. He expressed pride in being Mexican and highlighted important celebrations such as Mexican Independence Day on September 15 and Día de los Muertos. For Ángel, participating in or remembering these traditions helps him stay connected to his cultural roots while living in Canada. During the interview, he described the Mexican community as “welcoming,” “united,” and “chill,” emphasizing a shared sense of openness and hospitality. These qualities help foster connections among individuals who may come from different countries but share similar cultural values and experiences as immigrants. At the same time, Ángel reflected on broader social issues affecting his home country.  He discussed what he called “modern colonization,” explaining that increased tourism and development in certain regions of Mexico have transformed local communities. From his perspective, these changes can leave residents feeling disconnected from their homeland as traditional ways of life are altered to accommodate outside influences. This insight highlights the complex relationship between globalization, tourism, and cultural preservation. Overall, Ángel’s experiences demonstrate how immigrants balance academic responsibilities, cultural identity, and community connections while living abroad. His reflections offer valuable insight into how members of Ottawa’s Mexican community maintain traditions, celebrate their heritage, and navigate the challenges of building a life far from home.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026-03-09 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 - 19.6 MB Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/80eff495d46b00dc59cddd458045598b.jpg b0e7b4e16b8f1ae02a892d12405e8a57 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 Figure 1. Entrance of UNAM-Canada Photo taken by Charlotte Lasnier https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/ac24349f978929e8a5a81c0843ea9694.jpg e8fe77cc644c14622c116c5c8c58eb97 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 Figure 2. Day of the Dead altar commemorating Québec artist Jean Paul Riopelle at Maison du Citoyen Photo taken by Noémie Burrs https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/b5ac2b5752f6a6beb5bbb791861c392e.jpg 2a106b957a5d56894d19b40ef1342c37 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 Figure 3. Library at UNAM-Canada Photo taken by Noémie Burrs https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/8091f7cd5d280090a7839dde308a88a8.mp3 e309a942a97ef154744dc6ec7c08b024 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 Audio recording of our conversation with UNAM-Canada 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 & Caribbean Organizations Subject The topic of the resource collection of organizations designed to support and uplift Latin and Caribbean people in Canada. Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">As the capital of Canada, Ottawa is a city rich in diverse cultures and communities from around the world. Relocating to Canda from the southern hemisphere is a significant shift and challenge. For these immigrants, they face obstacles, including finding people who are culturally similar. Thankfully, there are many aid organizations which connect people with help. In this section of AnthroHarvest, we showcase a few of these groups. They do not just celebrate immigrant cultures, they give them the chance to meet others and learn how to adjust to Canadian life. There are language classes, cultural events, and get-togethers. Each group is different. Some groups focus on keeping languages and traditions alive. Other groups help artists show their work. They provide spaces for people to meet and talk. All of these groups together illustrate the strength of Latin American and Caribbean communities here. In the collections below, you will find more information about them: the Jamaican Ottawa Community Association, the Barbados Ottawa Association, Canada Habla Español, the Humanitarian Organization of Latin American Students, the Latin Hub and the Latin American Soldiers Committee in Canada. Specifically, we hope to emphasize different events, fundraisers, and resources they have, how to contact them and/or join their association, their social media pages, and a short description of the organization itself.</div> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Cover Photo: Day of the Dead altar commemorating Québec artist Jean Paul Riopelle at Maison du Citoyen Photo taken by Noémie Burrs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Taylor Paterson, Soorya Hedayat Omar, Racheal Agofure, Zainab Oyejobi, Amy May Lajeunesse and Roodmya Douge. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Noémie Burrs, Leila Ledenko and Charlotte Lasnier Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Alex Méndez and Brenda Colín Location The location of the interview Gatineau, Québec, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Interviewer 1 (0:00): Hi, my name is Charlotte. Together with my colleagues Noémie and Leila, we conducted an interview with Alex Méndez and Brenda Colín from UNAM-Canada, the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Gatineau. As part of a Latin American and Caribbean anthropology course, our goal was to better understand the services and activities offered by the university as well as to learn more about a Latin American organization in our region. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this interview. Interviewer 2 (0:35): I'm going to ask you guys to introduce yourselves first, and then I'll get into the questions after that. Alex Méndez (Academic Affairs Chief Executive, UNAM-Canada) (0:43): Thank you for being here. My name is Alex Méndez. I'm the Academic Affairs Chief Executive at UNAM-Canada. Brenda Colín (Administrative Lead, UNAM-Canada) (0:49): Hi, hello, I'm Brenda Colín. I'm the administrative in charge at UNAM-Canada. Interviewer 2 (0:58): My first question is: what is the name of your organization and where is it located? Alex Méndez (1:05): The name of the organisation is UNAM-Canada. Now, we are changing to UNAM Commonwealth because we are changing our legal status to cover another branch of UNAM in the United Kingdom. So, that is the reason why now we are named UNAM Commonwealth. Brenda Colín (1:26): And we are located at 55 Rue du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec, J8X 2J9. Sorry for my French. Interviewer 2 (1:40): When and why was this organisation created? Brenda Colín (1:44): It’s very interesting because last year we celebrated our 30th anniversary, so we have 30 years in the region. We were created in 1995. And the purpose— Alex Méndez (1:58): We were created like an international program that originated from 80 years ago. The first one is 81 years with San Antonio in Texas. It’s the first one, the first office abroad of the UNAM. And we are the second one. We have— Brenda Colín (2:23): It’s very interesting also because UNAM in Mexico is a big university, one of the most important in Latin America. And right now, it has several offices abroad, around 13 around the world, like in China or in South America like Chile recently, and in the United Kingdom. Alex Méndez and Brenda Colín (2:45): France, Germany, China, Spain. In the United States, we have five: San Antonio, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Tucson. Brenda Colín (3:00): We have many offices abroad. Now, we are working with the United Kingdom to create one legal status, like incorporated. Because of the Commonwealth: United Kingdom and Canada. That helps. Interviewers (3:19): Interesting. Alex Méndez (3:22): This is our vision: promote mobility, relation, cooperation and inter and intra-institutional collaboration; promote language teaching and certification of Spanish; disseminate Mexican culture and local cultures, for the benefit of both the university community and the Mexican one abroad; and enhance the presence of UNAM abroad. Interviewer 1 (3:44): How does the university meet its mission? What kind of activities do you do? Alex Méndez (3:54): We were created as a language school, that is why we have the language in our mission. We offer Spanish classes for Canadians, and English and French for Mexican and Latin American students. We are not closed to or just for Mexican or UNAM students. It’s open to Hispanophone people that want to study English or French here in Canada. Also, in our courses, we have culture, Latin American culture. And also, we have activities created with our culture. We are aiming to show what is happening at UNAM, the developments at UNAM. That is the reason why we try not to just concentrate in culture, so it is open to what is doing UNAM right now. Our programs are open to everyone, not just Mexican students. Brenda Colín (5:00): Maybe not a lot of people know about all the important things that UNAM has created. It’s a very old university also, and throughout it’s history it has created and brings a lot in science, in culture, in many different disciplines. We have a satellite; I don’t know if you know about it. UNAM has one. We have two vessels— Alex Méndez (5:46): One in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic. Brenda Colín (5:51): UNAM is also in charge of the Seismological Institute. There are a lot of earthquakes in Mexico, so they have an institute that measures them and makes study about it. It’s UNAM that is in charge of that. We have different institutes and faculties for every discipline that you can imagine. It’s a huge university. And here, we would like to share all of what UNAM in Mexico does, have more people know about it and be more in touch with that knowledge. And create bonds between UNAM in Mexico and universities in Canada, to create opportunities for teachers and students that are interested in developing research and studies on different topics. Interviewer 2 (7:05): You have a big fan right here. Interviewer 3 (7:11): I actually went to Taxco with my Spanish class through UNAM-Canada. Brenda Colín (7:18): That’s a one example of what UNAM offers. UNAM-Canada itself is just a little part of all of what UNAM offers. I’m so happy and I hope that one day you have the opportunity to go to Mexico City and know UNAM. Ciudad Universitaria is like a city of the university, it’s huge. You move around with a pus, Puma bus. It’s actually a bus that drives around all the faculties, it’s huge, it’s very interesting. Interviewer 3 (7:58): Could you talk more about the Day of the Dead celebration? I’ve been able to participate a few times, and it might be interesting for the interview. Brenda Colín (8:10): Of course. Throughout the year, we have different activities, and one of the most important is the Day of the Dead. It’s celebrated at the end of October/beginning of November. We create an altar dedicated to— normally we choose a writer, a scientific or somebody important in Mexico and also Canada, so the two countries. We create an altar at La Maison du Citoyen, the alcaldía (city hall) of Gatineau. The purpose of this activity is to share this tradition that is very important in Mexico. During this event we remember our loved ones who have passed away, but more with a happy feeling. It’s a celebration of life, more like who is this person or what did you live with this person. More about remembering the happy memories and having the feeling of celebrating what this person lived or what this person contributed to Canada, to Mexico or to the world. This year we’re working on the altar for October/November, and you’re invited to participate in the activity. We are thinking about important people who contributed to the world, like Jane Goodhall for example, who passed away recently. It’s to commemorate them and honour them and honour their contributions. It’s a tradition that we like to share with the community, and it’s well known in the region. We are happy to have the support of the city. Alex Méndez (10:25): Did you see Coco, the movie Coco? Interviewer 1 (10:28): I was just thinking, that’s where I heard of it. Because I didn’t know about it before until I watched Coco. I watched it a few times. Interviewer 1 (10:38): It’s really a good movie. I cried multiple times. Alex Méndez (10:40): But that’s a really good representation of what it means and how we see death. It’s really beautiful. Interviewer 2 (10:47): Like their passing, crossing a bridge to come and be with family, be with the dead. Alex Méndez (10:57): Exactly. It's to share the moment with the family that passed away. That is the reason to remember what they did in life and to remember the person in this celebration. Interviewer 1 (11:12): How many staff and volunteers work with you? Brenda Colín (11:18): Staff members, we have 18 staff. And we don’t work with volunteers. Alex Méndez (11:26): It’s just in specific cases, like Day of the Dead, that we have volunteers who help with the logistics of the activity. But we don’t work with volunteers. We don’t have a regular program or something like that. Our volunteers come from our Spanish classes, maybe students who want to practice their Spanish with Latin American people that visit our offrendas (Day of the Dead altar). That is the reason why we, just in that case, will work with volunteers. Interviewers (12:10): Interesting. Interviewer 3 (12:13): Since you talked a little bit about your students, would you mind sharing anonymous stories about your students: who they are, why they want to take your classes, why do they want to study at UNAM-Canada. Brenda Colín (12:30): We have diverse types of students. Like Alex mentioned before, our Spanish students are from the region. Generally, they are retired, who like to travel in Latin America and want to improve their Spanish. Recently, we had students from the government that have more specific necessities when it comes to why they want to improve their Spanish. So, we have those kinds of students in our Spanish classes. In English and in French, mostly they are students like you saw in the video: university students that mostly come from UNAM. Also, like we mentioned before, our courses are open to anyone that wants to have the experience of our winter or summer Puma (PUMA+ program). Alex Méndez (13:31): Sometimes, we also have students that come from Mexico that come to visit other universities like Ottawa University, or in Montréal: Concordia or McGill. They develop research with professors and researchers in Canadian universities. Sometimes we have visitors from Mexico to develop research in Canada. Interviewer 3 (14:02): Cool, thank you. This would be our last questions. It’s a more personal question: what motivates you to do this work, and why do you think it’s important? Brenda Colín (14:17): Personally, I feel very proud to be part of UNAM-Canada because I studied at UNAM in Mexico. I feel very proud to be part of UNAM in Canada and be part of an organization that makes visible UNAM abroad, specifically here. Not only what UNAM does: it’s a lot like you can see. But also, Mexican and Latin American contributions, traditions, cultural and scientific contributions. It’s not very visible, necessarily. I feel very proud to be part of this organization and to help students with languages and to make bonds with Canada and Mexico. It’s very important and I feel very happy. Alex Méndez (15:15): As UNAM-Canada, I think this is important because it is part of the internalization process of UNAM. It’s the biggest university in Mexico, so they want to have connections with the world. That is the reason we are here and why our rector (UNAM’s rector) encourages this process, not only in Canada but in other countries too. To connect Mexican development and scientific culture and research, because with the size of UNAM, any topic you want to touch at is there. That is the reason why it is important for UNAM to connect the development of knowledge with the world. As Alex, personal opinion, I think it’s the same as Brenda. It’s great to be part of this internalization project because you are a part of promoting the connection between Canada and Mexico. And you can open the opportunities for Mexican students or Latin American students to— it’s like when we have our Puma courses: we ask “for whom is it the first time outside of Mexico?”. It’s 80-90% of the population. It’s a big number and it’s part of the project that we are showing to the students: there is more than just Mexico or any country in Latin America. It’s an opportunity to see what is Canada or what is another country in the world, because we have the same office abroad system for other countries. When you see that this is connected to the students and show the students other opportunities, and open opportunities with Canadian universities and with other sectors, it’s a beautiful moment to be there and to be part of this big project. I’m happy to be here. Interviewers (17:39): Thank you so much. Thank you for having us. Brenda Colín (17:45): Thanks for coming and being interested in UNAM-Canada. You’re welcomed anytime. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 17:50 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 UNAM-Canada Description An account of the resource The organization we interviewed for this project is UNAM-Canada, an extension of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico’s largest and oldest public University. UNAM has thirteen international offices located in multiple countries, such as the United States, France, Germany, Spain, China, Chile, and, more recently, the United Kingdom. Founded in 1995, UNAM-Canada serves as the university’s international office in Canada. Located in downtown Hull, in Gatineau, this extension currently employs eighteen staff members. As part of this project, we interviewed Alex Méndez, the Academic Affairs Chief Executive at UNAM-Canada, and Brenda Colín, the Administrative Lead at UNAM-Canada. The UNAM-Canada primarily offers language courses in Spanish, French and English, as well as courses on Mexican and Latin American culture, welcoming more than 800 students each year (Unam Canadá 2019). Most of the students enrolled in Spanish courses come from the region and generally fall into two main categories. The first group consists mostly of retirees who enjoy traveling to Latin America and would like to improve their Spanish skills. The second group includes government employees or professionals who require Spanish for specific purposes and therefore will take classes with UNAM-Canada. When it comes to English and French courses, most participants are international students from UNAM in Mexico. In fact, twice a year, during the summer and winter semesters, the school holds a program called PUMA+. Through this program, Mexican students spend three weeks in Canada developing their English and French skills. In addition, UNAM-Canada is one of only two accredited institutions in Canada authorized to offer the SIELE examination, which provides an internationally recognized certification of Spanish language proficiency (Unam Canadá 2026). As a result, UNAM-Canada has established itself as one of the most important language learning institutions in the National Capital region, especially regarding the teaching and the certification of the Spanish language. Furthermore, another important aspect of UNAM-Canada is its connection to the broader UNAM network, widely recognized as a hub for research and innovation across multiple disciplines (TV UNAM 2017). Indeed, during the interview, it was pointed out that UNAM is involved in a wide range of scientific and academic fields. As Brenda Colín explained, UNAM has developed many important contributions that not everyone knows about: it has its own satellite. It also has two research vessels. By sharing these achievements through its Canadian programs, UNAM-Canada helps bring greater visibility to the global impact of Mexican and Latin American research. This is not only beneficial for raising awareness among local Canadian communities, but also for highlighting the key role that Latin American institutions like UNAM has in developing knowledge on a global scale. In addition to promoting the Spanish language, as well as Mexican and Latin American culture, UNAM-Canada’s mandate is to build academic bridges between Canada and Mexico and to further strengthen UNAM’s presence abroad. One clear example of this would be the many Mexican students who come to Canada to conduct research at universities such as the University of Ottawa, Concordia University, and McGill University. These academic exchanges are actively supported by UNAM-Canada, which has been collaborating with regional universities to develop and expand such opportunities over time. UNAM-Canada also serves as an important venue for conferences, round tables, book and film presentations, symposiums, as well as painting and photography exhibitions, in addition to concerts and theatre performances. The institution has classrooms, a specialized library focused on Mexican and Latin-American books, a cafeteria and a multipurpose room that functions as both an auditorium and art gallery (Unam Canadá 2019). Moreover, UNAM-Canada is widely recognized for organizing the Day of the Dead celebration in collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico and the City of Gatineau. Every year, the institution installs an altar, either in the school’s multipurpose room or at Gatineau’s city hall and hosts a variety of cultural activities related to the celebration, bringing together members of the regional community. We decided to interview UNAM-Canada because of its importance in promoting Mexican and Latin American culture in the National Capital Region. Although this university mainly focuses on language courses and Mexican and Latin American cultural activities, its impact goes beyond the academic sphere. Indeed, the organization actively contributes to strengthening the sense of community in the region by offering activities that encourage relationships between students and citizens. Whether through language courses, a variety of cultural events, or by facilitating academic exchanges between Mexico and Canada, UNAM-Canada fosters intercultural understanding and builds connections between local and international communities. Thus, the university’s participation and the digital archiving of the interview would help make the general public more aware of the important role of this organization in promoting UNAM and Mexico, as well as in strengthening intercultural bonds. If you would like to learn more about UNAM-Canada, we encourage you to visit their website: <a href="https://canada.unam.mx/fr/accueil/">https://canada.unam.mx/fr/accueil/</a> If you would like to learn more about UNAM, we invite you to watch this video: <a href="https://youtu.be/8VGgHcOO8TM?si=04-1UyCAJ5kYl0dZ">https://youtu.be/8VGgHcOO8TM?si=04-1UyCAJ5kYl0dZ</a> Bibliography: Unam Canadá. 2019. “Histoire - Unam Canadá.” Last modified November 12. <a href="https://canada.unam.mx/fr/histoire/">https://canada.unam.mx/fr/histoire/</a>.  Unam Canadá. 2026. “Service International D’Évaluation De La Langue Espagnole (SIELE) - Unam Canadá.” Last modified February 23. <a href="https://canada.unam.mx/fr/service-international-devaluation-de-la-langue-espagnole/">https://canada.unam.mx/fr/service-international-devaluation-de-la-langue-espagnole/</a>.  TV UNAM. 2017, December 6. “UNAM  La Universidad De La Nación - Video Institucional.” Video, 4 min., 43 sec. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VGgHcOO8TM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VGgHcOO8TM</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio file : MP3 file - 23.0 Mo Images : JPG file - 3.59 Mo ; JPG file - 7.38 Mo Mo ; JPG file - 3.50 Mo Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Pictures taken by Noémie Burrs and Charlotte Lasnier Figure 1. Entrance of UNAM-Canada (March 17, 2026) Figure 2. Day of the Dead altar commemorating Québec artist Jean Paul Riopelle at Maison du Citoyen (November 3, 2024) Figure 3. Library at UNAM-Canada (March 17, 2026) https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/e9d28cd49e58bb0cbc190d3d614c97fc.mp3 b5a0e38a24671a51ab1078e1b2619930 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Chloe Bonter, Sydney Brown, Sabrina Goriani, Annie Prionas Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Eduardo Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound SABRINA All right. My name is Sabrina Goriani, and I am here with a couple of my classmates doing an ethnographic interview. SYDNEY I'm Sydney Brown. CHLOE I'm Chloe Bonter. ANNIE I'm Annie Prionas. SABRINA And today, we will be interviewing Eduardo. EDUARDO My name is Eduardo. SABRINA So, the first question is, what is your country of origin? EDUARDO I'm from Cuba. Ummm [pause] I don't know. What do you want more or like? SABRINA No, that's okay. And then ummm… ANNIE Do you have a city or an area? EDUARDO Ahh okay, okay, okay, okay So I'm from Cuba. I'm from Santa Clara. Santa Clara is practically, divide the country, is in the middle of the country, center of the country. And you know, Cuba is an island. ANNIE So what do you mean by divided? SABRINA The city is. EDUARDO Is… No, No, No not divided. It's like a, it's in the middle … the country. It's okay right there in the middle the center.[Overlapping oh and yeah from Annie and Sabrina]  So from there you distance for everywhere, but everywhere. Oh, Santa Clara City, whatever, you know. SABRINA So it's in the middle, but do you have any beaches? EDUARDO Yeah, we have a beautiful ones. We have a ah all,[short pause] okay, it's a… Cayo Coco, the people in all of Cayo Coco. We have a Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Las Bruja, a very big destination for Canadian and French people more of the time. SABRINA Yeah. [Laughter] EDUARDO And it's really one of the more beautiful, better right now than Varadero is the main center for the tourists. Because the distance is very short from the airport to the hotel in Varadero. But, what is Santa Clara is, 200 kilometres from all this island.[Overlapping oh wow from Sabrina] But it's beautiful because this island is like, it's connecting from the ocean with the stone, building a highway in the top of the ocean. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So it's something really. If the people never been in Santa Clara or in Cayo Santa Maria, [they] should be go there just to enjoy. You're driving like you're driving at the top of the ocean because [it’s]? plus nothing in the side is water here and water in the other side. It's a really beautiful view.  SABRINA Oh, okay. Very nice, very nice. And what brought you to Ottawa? EDUARDO To Ottawa or to Canada? SABRINA Well, you can say, you can start with Canada and then narrow it down to why Ottawa specifically. EDUARDO Oh okay, yeah. Well, I come to Ottawa because I have a niece. She was already living here in Ottawa. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO And she always, when she was visiting me in Cuba, she always was talking to me about Ottawa. Better life, better quality of life, better everything. So, she mentioned to me. So, [she] says, you have the opportunity, they left the country, you can come to Ottawa. It's a very good place, very nice place to live in. So that's the reason I'm in Ottawa. SABRINA Very nice, very nice. And so you said you had a niece that lives in Ottawa. How often do you see them? EDUARDO Oh, I was living with her. SABRINA Oh, you were living with her? EDUARDO No more family, so she invited me to live with her for a year. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So to the moment I decide, you know, independent myself to really build my life here. SABRINA Okay, very nice. And do you have other family here? EDUARDO Right now, yeah. I have my sister here with me. I just brought… bring from Cuba. I bring her from Cuba in 2024. SABRINA Oh, OK. Very nice. EDUARDO And now she live here in Ottawa, too. SABRINA Oh, Okay. EDUARDO Yeah. We don't live together, but she live[s] in Ottawa. SABRINA And where you live, is it a Latin community? Do a lot of people near you speak Spanish or Portuguese? EDUARDO What I live in right now? SABRINA Yes. EDUARDO No, I live in ah, uh I work in Ottawa, but actually I live in Gatineau. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO I live in Gatineau. I'm all my community is French. SABRINA They're all French.? EDUARDO And just a couple of week, he find I was from Cuba. Because he going to Cuba, come back and [I] say, where [you] come from? He said, oh from Cuba. I said, you know I'm from Cuba.He said, ahugh, I was thinking you are from Puerto Rico or something else. SABRINA Okay EDUARDO I said, no, I'm from Cuba. He said, well, okay, good to know.[laughter] But no, it's a French community, like it's a condominium, like similar like this. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO But all French. SABRINA Okay. ANNIE And sorry, do you speak French? EDUARDO Um ah, probably say I force myself, yes, because I actually was in the French school for three years. ANNIE Okay. EDUARDO But I always work in Ottawa. Always, always. Because I started here. I entered to Canada from Ottawa, to Ottawa. And after I-- well, I go to the English school here, to some public school. It's a school for English. And there, I do my English for three years. But by the price, the everything, you know, Ottawa price, everything, I decided to move to Gatineau because the price for the apartment house and rent, some food, it was-- Price is really low. ANNIE Okay. EDUARDO But it's a good place there. It's very quiet, at least where I am. SABRINA And so in your culture, what kind of celebrations do you find are most important to you? And what kind of celebrations do you celebrate with just yourself or your family? EDUARDO Well, we are celebrate, the more celebration is New Year. For my family, yeah, New Year. SABRINA Oh. EDUARDO Beside that, we not celebrate too many other ones, like Christmas. Just different people, different group of the people. Because I know religion, mean, so we never celebrate any like a Christmas or all this stuff. SABRINA Easter, you don't celebrate Easter. Okay. EDUARDO This Easter and Christmas start coming new. It's something [entirely] new to our culture. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO Because years ago in my time, imagine I left Cuba 26 years ago. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO It was totally different. Even [to] be part of the religion, it was a complicated. SABRINA Really? EDUARDO Yes. SABRINA How come? EDUARDO Yeah. The government always was follow[ing] the people. It was kind of religion or any kind of culture you want to be part.The government always follow these people, making it like really difficult. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So that's just one of the reasons that my family never, I'm coming from the really poor family, farmers. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO We was living really far away in the city and the farm. So we moved to the city, years, many years after the revolution went in Cuba in 1958. So my grandpa, my grandparents moved to the city and bring my father and my mother. And we started, okay, you know, start living over there. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So really, the more important, for us, really, really, the more important [celebration] it was a new year. And Christmas, but then Christmas, we [don’t call it] calling Christmas. We call the day for the king. SABRINA Oh, okay. EDUARDO So, it was today. So, it was the day your mother and your parents, it's the same time as Christmas, by the way … SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO …but with different name. I think [it was] the government, [that] changed that. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So, you know, [its] not going to be Christmas, may go call like a political, or we go be today, [going to call it] the day for the kings, kings day. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So you go to the store and you [are] allow[ed] to get a three different toys. One I[‘m] going to say A, B, and C. A, it was the best toy, medium toy, and really bad toy. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So you [had] the opportunity, and your family had the money you can buy in the store.They give you a coupon, like in Cuba you use like a book for the food and  everything, [so it] be controlled. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO And you have a kid, how many kids or brothers, and you have it, they give you the amount, the store you can receive. Not free, you pay a little money that's [fine], but they control that. So that's the day, it take you on this day, but that’s the day your family can go to the store to buy the toy. So you go there and you select the toy you want. It [the coupon] give you all. You have three options here, A, B, C. A is the best toy, a little bit more expensive, B, medium toy, and C, the small, like a little bit nothing. So, most of the time, A would disappear because everybody wanted the best toy, or maybe not the toy you want to, but... at least it was something, to play in the street after. But that's the way it was. Everybody was happy in that moment because, you don't see too much, you just leave it in this bubble, [with this] the information. SABRINA Okay. All right. So back in Cuba, can you describe a typical day? EDUARDO Typical day in Cuba? [Overlapping yeah from SABRINA] A typical day in Cuba is fantastic. Cuban people love, love music. SABRINA Yeah. EDUARDO We love party. We like drink a lot. And play dominoes. SABRINA Dominoes? EDUARDO Yeah. You know dominoes? SABRINA Yeah. EDUARDO Yeah, like play not [like the] Chinese one, because Chinese [you play] with thousands, dominoes with 10 pieces, each one. And it's really, really, really very...very common. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO Every day, doesn't matter what time, the day or the night, the people play domino. SABRINA Really? Okay. And what's, you mentioned drinking. What's the Cuban drink? EDUARDO Well, no, the Cuban drink, the [most] famous is Havana Club. SABRINA Oh, the rum. EDUARDO The rum, Havana Club. And beer, called Crystal. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO And...the other beer is like [what] we call it the people beer, like the population beer, because it was cheap. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO It don't have a name, just, beer. And that is very common because we celebrate, I'm sorry, we celebrate to carnival. SABRINA Yes. EDUARDO Once a year, we do carnival, big carnival. Every city celebrate carnival for four or five days. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO I mean, different cities even do a big competition. Like it's more the town is more in this carnival, big competition. Because if we, for example, my city… the city is divide[ed] by neighbors, okay? This, for example, here, some here, another one down, whatever. We divide like this and we fight it with, no fight, but in the carnival, you know, to try to be better building, better carnival, better dances… SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO …better music. And so you are possibly saying be in the street. So all the car or whatever you're building, you go there. And it's a group of the people [that] say like whatever is the best one. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO And to that neighborhood, it give a gift for like a helping more like a material thing like that to this neighborhood. Like [if its] select[ed], oh, you win. So, your neighbor, you got to have the, we got to offer more cement for helping in the competition, but it help the neighborhood, of fixing the neighborhood. So, the people [were] really into that. The carnival is very, really, really good. And my city is in, normally is in August. And…it's really very good. Carnival is something crazy [but] not like in Brazil. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO But it's something really like it, pick a day with eight, three days before they continue, the people bringing to that. And music, a lot of music is super loud, a lot of people in the street. Like you can even walk there. SABRINA Wow. EDUARDO And it's music and it's food too, a lot of food. The food is pork. Sandwich, the pork sandwich. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO A lot. And that's, and that’s so far. SABRINA Well, that's very, very interesting. ANNIE I have a side question. SABRINA Go ahead. ANNIE Do you celebrate Carnival here in Ottawa? Do you go back to Cuba to celebrate at all? EDUARDO No, no, I really am. I not do too much activity in really in Canada. I concentrate more in work. Because I [am] the first one I [to] get out, well, my niece was the first get out from Cuba. But practically when I come to here, I come by myself and I have my family over there, my father, my mother, my sister were there. And practically what I did was just more concentrating, helping over there. So I was more working and less party. So that's the way I can help in financially give a better life. And I did. I did to the end. My parents died some three years ago. And I decided to bring my sister because the situation in Cuba every day was worse and worse and worse. So I bring my sister and now she's doing very good here. We have started all this paper, immigration paper, everything go very good, everything [is going] the way you’re supposed to. And just, we're waiting for get approved. But she will have permit to work. So that's fantastic. SABRINA Oh, that's very exciting news. EDUARDO Very exciting news. ANNIE So you don't feel that much pressure anymore that you're now that your sister is here to work? EDUARDO Yes. Oh my God. ANNIE It's a big relief. EUDARDO It's a big relief for me because I'm very [a] family person. I'm family person. So even when I was going to eat a steak, I was thinking twice. I said, oh my God, I don't understand, my parents don't have it. So that's making me really very sad inside. That [we] cannot give you that opportunity today. So, I said, you know what? I'm working double hard… ANNIE Yeah. EDUARDO …send the money, and I did. And not just me, a lot of Cuban people, wherever in the world [they are] living, is doing that. It's helping the family. And even now, the only one I have is just a cousin there. Not every month, but around every two months, I send money to him, I send food. I send on website, I send the food from the website. So at least to have a little balance, make it a little bit better, because the situation in Cuba is worse and worse. So I try to make… it a little bit better SABRINA And so you mentioned family, but what are other values that you hold close? So you said family was very important, but what other values? EDUARDO Family value, you mean? SABRINA Just values in general, like loyalty or community. EDUARDO In the community? SABRINA Sure. EDUARDO Ah ugh, if you remember this, I'd be more than 26 years since [I left] the conflict, okay? In Cuba, the value is, loyalty is very important. SABRINA Loyalty? EDUARDO Loyalty is very, very important in the family.   SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO With the people around, not too much, because the government create this psychological scene, the everybody is spy [spies] everybody. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO So you need better be careful around with people, you know? So more it was family, keep everything in family, not too much friend. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO But we have a good friend. I have a good friend there… SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO …but I don't know. It's like this kind of value is just more loyalty to the family. And the friend close, you need to really be good friend. Because what I say, it was difficult, what I say, go do anything or even go out even. You need to be there to understand. It's like in this neighbor, we have two or three people, it's a spy to the police or to the government. So we need to be careful with everything.You cannot even say nothing bad because it could be controlled or be, you know. SABRINA Yeah, and you mentioned before about pork, ahh um, sandwiches. EDUARDO Yeah, the food, yep. SABRINA What other foods do you have in your culture, but also what you make here? Like, do you make the same type of foods or… EDUARDO Okay, so that's a big change for me, because, okay, in Cuba, a common food is rice and black bean. SABRINA Rice and black beans? Okay. EDUARDO Yeah, and pork as a meat, because it's the more easy. In Cuba, it was—you know, it was allowed to buy meat, like a beef, any kind of beef, was allowed to have it. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO But the common one was pork, fish, chicken. That was the common food. Everybody's eating food for everybody in Cuba. And that was, I grew up with this. And it's a plate called arroz congri, the combination of the rice and bean, but cook[ed] together. So, it give[s] it different… texture, different. In the plate, [it] look[s] even different. Because you cook the bean first, and after you cook the rice, and after you cook it again together. So, it give[s] it different really look and taste. It's a number one plate in Cuba. SABRINA Okay, and do you still make it here? EDUARDO I make it not too much. What happened to me, I come to this country, and I married to [an] Arabic woman. SABRINA Oh, okay. EDUARDO So I was eating Arabic food for 25 years. SABRINA Oh, wow, okay. EDUARDO Yeah, so I practically left behind my culture. I ended more in her culture. She wants to cook, so you need, you don't complain. SABRINA You don't complain, yeah. EDUARDO So you eat what she cook. EDUARDO Yeah, and all the time I go there. Before, I was traveling more to Cuba every year. Just the last two years, with all this situation, economic situation in Cuba, a lot of problems in Cuba, I stopped two years, [since] being in Cuba. The last two years, 20… in the '24 and the '25, and 2024, 2025, traveled to Cuba. But all the years before, I go to Cuba every two years, and take all my family, my cousin, his daughter, bring to the hotel, give them the best I can opportunity to enjoy a hotel. Because I can't-- I need to go with money from here, like the US dollar, most of the time, to give you a proper vacation. I enjoy that. I enjoy helping. And I'm helping my friends, too. I'm close friends every time I go, and we're coming together. And that's the reason I enjoy Cuba, because I still have a really, really good friend there. SABRINA Okay. EDUARDO I go there, and we're coming together for three days straight. And it's, you know, it's good. It's good talking. I have a story there, you know. I remember when I was younger. SABRINA Yeah, that's very, very nice. And yeah, so you find family is quite important to you, you hold that very close. EDUARDO For many Cuban, Cuban people, very family… SABRINA Yeah. EDUARDO …very, very family. But for me, I don't know. I'd be, I always a family person. SABRINA Okay, that's nice. It shows in your character. In your character, too, I find when you talk to me and other people, it's the way you talk. EDUARDO Yeah, no, I'm very family person. SABRINA Well, that concludes the questions that we have for you. For you. But do you have any comments or questions for us while we're here? EDUARDO Questions? SABRINA Related to the project. EDUARDO Related to the project. Okay. Really, I don't know what kind of… SABRINA You don't, you don't, you can say no. You can say you don't have any questions and that's fine. EDUARDO Well, really, I don't have right now my mind questions. SABRINA That's okay, yeah. EDUARDO Just say it's my life, be a good, person. SABRINA Well, we really appreciate your answers, and we want to thank you for, for discussing and talking to us about your culture. So thank you, Eduardo. EDUARDO Okay, I don't know. I know you know, I don't say too much about my culture, but. SABRINA No, no we got it. You did a great job. ANNIE Yeah.     Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 23min 21s 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 Eduardo Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Eduardo, a Cuban immigrant living in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, whose experiences reflect the complexities of migration, shaped by strong family responsibility, cultural changes, and the lasting influence of life in Cuba. Eduardo spoke to us about growing up in Santa Clara, Cuba, and how he was raised in a rural farming family before later moving to the city. He describes life in Cuba as deeply shaped by both community and restriction. While daily life included music, dominoes, and large-scale carnival celebrations that brought people together, it was also influenced by government surveillance, which created a sense of caution and limited trust outside the family. Subsequently, he notes loyalty as a strong value in his life. </div> Another integral social value we learned from him was food. Back in Cuba, he mentions how important food becomes as it is heavily tied to crucial memories and traditions; it represents the social connections made. However, many of the Cuban dishes he lovingly detailed to us, such as <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/arroz-congri-21409786">arroz congri</a>, have been largely abandoned. Eduardo moved to Canada after being encouraged by his niece, who spoke of greater opportunities and a better quality of life. Migration did not mark a separation from his family, but rather an increased sense of responsibility toward them. For many years, he worked to support his parents and relatives in Cuba financially, often prioritizing their needs over his own. This sense of responsibility, “pressure” as he called it, shaped his daily decisions, often leading him to feel guilty about enjoying simple comforts. This sense of obligation shaped his daily decisions and motivated him to work consistently. Even after the passing of his parents, Eduardo continues to support extended family members, including a cousin who remains in Cuba. More recently, he was able to bring his sister to Canada, marking a significant shift in both his responsibilities and relief from the pressure he once carried.  Today, Eduardo’s life in Canada is more centred around work and stability than cultural celebration. He does not actively participate in Cuban traditions such as carnival, and instead has focused on building a secure life. Eduardo did not marry a Cuban woman, he does not live in a Cuban cultural diaspora. Although he previously visited Cuba regularly and remained closely connected to family and friends there, he has not returned in recent years due to worsening social conditions. Reflecting on this, Eduardo acknowledges that he has, in some ways, left parts of his Cuban identity behind, showing the complex nature of cultural adaptation through migration.  Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026-03-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 21.9MB Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/8d658162a230ef5c00843e565f8ad305.mp3 23ce739e4d9927a605071130cd422733 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Rosha Zolfaghari and Mia Beijer Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Lauren Keshvari Leyva Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Rosha 00:00:01: Hi, I'm Rosha. Mia 00:00:02: Hi, I'm Mia. Rosha 00:00:03: And today we'll be chatting with our friend Lauren about her experience as a Cuban-Canadian. Rosha 00:00:07: Hi, Lauren, how are you? Lauren 00:00:08: Hi, Rosha, I'm good. How are you? Rosha 00:00:10: Good. Okay, so starting off, what is your connection to Latin America and the Caribbean? Lauren 00:00:17: So I was actually born in Holguín, Cuba. That's where my mom was born and my grandma was born. My great-grandma is still there. And I actually moved away when I was quite young. I was only five months old and my mom was 21. Rosha 00:00:30: Okay. What brought you to Ottawa? What brought your family here? Lauren 00:00:33: So, we didn't initially move to Ottawa. So, we initially moved to the GTA area, Toronto, moved around a bit to Richmond Hill, Brampton. But I ultimately ended up coming to Ottawa to pursue my education. I wanted to further my education, become the first gen in my family to go to university. And I just thought there was something special and unique about doing it in the country's capital. Rosha 00:00:57: That's really cool. Mia 00:00:59: So, following up on that, you said that you still have a great-grandmother in Cuba. Do you have any family here? Did you move with, you know, some extended family or was it really just with your mom? Lauren 00:01:13: So, I moved with my mom. My dad is not Cuban, so he actually already lived in Canada. But all my extended family on my mom's side, for the most part, still is in Cuba. So, I have some family in Holguín, where I'm from, and I also have some family in Havana, the capital. I have like some limited extended family. And by that, I mean like my, some like … some of my grandma's cousins that live in London [Ontario]. Lauren 00:01:37: So, it's not a lot. So, when I do get to see my mom's side, it's when I go back to Cuba. Mia 00:01:45: Okay, that's really interesting. And so do you live in a predominantly Latin community, like Latin community or neighbourhood, or has it really been more of a living in a diverse neighbourhood or a predominant culture other than Latin American. Lauren 00:02:04: I'd say pretty diverse. I feel like having lived in Toronto and Brampton, there is a lot of diversity. I wouldn't say that there is a large Latin population per se. I will say that I was usually part of the minority in the schools that I attended. But the nice thing about it was that everyone was kind of unique in that sense. And there were diverse cultures that kind of aligned with my own, so I didn't really feel too alienated. Mia 00:02:34: Okay, and just to kind of follow up on that, did you, because it was a minority, did you have many opportunities to either speak Spanish with peers or celebrate Latin American and Caribbean culture with them, or was it more of something that you did within your family or, you know, at a community centre that was more geared to Latin American and Caribbean culture? Lauren 00:02:56: That's a really good question. I feel like, not really, like… It was pretty limited to my household. Like because it wasn't a dominant culture and I was part of the minority, those weren't really like culture days that people really celebrated a lot at the schools that I attended. So, when I got the opportunity to celebrate my culture and my heritage, it was more so within my household, or I would go to a community event somewhere else with my family. Lauren 00:03:22: I know Toronto has like a lot of Latin cultural fests and stuff like that. So those are the ones that we would go to if we wanted to do something to celebrate. Rosha 00:03:29: That's nice. What celebrations are most important to you? Lauren 00:03:35: So, for me, I would have to say Christmas. So, something unique for Latin culture, I know generally speaking, from like speaking with my Latin friends, is that like we always celebrate on the 24th. Like Christmas Day is the 24th for us. And it's a party. Like, it's a party. Everyone's invited. There's a lot of food. We don't do like the traditional like turkey, or at least I think like the Canadian traditions do like turkey, right? We like roast pork. Lauren 00:04:06: Like we roast pork. And that's usually what we have. Like pork is really big in Cuban culture. Like that's like the primary meat that they consume back home, just because a lot of the other options are limited. So especially like beef in Cuba, like really hard to get. Rosha 00:04:23: And would you say that's your favourite holiday or is there another that's? Lauren 00:04:29: I would say that's my favourite holiday. I feel like we do celebrate Easter in my household, but it's also nothing super big. And it's actually something that my mom didn't celebrate in Cuba. So, it's just a lot of the celebrations that I currently partake in aren't celebrations that my mom had celebrated back home. So, they're not necessarily Cuban. But Christmas is like that one celebration that like the Cuban comes out. Rosha 00:04:56: Can you describe a typical day in your community? Lauren 00:05:00: A typical day in my community, I think it kind of varies for everyone. So, I'll kind of just like speak for myself as to what like a typical day looks like for me that might reflect Cuban culture. So, for me, I just love listening to Latin music as I do my day-to-day tasks. Lauren 00:05:16: Like I'm a huge Bad Bunny fan. So, I love listening to music while I'm doing like laundry, washing dishes, doing my homework. Growing up, my house was always full of music, and my grandma and mom would always be singing to some Cuban classics. I think I definitely listen to some more modern Latin pop than my mom and my grandma, but it still kind of helps me feel connected to my culture and connected to them, given that I am also living away from them as they are still in Toronto. Rosha 00:05:47: Okay. And I think you've kind of answered our follow-up question, but is there anything else that you think, like, anything else of importance that you think really defines a typical day in your household that might reflect specifically like Cuban culture? Lauren 00:06:05: I don't think so, besides the fact that we always do try to make time for family at some point throughout the day, whether that be throughout dinner, for dinner, or late night, just having like a little family session. We're just going to talk about our day. Family is very important in the Cuban culture as well. So just making time for family. Mia 00:06:26: Okay. So, it's a little, this next question is a little bit of a pivot, but still kind of within the same stream. How would you say that you celebrate your heritage, whether it's like a special occasion or a day-to-day activity? Lauren 00:06:44: So, as I mentioned, there weren't a lot of community events where I would live. So, we would usually move around to go to Latin Fests whenever possible. So, Salsa on St. Clair is like a really good one. That's the one like my family loves to go to over the summer. I think it usually happens in July. It's like a two-day Latin-themed street festival that happens on like St. Clair Avenue West. I think it's between Winona Drive and Christie Street. Yeah, and it's free, it's family friendly, there's a lot of dancing, live music, and some good food as well. Mia 00:07:22: You know, when you grew up in your household, you kind of, you've been talking about how it's been like very close-knit, very family-centred. Mia 00:07:33: Did you recognize any values that your mom and your grandmother kind of taught you or instilled just in your day-to-day that you hold kind of most dear as like a Latin American and Caribbean diaspora member. Lauren 00:07:53: I think the two core values would have to be family and hard work. Like family is just so important for us. And I think moving to Canada kind of just emphasized that for us, given that we lost access to our extended family. And it was really just us and like, my grandma now immigrated to Canada, but at the beginning, it was just my mom that she, and she was alone. So, family became really important. We became, we are really close because of that, I like to say. Lauren 00:08:26: And also, just hard work. Cubans are very hard working, and that's something that has not... not stopped, not changed. It's something that my mom carries in her. I remember growing up, my mom had to learn how to speak English. She had to learn how to adapt to a Canadian workforce. And she really worked hard to make her way up. and to get to where she is today. Lauren 00:08:53: And you can see that in people back home as well, despite different economic circumstances. And that's something that I continue to value in my day-to-day life, especially as a student, I continue wanting to work hard for my family. So I feel like they're very interconnected values. Mia 00:09:11: That's really interesting. Thanks for sharing. Rosha 00:09:14: What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Lauren 00:09:21: I think Cuba can get a bad rep sometimes, but Cubans are some of the most hardworking, caring, and empathetic people you'll ever meet. When you go, they will welcome you with open arms. They are so open-minded and so friendly. I think just like sometimes the political climate of the world can sometimes affect how people perceive a culture. And I think it's very important to distinguish politics from the culture of a people sometimes. I know there's overlap that sometimes is inevitable, but I do think it's very crucial to kind of see between the lines. Rosha 00:10:05: No, I totally agree with you. What foods do you make that remind you of home? And is there a specific place that you go to buy these ingredients? Lauren 00:10:17: Okay, so I don't tend to make food myself that remind me of home. I'm grateful enough to have my grandma who loves to cook for me. So, when I go back home, she'll always make some, she'll make me some fried plantain. It's so good. Like she'll have to like cut up like one just for me when I go back home. And she's always like slapping my hand away from the plate because I'm like, I'm eating them all. And also pulled pork sandwiches. So those in Cuba are called like Cubanos. And as I mentioned, like pork is like the main source of protein in back home. So, you'll see that incorporated into like a lot of like our national dishes and such. Lauren 00:10:56: And like every time we go back to Cuba, we go to my great grandmother's home and on the rooftop, she has like a rooftop, nothing fancy. It's like a cement rooftop, but we'll always host like family gatherings there. And at least once we will like roast a pig and invite everyone and invite our neighbours. And that's something that we continue to do here, although a lot less often, but sometimes when we do have family gatherings with the extended family that we have in London, for example, we'll roast a pig, we'll make some Congrí, which is like rice and beans. Lauren 00:11:30: Fried plantain and it's just like a really good time. I think we also make yuca. I'm not the biggest fan, don't hate me, but that is also something traditionally made. Rosha 00:11:40: That's making me hungry. It's very wholesome too. Mia 00:11:45: Thank you for sharing that. So, a bit more of another kind of pivot question, but … How likely would you and or your family be to use the website we're creating to upload your stories? So as like accessing oral histories and different experiences of Latin American and Caribbean immigrants. Lauren 00:12:10: I would say very likely, just given how spread out the Latin community is in Canada, I feel like the website would be a great way to contribute to creating a greater sense of community amongst Latin immigrants. Yeah, for sure. Mia 00:12:25: Okay. And so, you're like the way that you're talking about using it would be more like a connection thing. Would you like use it as a kind of reaching out to people? How would you see yourself using it? Lauren 00:12:38: Maybe not so much reaching out to people for myself at least. I could maybe see some of my relatives doing that. But I think sometimes it's easy to feel isolated, especially when you're not amongst people from the same culture. So I think just even an online space where you can see that there are people with similar backgrounds, similar experiences, living in Canada, kind of gives an inner sense of peace, even though you're not maybe necessarily directly interacting with them, you know they're there, you know you're not alone, and you know there is a community there that you can fall back on. Mia 00:13:14: Thank you so much. And so, we're kind of coming to the close of our interview and discussion right now, but I'm just wondering if there's anything else that we've discussed or haven't touched on that you'd like to expand on or introduce or just kind of have as a closing remark. Lauren 00:13:36: I think I would just want to say that every Latin immigrant has a different story, and every Latin culture and country is not the same. And I think that's also important to keep in mind when meeting Latin immigrants and interacting with Latin immigrants, because we all have different experiences and you want to be very careful not to overgeneralize as well, just to maintain a certain level of respect for everyone's unique culture. But yeah, I think that's it. Thank you so much for having me. Rosha 00:14:07: Thank you for being a part of this project and sharing your experience. It was so much fun chatting with you about Cuba. Lauren 00:14:13: Thank you. Mia 00:14:14: Thank you. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:14:16 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 Lauren Keshvari Leyva Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Lauren Keshvari Leyva. We had the honour of discussing Cuban culture with Lauren, a first-generation Cuban-Canadian. Lauren highlighted that Cubans pride themselves on hard work and family. Upon immigrating with her mother, she was immersed in Canadian culture and society, which she had to learn and adapt to quickly. A struggle that brought her family closer and really ingrained the importance of family within her household. Lauren mentioned that growing up in Canada, she and her family would attend Latin Fests. These festivals showcased Latin American and Spanish culture through live music, dance, and food. Her greatest source of connection to her roots came from her family. Throughout the interview, Lauren shared some of her favourite foods and music that help her feel connected to her heritage and culture, especially fried plantains and Cubanos, which are sandwiches made with seasoned pork and placed between soft, slightly sweet bread. An important point that Lauren highlights at the end of our interview needs to be repeated: "... every Latin immigrant has a different story, and every Latin culture and country is not the same. And I think that's also important to keep in mind when meeting Latin immigrants and interacting with Latin immigrants, because we all have different experiences and you want to be very careful not to overgeneralize as well, just to maintain a certain level of respect for everyone's unique culture."</div> </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026-03-04 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3; 33.442 mb Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/b1bd2eea3f88adfe5d64003bfd71fb17.mp3 dd4bb3049ea0fc2cb6f5510c95b965aa 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Mila Shull, Kielyn Gatensby Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Irene Robalino Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Irene Robalino 0:04 Okay, well, my name is Irene Robalino, and I'm a fourth year student at uOttawa. I'm in my last semester, and I'm in the International Studies and Modern Languages program. Mila Shull 0:19 Great, okay, so our first question for you is going to be, what is your country of origin? Irene Robalino 0:23 My country of origin is Ecuador. Kielyn Gatensby 0:27 Okay, the second question is, what brought you to Ottawa? Irene Robalino 0:32 So I came to Ottawa for university. I'm originally based in Toronto. I grew up there, but I came here four years ago for school. Mila Shull 0:44 Do you have family here, and do you see them frequently? Irene Robalino 0:49 I do not have family in Ottawa. My parents and my siblings live in Toronto. Kielyn Gatensby 0:56 Do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish and or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions? Irene Robalino 1:07 I live-well in Ottawa, here in my apartment, I have three roommates that are Latinas, so one of them is Colombian. One of them is half Colombian, one's Venezuelan, and so that's my community in Ottawa. But back home in Toronto, where I grew up with my family, we did have a big community, or I do have a big community of Latin American, like a Latin American community. I have a lot of family friends that I grew up with that were Ecuadorian and Colombian, Venezuelan, and we go to a Spanish mass. Well, we go to church every Sunday, so we go to Spanish mass. And, yeah, I definitely have a community back home in Toronto. Mila Shull 1:52 What celebrations are most important to you? Irene Robalino 1:55 Um, there's a lot of celebrations that are very important to me, but my favorite that is an Ecuadorian celebration, but more specifically, a celebration in Quito, the city where I'm from, it's this... it's a holiday called Dia de los Difuntos, and it's called, it's, it means the day of all souls. So it takes place on November first and November second, and it's a celebration of- it's an all-celebration of the dead. Basically, it's our version in Ecuador. And it's really fun, because we get together with our family and our friends, and we just, like, celebrate our, you know, deceased family members in a happy way, and we make these, like little bread shaped baby dolls, I guess you would call them. They're called Wawa Zipan, which means in, like the Indigenous language, Quechua, it means like, child. And then, we make this thing called Colada Morada, which is like a big warm Berry, like warm drink that we make. And we just all like drink. And we decorate our like bread dolls, and we just like celebrate. And, yeah, I think that's one of my favorites. And always Christmas. Of course, Christmas is really big in Ecuador, so, yeah. Kielyn Gatensby 3:13 Could you describe a typical day in your community? Irene Robalino 3:18 Um, I don't know about a typical day. I think the most important day in my community growing up was Sunday, because everybody in my community goes to Mass, and we all see each other at Church. And then a lot of times there's, like, a lunch or a dinner after and we all get together and we have food and there's music, and we stay up late dancing, or, you know, eating and drinking. So day to day, I feel like it's just confined to my family and I, but weekends, specifically, Sundays, are a big community day. Mila Shull 3:58 How do you celebrate your heritage? Irene Robalino 4:02 Um, I think there's lots of ways that I celebrate my heritage. Mostly, I think just practicing a lot of like the things I'm used to that I grew up with. For instance, like cooking meals that my mom-Ecuadorian meals that my mom grew up with, like, learning, intentionally learning. I used to not really care about it when I was young, but like, now I've, like, kind of focused on learning, like, a lot of recipes and, like family recipes that I grew up eating. As well as, just like, you know, speaking Spanish, making sure I'm practicing the language with my parents or my friends or my siblings, and listening to music and just everything. I think just keeping up with everything that I grew up with, that I'm not really surrounded with anymore, is often. Kielyn Gatensby 5:05 What are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin Caribbean community? Irene Robalino 5:11 I would say the value of family. I think family's huge in the Latin American, Caribbean, community, you know, there's a huge emphasis on, like, you know, taking care of every family member, like your grandparents, your cousins, your aunt, your uncle. Like, we're all very close-and every-there's so many gatherings that are just centered around, like, eating and just dancing and-and just being happy. And I think that's really important to me. Like, I love being surrounded by people, and I love just, like, it's weird to say, but like, I think, feel like food is such a big thing, and music, those are, like, the two main things, but because we just take that as an opportunity to, you know, get together with your all your family members, like, we see each other all the time, and, yeah, so I would say probably, like, the value of community and family are, like, the most important to me. Mila Shull 6:07 What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Irene Robalino 6:13 Um, I think one thing at least, particularly about the Ecuadorian community, is that I think a lot of people don't know about our culture as much as maybe other Latin American cultures. I think I haven't met a lot of people that have tried our food, but I think it's one of the most delicious foods ever, and like cuisines, but that's just my opinion. And yeah, there's just, like, there's so many things to learn about us, and we have a, like, a great country with so many places to see. And I think people just don't hear about Ecuador as much as they hear about Colombia or maybe Mexico. And like, yeah, I think if anyone gets the opportunity to try our cuisine, it would be amazing. Kielyn Gatensby 7:00 That's actually a really good answer, because the next question is, what foods do you make that remind you of home, and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals? Irene Robalino 7:09 I love to talk about this. I can't make that many dishes, but my favorite that I've learned to make is the Ecuadorian ceviche. So it's like a, it's a cold, shrimp or fish soup, essentially. So it's like, just a combination of shrimp, and fish, and lime, and cilantro, and tomato, and you eat it with plant fried plantain chips. And it's different than like a Peruvian ceviche, or a Colombian or Mexican ceviche, and it's really good. Also, I think one of my favorites that I recently learned is the classic Quiteno dish. So like, from the city I'm from, Quito, and it's just like, like a pork with white corn and these, like potato cakes called Llapingachos and empanadas. And just like...anything with plantain is huge where I'm from, and one of my favorite things to make is fried plantain, or plantain dishes. And in terms of groceries...well, I feel like a lot of ingredients you can only find at Latin markets or Latin grocery stores, and thankfully, there is a lot in Ottawa, actually. So I go to one on Montreal road that's right by my house, and they have like, the white corn that you can only get in Latin America, and they have like, seasonings and plantains that are like green because you can't usually find, like, the fully green plantain at a regular grocery store sometimes, and they just have, like treats and like just random food items that are, like, very nostalgic to where I'm from, yeah. Mila Shull 8:59 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? Irene Robalino 9:20 I think my family would probably be likely to use it. I think I grew up with my parents telling me, like, a lot of stories from back home and, like, just like the historical context of my family in Ecuador and everything like that. And I mean, yeah, my dad's a huge storyteller, so I'm sure he would love the opportunity to just talk about his whole history and the culture, and he loves telling people that. So, I think my dad especially would really use a website like that. Kielyn Gatensby 9:55 Do you have any other comments, and/or concerns? Irene Robalino 10:00 Religion in Latin America is deeply ingrained into our culture. Most of Latin America is predominantly Catholic, and I think it plays a huge role in our culture and our community and the way we interact with each other, and how everything, like gatherings and get togethers revolve around religious holidays and that culture of religion. For instance, in...for Latinos in Latin America, all religious sacraments are huge moments and like milestones in a community and family. For instance, a baby's baptism, a first communion, or a Catholic wedding. Like, even though a lot of people aren't practicing Catholics, there is still a sense of connection to the religion, just because of how important it is to the culture, how many churches there are all over our countries and our cities, and how it's so important to see your family after Sunday Mass and to see people from your community at Mass like not everybody is practicing, but it is-does play a huge role in the culture and how we interact. Like, you know, Easter is huge, Christmas is huge. All these religious holidays are huge. And I feel like a lot of people feel a connection to the Catholic religion just because of the cultural aspect of it. And yeah, I think that I grew up with that. And, you know, I just feel that connection to it. Like, if I think of religion, my religion, I feel more connected to it just through the memories that I had growing up with my family, going to baptisms, going to weddings, going to celebrations, going to mass, and seeing my family. And, you know, you learn all these like songs that are like Christmas carols when you're young, and like the tradition that it's baby Jesus that brings your gifts on Christmas. And just those things are very like ingrained in us. And it's just like the same with food, and music, and religion. I feel like those are very big factors in the Latin American community that kind of all brings us together and creates like that sense of community. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 11 minutes and 51 seconds 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 Irene Robalino Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Irene Robalino, a fourth-year student in the International Studies and Modern Language program at the University of Ottawa. She was born in Ecuador but grew up outside Toronto in a strong Latin American community of friends and family. Since moving to Ottawa, Irene has built a small Latin American community here and lives with three other Latin American roommates, two of whom have family connections to Colombia and one from Venezuela. In this interview, Irene discusses different ways she stays connected to her culture, such as speaking Spanish with family and friends, listening to Ecuadorian music and especially cooking. Irene wishes more people knew about Ecuador’s cultural dishes, especially since shared meals are a big part of not just Latin American culture but also family connection. Her favourite dish that she has recently learned to make is Ecuadorian Ceviche, a combination of shrimp, fish, lime, cilantro, and tomato, traditionally served with Plantain chips. Throughout our conversation, Irene emphasized childhood and community when celebrating her Ecuadorian culture and her heritage. She articulates this, stating,</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“there's a huge emphasis on, like, you know, taking care of every family member [...] we're all very close-and every-there's so many gatherings that are just centered around, like, eating and just dancing and-and just being happy.” (Irene Robalino 5:11).</div> </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 28th, 2026 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 File Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/d17515127c384d9fcdad09d728926954.m4a 93be7667911c1cbec477ffd43540f952 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 & Caribbean Organizations Subject The topic of the resource collection of organizations designed to support and uplift Latin and Caribbean people in Canada. Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">As the capital of Canada, Ottawa is a city rich in diverse cultures and communities from around the world. Relocating to Canda from the southern hemisphere is a significant shift and challenge. For these immigrants, they face obstacles, including finding people who are culturally similar. Thankfully, there are many aid organizations which connect people with help. In this section of AnthroHarvest, we showcase a few of these groups. They do not just celebrate immigrant cultures, they give them the chance to meet others and learn how to adjust to Canadian life. There are language classes, cultural events, and get-togethers. Each group is different. Some groups focus on keeping languages and traditions alive. Other groups help artists show their work. They provide spaces for people to meet and talk. All of these groups together illustrate the strength of Latin American and Caribbean communities here. In the collections below, you will find more information about them: the Jamaican Ottawa Community Association, the Barbados Ottawa Association, Canada Habla Español, the Humanitarian Organization of Latin American Students, the Latin Hub and the Latin American Soldiers Committee in Canada. Specifically, we hope to emphasize different events, fundraisers, and resources they have, how to contact them and/or join their association, their social media pages, and a short description of the organization itself.</div> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Cover Photo: Day of the Dead altar commemorating Québec artist Jean Paul Riopelle at Maison du Citoyen Photo taken by Noémie Burrs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Taylor Paterson, Soorya Hedayat Omar, Racheal Agofure, Zainab Oyejobi, Amy May Lajeunesse and Roodmya Douge. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Imogene Chapman and Katie Aunger Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Tamara Toledo Location The location of the interview Toronto, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Imogene: Good afternoon. My name is Imogene, and this is my colleague Katie, and, this interview is part of our contribution to the AnthroHarvest Collective. So, we are joined… we're pleased to be joined today by Tamara Toledo, which is one of the directors at the Latin American Canadian Art Projects, or the LACAP, which is a not-for-profit. Imogene: So, we'd first like to start by giving you the opportunity to properly introduce yourself, as well as briefly go through what the organization is, and then Katie will follow up with more in-depth questions about the organization afterward. Tamara Toledo: Yeah. Okay, so my name is Tamara Toledo, I'm the director, curator of LACAP / Sur Gallery. So, LACAP is a non-profit arts organization that has been around for 20 years now, implementing different, programs, initiatives, projects throughout the city of Toronto mostly. And for the past 10 years, one of its projects, which has been… is one of, its most relevant projects now, is Sur Gallery, which is the actual physical bricks-and-mortar space where we program, a lot of, the… yeah, a lot of the programming that we currently hold.  Tamara Toledo: And as an introduction, for myself as well, I am a curator, and the curator of SurGallery. I am a scholar, art historian, and I started off my career as a visual artist. So I also studied drawing and painting at OCAD University in the 90s. Katie: Wow, that's amazing. Thank you so much. So, who does your organization serve? What is the main community that you are working with? Tamara Toledo: So we mainly serve the Latin American, LatinX, diaspora in Canada. I would say it's mostly locally based. But, since we started programming a lot more online initiatives, it has expanded to a more national reach, as well as international, and that, of course, started during the pandemic. We had to pivot quite quickly, and look for different strategies to engage with our audiences. Katie: That's amazing. Tamara Toledo: And that sort of led to reaching other more national throughout different provinces in Canada and internationally. But it's history from the beginning has been very locally based: the Latin American diaspora. And that doesn't mean that we don't engage with other communities that are interested in the art and culture and histories of Latin America. Katie: Amazing! So that must mean that your staff must have grown since having to diversify how you are reaching more of the population. So how many staff did you start with, and how has that grown since? Tamara Toledo: Yeah, it seems like we are a very large organization, but paid staff is currently just two people. Everyone else is by contract, and depending on project funding. So, last year, we had 3 staff that were paid staff, that receive payroll, because of an additional grant that we received. But ongoing operationally, it's just two paid staff, one full-time and one part-time. Everyone else is contract, volunteers, we have a board of directors, we have an advisory board and we have a lot of people that have come and gone throughout the years because it has such a long history. It started off all on a volunteer basis, and slowly we've managed to receive government funding from all streams to be able to operate. Katie: That's amazing. What do you find motivates you to do this work, and why? Tamara Toledo: Well, I would say mostly with the intention, it's very intentional in the way that I would like for there to ignite change within a broader Canadian context in the arts. Because my background is in the arts, that sort of has been my focus with that activist intention of changing the ways in which art is understood, accepted, and the narratives that are a part of the Canadian dialogue. So, 20 years ago there was a lack of representation, visibility, of the Latin American diaspora in galleries and institutions, and so for me the motivation was to change that and to create that change and it had to be done from a grassroots place. And it's slowly changed and been affecting other sectors, so things have changed quite a bit in 20 years. There is some representation in some of these institutions currently, but there is a long way to go still. Katie: Do you have some specific institutions you've loved working with, or that you find have been a great asset to your organization? Tamara Toledo: We've certainly collaborated and partnered with several institutions and organizations throughout the years, which have been instrumental to the growth of LACAP and Sur Gallery. I think that for a smaller organization like ours, those partnerships and relationships are essential, and so we've tried to foster them. Throughout the years, we've collaborated with so many, not only institutions and galleries, but also festivals, and the relationships have been, of course, mutual in terms of gaining access to resources and sharing knowledge and resources. Tamara Toledo:  So just examples, let's see. We've collaborated with… I'll start with larger institutions. We've partnered with the AGO, with the Power Plant, with Harborfront Center; we've partnered with Artist Run Centers like Gallery 44, A Space Gallery; with universities, York University, OCAD University, with George Brown College; we've partnered with festivals like 7A*11D, Mayworks, Planet in Focus, so… Oh my goodness, like, I can't remember all of them, but, yeah, I think that most importantly it’s relevant to emphasize that those relationships are so important to the growth of the organization. Katie: Amazing, wow, that is amazing. Also, being in Toronto, you have so many areas around you being so artsy. It's a great center to be surrounded by all the creativity and build amazing relationships. Do you have a specific relationship or story that really stood out to you? That really maybe pushed you to continue what you're doing, or just really is highlighted in your mind? Tamara Toledo: Like, a particular partnership or relationship? Katie: Yeah, like, if you have a story about one of your favorite partnerships that you've worked with, or even just helping an individual in the community that stood out; anything that in your past years in this organization that really stood out to you? Tamara Toledo: Hmm… I mean, it's difficult to point out just one example, because it has been years of collaborations in different ways. Not just cross-promoting, but also working together on programs, and collaborating with changing that narrative which I spoke about before. So yeah, it's kind of difficult to think about just pinpoint one example. Katie: So what would you say is your personal mission statement. Tamara Toledo: My personal, like, as Tamara? Katie: Yeah, as an individual or even as an organization, you could also elaborate on that; how do you want to continue growing in your organization? What do you see in the future for it? Tamara Toledo: Okay. I would say that LACAP right now is going through some change, some internal change of growth. And I believe that this is a moment where a lot of things can develop, and a lot of things can happen. We've already gone through 10 years of running a gallery and so we're presently looking at what does our mission, our mandate, and the things that we can contribute with and how to foment and continue to change and to grow. Within the next 10 years, what does that look like and how can we still be relevant in the next 10 years? So we're going through that process of strategically thinking about our position and what are the ways we can contribute to that. The world is changing dramatically not only with AI, but geopolitically as well. And so, I think that all of those things should be under consideration when we start developing this plan for the future; for the next 10 years. From the very beginning of LACAP's inception, we've always responded to the needs of the community, what that need was in the beginning, so I think that ultimately, that has been the mission from from the beginning, and it continues to be, so that's why we're questioning currently what is the needs of our immediate community right now and how to address that need? So, yeah, I mean, there are so many layers to how we've contributed throughout the years, but essentially, um, if you have to narrow it down, it's sort of addressing the needs. Katie:  Amazing, amazing. Thank you so much for really delving into everything you have done. This is amazing to hear. Is there anything else you'd like to bring up that we did not ask you today? Tamara Toledo: I'm not sure. I mean, like, I would like to know a little bit more about the project and how I could address perhaps some things that I haven't mentioned, or mention something additionally to what this project is about, it's hard to… it's hard to say. Katie: Of course. Mm-hmm. So, our project focuses on archival work. So we are an anthropological class, we are studying Latin America and the diaspora, and how Latin American individuals are interacting with a modern-day community in Canada. So our task was to reach out to a Latin American organization, ideally Canadian and close to us. I have a background in art history, so I also am very familiar with the art world and the growth it has been evolving very rapidly, especially since the pandemic. So we love we love that you were able to talk to us, because having those ties to art history but also having ties to anthropology is very hand-in-hand. I think they do go quite coincidely together to really understand the experience of Latin Americans in Canada, and how we can improve your experience as well. Tamara Toledo: Amazing. Well, I think that, with that said what I could add would be the work that we've done with Archivo and with Profiles, which are two projects that we've led through Sur Gallery to address this sort of representation and visibility of the Latin American diaspora. I'm not sure if you're familiar with those two. You can find more information at <a href="http://surgalleryvirtual.ca">surgalleryvirtual.ca</a>. Profiles is basically a series of video portraits of Latin American artists across Canada. We went to four different cities and interviewed 15 artists and created these 5-minute videos to represent the various types of artists that you can find. They've been curated, all of them are very different: different approaches, different mediums, different themes.  Tamara Toledo: So,that is one project. And the other one is Archivo, which is a database of the Latin American diaspora of artists, of LatinX artists that identify as Indigenous from the region (from the Latin American region), Black, and Latin Caribbean. So, that one has taken about 2 years, and it continues to grow. It's project-based, and it's been implemented through project-based funding, and we hired an archivist to research and develop that particular project, and now we have over 140 entries of different artists across Canada. So, I think for your particular interest, I guess that those two would be most relevant, those two projects. And of course, we also implement a vast array of different different programs. More notably, I would say the exhibitions that we host every year, and the programming around those. There's also a symposium we held a few… maybe 3 years ago now? - called Positionality: Latin American art in Canada. And, that also is posted on our website. We have a huge archive of different events on our website that you can look through. Katie: If I'm ever in Toronto again soon, I would love to come by and check out the gallery and see if any events are on. Tamara Toledo: Amazing. Katie:I have had a blast talking to you today, and I have learned so much about you and what you do for the community, and I appreciate the time you've spent with us. Tamara Toledo: Thank you! Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 20m59s 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 Tamara Toledo from the Latin American Canadian Arts Project (LACAP) Description An account of the resource We interviewed a representative-Tamara Toledo-- of  the Latin American Canadian Arts Project or LACAP.  Their mission showcased a good example of support for the community, by the community.  Tamara's passion was infectious: “Because my background is in the arts, that sort of has been my focus with that activist intention of changing how art is understood, accepted, and the narratives that are a part of the Canadian dialogue.”  LACAP is a Toronto-based organization that helps contemporary Latin American artists who are living in Canada connect to resources, such as help with exhibitions and research. They also provide public programming. LACAP frequently works with Toronto's institutions, such as Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD) and York University, providing lectures and seminars about Latin American artists and the history of Latin American art. LACAP’s two founders are Tamara Toledo and Rodrigo Barreda, who is in operations management. Toledo’s background in Art history and curation allows her to understand the artists' needs on a deeper level and provides mentorship for up-and-coming Latin artists. Having attended OCAD herself, she first-hand encountered the issues that many fellow artists were experiencing, allowing her to work directly with the University's programming to create a more inclusive curriculum.  LACAP only has two paid employees; everyone else is contracted, depending on project funding. In 2025, they had 3 paid staff who received payroll thanks to an additional grant they received. In general, the organization relies heavily on a fluctuating number of volunteers, meaning that lots of people are constantly coming and going. LACAP is always looking for helping hands--you can apply on their website if you are interested in getting involved with the Latin arts community.  One of LACAP’s main initiatives is Sur Gallery, located right on Toronto's Waterfront. The gallery is a dedicated space used to present contemporary Latin American and LatinX art. This venue and its programming focus on the dialogue between artists, scholars, and communities while encouraging collaboration across borders and artistic disciplines: “Initiatives are aimed to socially innovate, critically engage, lending itself to opportunities of national relevance to begin to develop global networks of exchange.” (LACAP, 2026) Toledo saw the lack of Latin American representation in the art scene of Toronto and understood the issues many Latin artists were experiencing throughout the art community. This left her and her partner to create LACAP to allow the artists to build a strong foundation in their craft to succeed in the Canadian art world. One of her favourite projects is at the Sur Gallery. She visited four Canadian cities and interviewed 15 Latin American artists for the exhibit. Toledo and her team curated a series of video interviews, forming video portraits of Latin American artists across the country, providing a platform for the artists' voices and experiences. The work that the organization does is incredibly important as it acts as one of the only support bodies for the Latin American art community in Canada. LACAP strives to employ a mainly grassroots approach, as explained by Tamara in our interview: “(...)20 years ago there was a lack of representation, visibility, of the Latin American diaspora in galleries and institutions, and so for me the motivation was to change that and to create that change and it had to be done from a grassroots place.” The gallery plans for the long term; The Covid epidemic required them to shift gears and create alternative plans to showcase their artists.  Currently, LACAP is  undergoing structural and organizational changes, in order to continue to serve their community as best as they can by responding to  constantly changing needs.  One of the ways you can support this organization is by donating. In this context, dollars go toward promoting Latin American art in different ways, such as by inviting classes to visit their galleries, by providing resources to artists for seminar-style workshops, or by supplying art tools to beneficiaries in the community. These donations can be made by cheque or via their website: <a href="https://lacap.ca/support-lacap/donate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://lacap.ca/support-lacap/donate/</a>. You can also visit their most recent project, Sur Gallery, by appointment only (for now), situated at 100-39 Queens Quay East in Toronto, Ontario. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Thursday, February 19th, 2026. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource M4A file (29,758 KB) Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/afd3081a741ec6e8e250d41a7c552c5e.mp3 52ae581cd616670ca68a83b55a1bdf8c 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Kevin Dong, Julie Hajjar, Tristan Ouellet, Tomas Kroeger, Ralph Mbanzabugabo Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Mr. Garcia Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound KEVIN (0:00): Hello, my name is Kevin and joining me today for this interview are Julie, Ralph, Thomas and Tristan and we're all very excited to do this interview with you and get to know a little bit about yourself and kind of your experiences as a Latin American living in Ottawa and thank you for being here and taking time out of your day especially on such short notice.  Mr. GARCIA (0:21): No, no, that's okay.  KEVIN (0:25): Yeah, to start off, what is your country of origin?  Mr. GARCIA (0:33): Country-wise or ethnicity? KEVIN (0:35): I guess where you were born, like country of origin. Mr. GARCIA (0:38): Well, I was born in El Salvador. Okay. That's in Central America. KEVIN (0:46): Yeah. Next question, what brought you to Ottawa?  Mr. GARCIA (0:51): Well, at the time when I moved to Canada was because our country was at war so we had to flee the country.  KEVIN (1:06): And do you have family here and do you see them frequently?  Mr. GARCIA (1:13): Yes, my mom lives here. I see my mom almost every day. I have a son too, that he lives here. Actually, he doesn't live with me. We are divorced so but I can see him anytime we desire. It's not a problem with that.  KEVIN (1:40): And for my last question, do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions?  Mr. GARCIA (1:53): Not really because like Ottawa has grown a lot. Before, when I got to Ottawa, yes. Now, I don't. I live in a different environment. It's more multicultural. Basically, I live in a French-Franco-Ontarian neighborhood.  KEVIN (2:20): Yeah.That's all the questions I have. TRISTAN (2:24): All right. So, hello. I'm going to be continuing with the next three questions. So, you mentioned the community that you live in. Would you be able to describe just like a typical day in your community? Is there anything special about it? Mr. GARCIA (2:38): Not really. I believe it's just like any other community. When people wake up, they have to go to work. There are lots of kids because they have to go to school. Construction, renovations, just a typical daily day, I believe. TRISTAN (3:00): Okay. So, off of that, are you able to describe, if you do at least, any ways that you celebrate or kind of maintain your cultural heritage throughout your daily life? Mr. GARCIA (3:15): Daily life? TRISTAN (3:16): Yeah. Mr. GARCIA (3:17): Well, basically, we try food-wise. We try to eat more of our Latin communities' meals, especially from El Salvador, like rice, beans, and specialty food. Because now, with technology, you're allowed to watch channels from other countries. So, you can just download or get an application that will allow you to see the channels of your country. That is a big difference, especially for elderly people that don't get acquainted with the language. So, yeah. TRISTAN (4:04): So, with food, also, is that the only kind of tradition, or are there holidays or other traditions that are kind of more meaningful to you?  Mr. GARCIA (4:20): As a Latin community or directly based on my country? TRISTAN (4:25): Both as a person and as a community, I guess.  Mr. GARCIA (4:29): Well, here in Ottawa, we celebrate the Latin community with the Latin Festival in September, in which all the Latin communities participate. Okay. And there is a very different environment because you get to know different communities from all around Latin America. And you see the diversity that is in Ottawa, a thing that you don't see on a regular basis now. And the Government of Canada declared the month of October, I believe, the month of the Latin heritage. So, all the month of October is being celebrated the Latin American heritage here in Canada.  TRISTAN (5:19): Awesome. Thank you very much. Those are the questions that I had. Mr. GARCIA (5:22): No problem.  JULIE (5:24): All right. So, I'll go ahead and pick up off there. So, I just wanted to ask, as a member of the Latin Caribbean community, what values are most important to you?  Mr. GARCIA (5:38): From the point of view of the Latino community or personal ones?  JULIE (5:45): You can do both.  Mr. GARCIA (5:45):  Okay. Personal ones are the ones that we try to merge in the Canadian society, learn as much as we can to be part of the Canadian society, independently in which area you are. Because here in Canada, you have, or in Ottawa, I must say, you have the French Canadian heritage area where most of the people speak French, like Quebec province and things like that. So, it all depends where you are. We try to merge in that environment so we can learn why and where and things that we can do to be part and help the community and be helpful for society, ourselves. And that teaches us to grow as a Latino community here in Canada. That's one of the things that I see. Personally, I try to keep myself merging in not forgetting my roots, even though I'm in Canada. I'm part of the Canadian society now. Now, I have learned a lot about the Canadian society. What's the French? What's the English side? Why is it so important for the French constitution when they say that this is a country that is bilingual? When in certain parts of Canada, that bilingualism doesn't apply. I don't know if I understand myself when I say that.  JULIE (7:47): I understand. Mr. GARCIA (7:50): Okay. So, that's one of the things that I personally try to understand. Since I would love to learn French, but sometimes things of life doesn't give you the time or the laziness of me doesn't let me do it. But yeah, it's nice to know all that and where are the roots of Canadian society. All like that.  JULIE (8:20): Yeah, of course. And then my next question kind of branches off that as well. It's just, what would you like people to better understand about yourself or your community?  Mr. Garcia (8:36): About the Latin community, it's very interesting because when I said the French Canadians and I said the English-speaking peoples, French Canadians are more not friendly, but they want to know more about other cultures. The English Canadians, they are very reserved. They want their space. So, even though they are opening more because the multiculturalism in Canada is so big across the country and the majority of immigrants who speak Spanish, we are in this English-speaking section, not in Quebec. But even then, you can see the difference between the communities. But in the last 10 years, I believe there is more opening from the community, from the Canadian society in the way of how they see the Latin American peoples. They are starting to understand the reasons why we came here. Some came for work, other ones came because their life was at risk in our countries, so we had to flee. So, there are different environments now. And that's one of the things that make us, sometimes we deal with those demons when we come here, and we confront a different society, different way of seeing life, from the point of view of how we see it and why we came to this country. So, I would like them to understand that even though we have years of living here, we have to deal with those problems that we carry on because of why we are here. JULIE (10:58): Perfect, that was amazing. I'll go ahead and pass it on to the next person.  RALPH (11:03): Hi George, my name is Ralph and I'll be picking up from where Judy left. Mr. GARCIA (11:07): Okay Ralph, nice to meet you.  RALPH (11:08): Nice to meet you. So, just like yourself, I also migrated here with my family about 10 years ago. And one of the things I like the most about back home is the food. So, my question for you is, what foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase the groceries to prepare the meals? Mr. GARCIA (11:34): Like I said before, there is rice, beans, we prepare it in different ways. There is the specialty food like pupusas, tamales, and cow tongue, other kind of food that we do. And you couldn't find them before. 10-15 years ago, you couldn't find them at the store. Now, like I said to Julie, now that societies, Canadian society and a lot of immigrants here are seeing that there is a market for it. Now, we start to find all that kind of food in different stores, like Chinese store, Indian stores. There is some Latin stores now opening in Ottawa and across Canada. So, the market is getting bigger because they see there is a market for it. And that's where we get our stuff. Like we try to keep, in the daily basis, we try to keep our food just reminding us our roots. And don't take me wrong, it doesn't mean that we don't eat Canadian food or American food. We always do that. But it's a thing that we try to keep our meals back to our roots.  RALPH (13:03): Yeah, thank you very much for your answer. Mr. GARCIA (13:05): Okay.  RALPH (13:07): I'll pass it to my teammate. TOMAS (13:11): Hi, so I'm Tomas and I'd like to ask you a question about the interview transcript. So, if you consent to it, the interview will be uploaded. The transcript for the interview will be uploaded to an online database where people can look through it and read it. And what I wanted to ask is, how likely would you or people you know, be to use such a database and read through the stories that are uploaded there?  Mr. GARCIA (13:44): Well, if you make it to the public and you publish in your Ottawa U website that these studies are being done, and people like from El Salvador, United States, or any other parts of the world are allowed to go and see how the specifically, let's say, Latin community is developing here in Canada, and how we feel and how we are grateful of this nation to give us the chance to keep living, finding a better life like we're going to have in our countries. I think so it's a good work that you guys are doing, because it helps not just Canadians, but other countries to realize that maybe mistakes or maybe mistakes that we as an immigrants did when we came to this country. The way we see society, the way we mentality that we took with us here, now make us a life. So, that especially right now with the world that we are having all across the world, you know, so for these refugees, that will make a difference in making decisions of how they can prepare better and try to realize that there is big difference when you come to a country that when you don't speak the language, you know. So, that's a very helpful tool as long people know how to use it.  TOMAS (15:39): Yeah, okay. Thank you. That's very helpful. Yeah, it is publicly accessible. I think you asked that near the beginning of your answer, but so as a final just note, do you have any other comments or concerns or something you'd like to talk about?  Mr. GARCIA (15:54): Well, basically, I just would like to say thanks to the team that put all this together and you guys that are doing it. So, I don't know if I will be more helpful to you like later on with more other questions or that will be the end or how this is going to proceed. So, I'm here to try to help you and I really appreciate what you're doing and if I can help you with anything, answering more questions, I'm here to do that.  TOMAS and JULIE (16:35): Okay, thank you so much. Mr. GARCIA (16:37): No problem.  KEVIN (16:40): Thank you. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On Zoom 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 Jorge Garcia Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview shared the story of Jorge Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant living in Canada. Jorge immigrated to Canada after fleeing the Civil War in El Salvador. Throughout this interview, he reflects on memories from his move to Ottawa, the ways he has seen the city transform, his broader experience engaging with Canadian culture as a Latin American man, and how he stays connected to his Salvadoran culture. <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Upon his arrival in Canada, Jorge stated that he prioritized learning about and integrating into Canadian society. He noted that the longer he’s lived in Canada, the more he's come to understand its diversity, particularly between anglophone and francophone communities. Jorge speaks of his efforts to assimilate into Canadian society while not forgetting his roots, and discusses his perspective on Canada’s bilingualism and questions he has had about French culture in Canada, stating,</div> </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“Personally, I try to keep myself merging in not forgetting my roots, even though I'm in Canada. I'm part of the Canadian society now. Now, I have learned a lot about the Canadian society. What's the French? What's the English side? Why is it so important for the French constitution when they say that this is a country that is bilingual? When in certain parts of Canada, that bilingualism doesn't apply.” </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Jorge considers his efforts to connect with and learn about the different communities in Canada to sit at the core of his belief system, and described how, as someone living in a predominantly French neighbourhood, he’s enjoyed getting the chance to learn about French Canadian culture and their language. Building on this, Jorge describes how he feels it is his responsibility and pleasure to work towards improving and contributing to Canadian society as a Canadian; his goal is to be there to support not only the Latin American communities in Canada but society at large. Jorge celebrates his Salvadoran roots through maintaining connections to family.  He also prepares and eats Salvadoran food, including rice and bean dishes, and ‘specialty foods' like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupusa">pupusas</a>, tamales, and cow tongue. Jorge explains that in previous decades it was hard to find ingredients for such dishes, but as Canada’s Latin American community grows, so does the market for such foods, and supply has risen to meet demand. Another means with which he maintains his connection to his culture is through Latin American mass media, such as television, which is now accessible online. Jorge attends festivals and cultural events, such as the Latin American community festival in September, and he proudly notes that October is Canada’s designated Latin American Heritage Month. Finally, Jorge concluded our interview, stating that many Latin American immigrants arrive in Canada after being forced to flee their home countries because of traumatic events such as warfare. He articulates this, stating, “Sometimes we deal with those demons when we come here, and we confront a different society.”  With this knowledge, Jorge hopes that his story, as well as those preserved on Anthroharvest, will provide insight and education to Canadians, Latin American immigrants, and those considering immigrating to Canada, helping them adapt to life in Canada.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 9, 2026 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3, 16 min 40s Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/6ca8ac7b9dc44d75a70da6496982da0a.mp3 f23a395c5044dde38216d0bdd54609a3 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Christine Bissonnette, Maria Bolano Valle Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Tatiana Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Christine:  So, what is your country of origin?   Tatiana: Colombia   Maria: Where specifically in Colombia?   Tatiana: Tunja, Boyaca   Christine: Now, what brought you to Ottawa?   Tatiana: My undergraduate program.   Maria: What...   Tatiana: Political Science at uOttawa    Christine: Perfect.    Maria: Do you have family here? And, do you see them frequently if you do?   Tatiana: No.   Maria: And in that case, how often do you go back to Colombia?   Tatiana: Um... Every break the university gives me. So three, no, four or five months.   Maria: Okay. So, would you say like once a year or twice a year?   Tatiana: I'd say twice a year if I'm lucky.   Maria: Okay.   Christine: Do you live in a more Latin region of Ottawa or a neighborhood where people speak Spanish? If so, how do you celebrate special occasions that arise?   Tatiana: I'm pretty sure Byward Market doesn't have a huge Latin American diaspora. There's a few Latin American businesses, but it's not like a hotspot for the community either. And if I were to celebrate any special occasions, I just go with my personal group of friends.   Christine: Nice.   Maria: And do you have any celebrations that are most important to you related to your heritage?   Tatiana: Usually in December, like say ‘Dia de Velitas’, like the day of the candles, just as a tradition, I'd say. And because we share like good food with people who share my same culture, that's it.   Christine: Can you describe a typical day in your community?   Tatiana: I'd say my day is as regular as anybody's. I go to work and then I talk to my friends when I'm free. And then if it's somehow a day I'm meeting them, we just hang around and talk.  It's nothing very culturally specific.   Maria: So for instance, for days that are special, let's say, how do you celebrate those heritage? Like, what are some, well, maybe let's backtrack. What are some dates that are important for your heritage while you're here that are not December?   Tatiana: Mmm… that's not December. Trying to think of 1. I don't know… I mean, my friend's birthday, but that's not cultural. Umm … Sometimes in Easter, but that way, I'm not religious as my family is. So, I really don't celebrate it because of culture or whatever. So, if I wanted to celebrate my heritage, I just go somewhere where I can eat my cultural food, you could say. When I'm feeling homesick.   Maria: How about Independence Day?   Tatiana: Right! I don't happen to do anything those days. Like I'm aware and I try to read something about it to try to educate myself. Perhaps I have a little chitchat with my friends about it, but it's not like I go and put like the Colombian flag on my window, and I go to the embassy to celebrate. I tried this year, but they were already full, so why would I?   Tatiana: Interesting. And then would it be another occasion? And I'm thinking more specifically and more culturally speaking for Latin countries. Days like when the soccer team plays, do you find yourself that you might be like celebrating that? As that part of your heritage?   Tatiana: Well, my family does call me to ask me to put a number on who's going to win. And we bet, which is not really, because we always put less than a dollar on the table.   Maria: Right.   Tatiana: But it's just to be like, oh yeah, we're gonna watch the game. And usually more people, like not me, because I'm not a big sucker fan, but like I know my family and I know some friends that play like the Colombian shirt whenever the team plays, because it's like a lucky token. Like, you know, if we did this, the team might win. I'd say it's pretty standard.   Maria: And also you could say it's nationalism too. It's a way, especially being in away.   Tatiana: But also a lot of fanatism around football.   Christine: God, yeah.   Maria: Especially in Colombia or like in the Latin countries.   Tatiana: Yes.   Maria: It's just annoying.   Christine: Are there specific values that you hold dear as a member of a Latin community that you would say don't necessarily translate into a more Canadian setting?   Tatiana: I'd say perhaps collectivism in a way. I feel as if Colombians think of their community first a lot of times before taking a decision that might impact somebody else than them. Out of respect, perhaps, consideration, or just costum, because that's how you're taught to be. And I kind of go by that because I don't find a reason as to why I should oppose. I think it's a nice thing to do. Like Canadians are, or I've noticed, they're more individual-driven. They want to do stuff for them first and then other people come later in consideration, which doesn't necessarily have to be something bad, but it's not something I want to assimilate into.   Maria: So you prefer having that collectivism mindset?   Tatiana: Yes.   Maria: And that's something that you value. I agree. -  Would you say it also extends to like family and friends here, especially like being away and you said that you don't have any family here. Will that sense of family, because I know in Colombia, and again, the Latin American countries, we value a lot family. So how does that translate when you moved here?   Tatiana: Well, I was lucky to find people to be friends that I care a lot about. Kind of refer to them like as a chosen family, however long that lasts. And yeah, I try to always consider them if I'm going out, if I'm celebrating something. If I'm taking a decision that I might want to share. Also trying to like, I don't know, hold myself to more rational standards than my own. Yeah, no, I've tried, I try to engage with the people I love here. I don't hold that sense of collectivism with my original family as much. Like I moved here because I wanted to be independent. So I mean, I do have a checkup with them every day, but it's not a I'm gonna do this, or do you know what? Like, I don't do that with them. But I do with the people I care about here.   Christine & Maria: Right.   Christine: So is there anything that you'd like to share about yourself or your community that is important for other people, other non-Latin people, like let's say just Canadians who've never really traveled, anything that you think is important for them to know?   Tatiana: Like important for them to know about my culture.   Christine: Yeah, anything that you're willing to share really could be more like something you've noticed in the Latin community in general, a more Colombian setting.   Tatiana: I feel like, I don't know if I want to say something positive or negative.   Maria: You can say both. It's whatever you think. There's no right or wrong answers too.   Tatiana: Well, I feel like Colombians are more spontaneous in what they do with not only friends, but with their family, right? I feel like here you have to somehow craft special outing occasion with people to convince them to meet you. Which I get, like, everybody would like to be entertained like that. Of course. But I feel the comments on, I don't know if overall Latin Americans are like, you know what, I have to do some paperwork.   Would you accompany to do this tedious ****? you want to go to the grocery store? Do you want to just go for a ******* walk?  Like I miss that spontaneity. It's not a personality trait of mine, but I miss it when other people did to me. So I know I feel like I have to do it here to try to carry that within me. I don't know if it holds a special meaning, but whatever.   And I say like a negative thing. I find it silly because, you know, we try to think like as a collective sometimes. I find it that Colombians love to peer pressure you into not heinous stuff. It's like, oh, you know, please take this food. I made it for you. If you don't receive it, I'm going to hate it forever because I offered. So how dare you?   Or in a more negative context, it might be like, oh, let's go out for drinks. And I am going to convince you for you to drink so you do the same as I'm doing. Just so we feel like we're doing everything together. But then again, that might push some boundaries.   Yeah. And I feel like we could be more mindful of that as a community. Like, I'm not saying we don't try. Everyone's different, but it's just a pattern.   Maria: It is.   Tatiana: Yeah.   Maria: It's that collective mindset of we all have to do the same thing.   Tatiana: Yes.   Maria: And we're all in this together.   Christine: Yeah.   Maria: So it comes, it's like a double-edged sword, you could say.   Tatiana: Yeah, it's kind of like company, but at the same time you're overriding people's own convictions or say, how do you say, comfortability, right? Yeah.   Maria: You could say that, yeah.   Christine: So to provide our wonderful interview process, you've mentioned food a couple of times. I'm curious, is there any particular food that reminds you of home?   Tatiana: I'd say coffee. It's basic, but it's accessible to me. And I can make it. And I bring it home because it's easier to pack. And you know, but I can aside, I mean, in the airport if I bring it. So … Easier to have. Also some like, how do you say galgerias*? Like snacks?   Maria: Snacks.   Tatiana: Yeah, I bring some corn chips, spicy corn chips. Some like chocolate with dried fruit inside. And if I were to be more authentic, I'd say like, I don't know, ‘Empanadas’ or ‘Pan de Bono’, but I don't know how to make that myself here. And even though I know the recipe, it's just too...   Maria: It's too complicated.   Tatiana: It's too complicated. So if I wanted to eat that, I would just go to like a Latin American restaurant here. Yeah. Although they're not that good here.   Christine: Now, for your snacks or your coffee, now, if you did run out of the stuff that you brought from home, is there any particular grocery store or just store in general that you would go to try and get some more?   Tatiana: Yeah, there's one in the corner here. It's called La Latina. It's mostly Mexican. but they do have some Colombian snacks. So I can go there for that. Well, and I've almost never run out of coffee, but the one time I did, I had to go to a restaurant. regular coffee store to look for the Colombian selection. And it was overpriced, ****** things. But I bought it anyway, because hey, it might be better than the average thing this healthier. I don't know.   Maria: Fair. How often would you say that you get homesick? That you feel like, oh, I want to eat this, and that's why you go and seek the food.   Tatiana: I'd say at least once a week. Like the thing I used to love about Colombian foods is like fruits. And my family, at least my mom's side, they have a whole farm to grow fruits. So my house always has them. And here the selection is so limited and it's so tasteless. And I find myself craving like a juice, a lemonade with coconut or with cherry, because we have lemonade at all ******* times. Like it's good, like a good juice, And I found a store here in Byward that kind of sells juices, but it's like $12 for a glass, which I find it's overpriced.   Maria: Just a little bit.   Tatiana: Just overpriced. And they, like, they have sweet selection. They have mango and it's a good mango, don't get me wrong. But the one I liked most was like, Lulo. Just kind of acidic.   Maria: It's a little bit acidic, yeah.   Tatiana: It's a little bit acidic or Maracuya.   Maria: Passion fruit.   Tatiana: Passion fruit, yeah. Like, it's acidic. I like those flavors. And I don't think people like it here, so they don't even bother to import it. Not a popular taste.   Maria: I think passion fruit is a bit... It's becoming more popular.   Christine: It's becoming more popular. It's definitely becoming more popular. But I think the general taste profile is sweet.   Maria: Because when you mix mango and passion fruit, they kind of like that mix because they're both kind of tropical. So it kind of gives them that sense of like… Uh!   Christine: Exotic.   Tatiana: And they can also tame the sourness.   Maria: Yes.   Tatiana: I really like the sourness. And you don't get that here.   Christine: No, it's a much more sweet variety.   Tatiana: I used to like the fruits when they were not even fully ripe. Just… Almost ripe enough so I didn't choke eating them, but that I would feel the sourness.   Maria: You like that tenseness in your mouth. You're like *salivating sounds*  Tatiana: Yes…   Maria: you're brave. Could never be me. What else?   Christine: Well, at the beginning, before we started this interview process, we mentioned a website that this will be uploaded to called Anthro Harvest. Have you heard of this website before?   Tatiana: No.   Maria: It was specifically created by our professor. And it was made to be like a capsule of the stories of people within the Latin American community and also from students around campus. So it's like a project. It's like a little capsule that people can always look back at this time in our life and talk about these things.   Christine: There's also different organizations that are interviewed on this website. That will allow different immigrants to get access to different resources and programs that these different organizations offer.   Maria: Yeah. So this is one part of the project, and then there's other parts of the project where they interact with organizations to see how they support the community and stuff like that. Because we have, I think Ottawa is decent with the, we don't have a large community, but we do have large enough, especially if we count the people that come from Gatineau. Because I think there's a lot of.   Tatiana: There's more there.   Maria: There's more there.  Tatiana: It's more affordable to live.   Maria: Yes. So knowing about this website, how likely would you think, now that you know about it, how likely would you use it?   Tatiana: I mean, perhaps if they had resources, say, accessing healthcare or some service that it's not readily available for non-Canadians, I would. But in terms of accessing the stories, I'm not necessarily sure if I would go to it. Mainly because I feel like the main public are probably other anthropologist or somebody who might be studying the community. Like I don't find a reason, or at least as a, like as an immigrant myself, like perhaps a first generation kid who didn't got much contact with the culture might, but I grew there. Like I don't need to.   Maria: You have first-hand experience of what it's like.   Tatiana: I don't need to go and read somebody else's to know what it's like. I just go and talk to the people I know. So for that purpose, I wouldn't be a user, per se. Not to say that it's useless. Obviously, there's value in holding these records and having people look at them if they're curious. I'm just not saying I'd be the target audience.   Maria: I see.   Christine: Okay, of course. So do you have any general comments that you'd like to share, maybe about yourself or your community. Just you mentioned that you're a student, so it could be anything.   Tatiana: I don't know.   Maria: Maybe… You said that you're here for your schooling. And coming from Colombia, it's always there's a question of how did you get here?   Christine: Yes.   Maria: So how did you land in Ottawa?  Like what was, because you could have other options. You could have visited Toronto, you could have visited Vancouver, you could have gone to Calgary, you could have gone to Edmonton. You could have gone to Montreal too. Why Ottawa?   Tatiana: Well, for once I had the reference of a cousin of mine who came here to do his PhD.   And, you know, I came here when I was 18, but I started considering moving to Canada when I was younger. So he kind of painted the city as something safer for somebody my age who was going to move alone, right? And he says I wanted to learn French anyway, in Ottawa, it's kind of a bilingual city if you seek for it. It's not a bad alternative, and it's also not super huge, like Toronto, where you would get lost. And I thought about French Road, but then again, I'm not fluent in French, so, right? And I didn't necessarily think about the Latin American community when moving here. I was just pursuing, again, education.   But then again, I've grown fun of it, at least the people I've found for myself in here that are part of the Latin American diaspora. And I might want to go to Montreal since I've noticed it has like a bigger community. And as much as I'd like to think it doesn't matter, and then I can assimilate into Canadian culture, I always find myself gravitating towards people of my, of a similar background as mine, even though it's not like a, like a bias or anything necessarily, it's just what I do, perhaps for my own comfort.   Christine: Yeah, of course.   Tatiana: So perhaps that has some value. I like, especially last year I talked with some freshly arrived international students. And they're like, where did you find Latin American people…I've tried.   So it doesn't seem to be a need of mine, but in general, somebody who comes from abroad trying to find someone from their same background to find belonging, like community perhaps. Because like even though, I'm not saying, it's impossible, right? But there's not a lot of Canadians out there who are just like happy too.   Maria: To go to your acquaintance to make your acquaintance and stuff like that. They're not as open.   Tatiana: Yeah, and you get to chase them a little, which is not, it's fine, you know. You're going to make an effort if you want to build relationships, but it's different. And at first it takes time to get used to.   Christine: Yeah, of course.   Maria: Would you say that part of your support group here… your chosen family, as you said, are there more, if you had to put in a percentage? Not that you have to. Would you say they're more from a Latin background like you are, or would you say they're more a mix of a lot of international students? Or would you say it's a more international, my community, Canadians?   Do you think you have a good balance between the...   Tatiana: I mean, I think most of them are international, or at least have an immigrant background of sorts. And yeah, most of them are from the Latin American community. Percentage wise, I couldn't tell you. I do have a few Canadian friends that I value a lot. But it's not, I guess they're not the predominant group. If I were to put them in a number scale.   Christine: That's fair. Yeah. I'm trying to think. Do you have any concerns? It can be about this interview in general. It can be about anything really. It could be just about you being a student in Canada or the way you're treated as such, treated as an immigrant. Just any concern … really that you think is important to voice out loud. So, people are aware.   Tatiana: Perhaps I find it funny. I know it's meant to be a compliment when people say it to me. And there's like, oh, you know, you don't look Latin American. You know, I couldn't have told that you weren't born here by the way you speak. And I guess  it's meant to mean like, you communicate yourself well in English and, you know your appearance can pass up as white, which perhaps could be a compliment in their view, but it feels a little bit condescending in the way that it's like, oh, so you expect someone with my background to be less fluent in the language, you expect them to be, I don't know, less eloquent, you expect them to not be able to achieve the same things I have. So you are complimenting me, yes, but complimenting me not because of me, but because you think my people are stupid. And I don't like that.   Maria: Like the stereotypical thing that you should be loud, you should have an accent, you should have, you should look a little different, you should not have like fair skin or and I don't know. Yeah. I mean, that is what they call microaggressions.    Tatiana: I guess you could call it that. It's just like, I don't know, it's silly.  I guess there's this presumption, and it's true that immigrants have to work harder to get what they want. And I have a lot of privilege that also has allowed me to be here, which would not have been possible if I had come here in another condition. Still, it's just like, you don't have to put down other people to compliment me.   Tatiana: And it's just like instead of challenging the stereotypes people have around the Latin American community, it just feels like they're creating a whole different category for you.   Maria: Interesting. It's like I didn't think about that in that way of like creating that whole new category. You're right. Been there. Yeah, that's all the questions we have for you. Did you want to add anything or are you okay?   Tatiana: No, I think I'm good.   Maria: Amazing. Do you want to do anything?   Christine: No, I think I'm good on my part. Thank you very, very, very much for participating and enduring with us.   Maria: You get a cookie.   Tatiana: It's my pleasure.   Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 23minutes, 17seconds 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 Tatiana Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview features Tatiana, a Colombian immigrant living in Canada. Tatiana is a Political Science student at the University of Ottawa. She immigrated from Tunja, northeast of Bogotá, to Canada at the age of 18, seeking new opportunities and to expand her knowledge of the world beyond her hometown. During our conversation, Tatiana opens up about the efforts she’s made to stay connected to her Colombian heritage and the struggles she's faced along the way. One of the main things Tatiana has found difficult to access in Ottawa is ingredients and fresh produce, as she enjoyed at home. Fresh fruit, in particular, holds a special place in her heart, as her family in Colombia owns a fruit farm and she has strong memories of always having delicious fruit at her table. She describes this experience, stating,  </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“I'd say at least once a week. Like the thing I used to love about Colombian foods is like fruits. And my family, at least my mom's side, they have a whole farm to grow fruits. So my house always has them. And here the selection is so limited and it's so tasteless. And I find myself craving like a juice, a lemonade with coconut or with cherry, because we have lemonade at all (*******) times. Like it's good, like a good juice, And I found a store here in Byward that kind of sells juices, but it's like $12 for a glass, which I find it's overpriced.” </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">She noted that when she’s feeling homesick or has a pull to reconnect with her culture, she tends to seek out restaurants that serve Colombian food. In general, Tatiana explained that she sees a few different Latin American businesses around Ottawa, particularly in the Byward Market. Outside of food, Tatiana describes the differences she has noticed between Canadian and Colombian culture during her interview. Particularly, Colombians' collectivism, which she feels is a core value of her culture. She articulated this, stating, </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“I feel as if Colombians think of their community first a lot of times before taking a decision that might impact somebody else than them. Out of respect, perhaps, consideration, or just costum, because that's how you're taught to be. And I kind of go by that because I don't find a reason as to why I should oppose. I think it's a nice thing to do. Like Canadians are, or I've noticed, they're more individual-driven. They want to do stuff for them first and then other people come later in consideration, which doesn't necessarily have to be something bad, but it's not something I want to assimilate into.” </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">In part due to this community mentality, Tatiana also feels that Colombians are more spontaneous by nature. She explained that when at home, people often reach for more immediate plans, such as going for a walk or going to the store. With this in mind, she shared some of the downsides of this mentality, noting that she experienced significantly more peer pressure in Colombia, particularly regarding high-risk behaviour.  </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Ultimately, Tatiana finds that the majority of her celebrations are community-driven. She finds herself seeking out her found family in Canada and loved ones in Colombia. She makes an effort to return to Colombia whenever she is off from school, and thus enjoys her culture firsthand fairly often while also establishing a new community in Ottawa.  </div> Language A language of the resource English Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 (21.3 MB) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Thursday, January 29th 2026 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/6a15435cf1e65f1a9a3cdc99e3be851e.mp3 cd6b243937d6eeba5c26227076544ee0 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sola Dupain and Finesse Lunsky Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Maria Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Finesse (00:00:00): Thank you so much for joining us and for participating in AnthroHarvest's interview. So we're going to ask you 12 questions, but if anything makes you uncomfortable, please feel free to not answer that question and we'll just skip to the next.  Maria (00:00:15): Okay.  Finesse (00:00:16): Okay. So we're going to start off with what is your country of origin?  Maria (00:00:21): Mexico.  Finesse (00:00:22): Perfect. And what brought you to Ottawa?  Maria (00:00:25): I came here to study university to do my undergraduate degree.  Finesse (00:00:29): And what do you study?  Maria (00:00:30): I'm doing political, joint honors, political science and history.  Finesse (00:00:35): Can you tell us a bit more about why you chose to study in Canada?  Maria (00:00:38):  So I won't say that I chose to be here in Canada by myself. It was like a decision that was heavily influenced by my parents, especially my dad. So my dad wanted me to go to study abroad. He wanted me to experience a different culture, learn a different mindset, have a more diverse experience in my life and give me opportunities he didn't never had. However, he didn't want me to go all the way to Europe or Asia because that's way too far, far away from home. It will require definitely more than two or three airplanes. It's like flights are over 10 hours. So he wanted me to have the possibility to visit home frequently or if whatever, because if there was like homesickness or actual sickness or whatever, just to be able to get back to Mexico fast. So he decided that something will be, that the best pick will be something here in America. So the other option was Canada in the US. Neither me nor my dad are thrilled about the US culture, then like instability. There's also like insecurity, the prices. So we chose Canada. Plus Canada has always been marketized in Mexico, like the great utopia, you know, where like there's free healthcare, there's security, people are happy, people are nice, people are friendly, people are not rude. So yeah, I ended up here coming to Canada. I was first at a boarding school in Victoria in BC, and then I moved here to Ontario to do my university at Ottawa.  Finesse (00:02:18): Do you have family here and do you see them frequently if you do?  Maria (00:02:22): I, currently, I don't. When I came here, like a year after, one of my brothers moved here, too, to study. He was an Algonquin, but he didn't like living in Canada, so he went back to Mexico. So currently, not otherwise, it's just me.  Finesse (00:02:37): Okay. Do you think you would eventually go back to Mexico and live there permanently?  Maria (00:02:45):  Honestly, again, I don't know. That's, I'm a decision that is not 100% for me to take. My dads, my parents have influenced a lot of my decisions. I would love to maybe eventually go back to Mexico. However, the political situation, the social situation, there's a lot of crime, there's a lot of insecurity. So I don't know if it will be in my best interest or my best fit to me to go back home. I'd like to visit often. I'd like to stay long times, be like there a couple months. However, for settling, I think. I will try either to move somewhere else I I've been in Canada a couple years now so I definitely don't see myself sticking here for too long but I will I would like to go maybe to Europe maybe go to France try to learn French or Italy something new something different and maybe once I'm done traveling done experimenting and living life I would like to go on back home and settle.  Finesse (00:03:45): And do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish and celebrate various occasions?  Maria (00:03:53): No, not really. I don't think I've found that here in Ottawa. I know there's like Latin communities in Vancouver and Toronto, like really Latin neighborhoods. I haven't found that here in Ottawa.  Finesse (00:04:06): I know you mentioned that you don't live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish. But do you know if there is a neighborhood in Ottawa that exists where you can do so?  Maria (00:04:17):  As a matter of fact, I know it doesn't exist. I know there's like places in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, where they're like literally just like you go to the Chinese neighborhood, like there's like Latin neighborhoods, you know, like there's a lot of Mexican businesses or like Latin, whatever, like mixed with Colombian and Swell and whatever. And there's like a lot of apartments and rent to people that have migrated from Latin communities.I know we don't have that here in Ottawa. The closest thing I've found so far is like Facebook groups, like Latin Facebook groups, where people will like spend their business, will like just share and like, oh, their businesses, their ideas, they will like look for advice, like, hey, I'm looking to rent an apartment or hey, I'm looking for a job, like, what can you, how can you help me? And that's like the closest thing I've found, to have a community or neighborhood of people that speak Spanish in Ottawa. I think it would be great if there eventually becomes one, maybe as more people come here to Ottawa, as more people settle they will eventually be one be created. I know one of the big issues right now is that we're all like scattered throughout the city. A lot of like live all live like in Gatino, others like live in Nepean, others like live like an hour away from downtown. And the reason is like, I know they're looking for like places that are not that high on rent. So that is definitely a challenge.  Finesse (00:05:46): And what celebrations are most important to you?  Maria (00:05:50): As like holidays I'll say that in Mexico the most popular ones are there's actually one that's coming like this next week which is like in English I think it's called no it's like a Catholic event um in Spanish is Semana Santa I remember the name in English like two weeks of like the Holy Week like one from like when like Christa and like the whole thing that was really common um Christmas. And I'll say after that, we have Day of the Dead. Personally, myself don't really care about it. I have family members that do.  Finesse (00:06:24): Do you have strong contact with your community and family back home while you are living in Ottawa? And if so, does that help you stay connected?  Maria (00:06:34):  I'll say that it's a 50-50. I do try to stay connected. I think the most common thing that I use is that I text them a lot. I text a lot of my family, I text a lot of my friends. I try to do FaceTime with like as many with them as they can. I would send them like you change stuff through social media. It does become a bit hard because, well, sometimes life gets busy. You know, you have school, you have work, you have your personal issues. So it's not like you can be in the phone 24/7. But I do try to have them involved in my life, let them like give them updates like, hey, have you been? I've been doing this, what you're up to? I also try to visit as much as possible. Sometimes that's an issue because well, plane tickets are pricey and well, I have school and stuff like that. I have like my own personal commitments. But I do try to keep a strong contact with my community and my family, my friends. I think if I don't keep in contact with them, if I like stop reaching out to them, I start to feel like lonely and isolated. So I like for them, I have like group chats with my friends and family and we keep each other updated like, hey, I'm doing this. Like we're all living our different plots. We're all trying to keep each other like updated and involved just so we don't feel like we're not part of each other's life anymore.  Finesse (00:08:02):Okay. Um, and can you describe a typical day in your community?  Maria (00:08:07): Like living here, living back home. Finesse (00:08:10): Maybe both?  Maria (00:08:11):  So I think it changes a lot. Living here, my typical day will be waking up, doing like my self-care routine. Taking care of my pets, going either to work or going to school, going back home, feeding myself. That's pretty much, I'm pretty by myself. I'll say that back home is more different. People tend to mingle more. I think here if you want to meet with your friends, you need to schedule it way in advance. In Mexico, the culture is really common like, Hey, what are you doing right now? Let's meet up right now to go have breakfast. So it will be something like that, I will wake up, have breakfast by myself, with my siblings, or with a friend go do either whatever errands I have to do for the day, whatever work, and I'll always meet up with someone. Like it's a more social life.  Sola (00:08:57): Would you want to be part of one of these communities?  Maria (00:09:02): I think I will love it. It's nice to have... to socialize with other people that have experienced the same things that you have, that get the same feelings of being away from home and missing it and sometimes wanting to go back but also wanting to push forward with the decisions because at the end of the day you move away from home because you're looking for better opportunities, for better stability, for better life conditions. So it will be nice to be part of a big group that gets that feeling. And not only that, but also help newcomers here to Canada to go to navigate like the whole migration thing and the adoption.  Sola (00:09:42): How do you celebrate your heritage, whether in Canada or back home?  Maria (00:09:49):  I don't think I really do nothing here in Canada, like to celebrate, oh, I'm Mexican. Yeah, I've never done anything. Sometimes with my friends, we will cook for ourselves just to not lose my culture. I will cook my own food at home. I don't really go to the Mexican restaurants here because I don't find them good. They're not bad, but if you have had the real deal that I need. As a back home, we do have a lot of the days, like Independence Day, the Revolution Day. It says that in Mexico we tend to celebrate them. We tend to have the day off from school or the day off from work. We tend to go out to eat. Even if we don't really care about the whole celebration, it's a time where you do socialize and spend time with friends and family.  Sola (00:10:33): Okay, that makes sense. What are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin community?  Maria (00:10:41): I'll say it would be the connection to family. I think Latin families we do care a lot about. No matter what your family is, it's like blood is blood. You need to hold each other and be together. I think that's something I try to keep, especially right now that I'm by myself. I try to have connection and keep connection with my brothers that are somewhere else, with my family, not get too distant.  Sola (00:11:03): Can you tell us more about the family values from your community and how that compares to what values you see in Canada?  Maria (00:11:10): You really care. And it's expected for you to be to those that are like your family, your blood related and everything, and your close friends, no matter what. You always try your best, like it's really normal to do a favor and do it and not without expecting anything in return. Also expected for your parents and to be for your family, no matter what. And I think the biggest example for that can be how here in Canada, once you turn 18, 19, it's expected for a lot of the kids to move out of the parents' house. That's not the norm. Unless you're going away to another city, like going abroad to another country to study, you're not, your parents are expected to stay at your house with them. And even if you leave, let's say, I want to go study to another state, but inside Mexico, or I want to study in another country, your parents are still socially expected to help you as much as they can, obviously taking into account their possibilities. But yeah, it's like what's socially expected is what's socially from like fomented. And yeah, I'd say like that's it. I think that I've seen that in Mexico. People will always try to have your back, no matter what, and he and I think people are more, it's not selfish, the world say they're more individualistic, like... Okay, this is my issue. My things are my things. And if I can, or maybe you care about the person, then you will try to reach out or help other ones. If not, it's like whatever, you know, like not my issue, not my problem.  Sola (00:12:49): And you talked about food. What foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals?  Maria (00:12:57): So the groceries, I tend to buy most of the stuff at like places like Blah Blahs or Food Basics. I do bring a lot of stuff from home. Like if I wanna make los chilaquiles, which is like a dish with tortillas and like a chili sauce, that's like tomato chili sauce. Sometimes there's like little Mexican stores, like Latin markets that do sell them here. I don't try to buy them here as often because they tend to be way overpriced. So when I go back home, I bring the stuff that I know like I can bring. And I'll cook it here. And I found to buy like certain replacements. Like I know here in Canada, it's not really common to eat like soft cheese on pasta or cheese. So I found like something, I found like a Greek cheese that is like pretty similar in flavor and texture that I can find like at Costco. So I've done like a lot of substitutions. I've done like a lot of like Mexican soups, like tortilla soup, which is called tortilla. uh uh lalpeno soup which is like similar to like a chicken soup but with like a spicy chili twist um chilaquiles and chiladas which a lot of things involve tortilla and tomato and chili just in different presentation and cheese.  Sola (00:14:08): Okay that sounds really yum. What would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know?  Maria (00:14:15): I don't know I think I think a lot of people have the misconception that All Mexicans have to be short, brown, and fat. We're not like that. We were a colonized country. There's a lot of people that are mixed, a lot. It's pretty normal to see white Mexicans, really tall Mexicans, or like ginger Mexicans, even black Mexicans. So I think it's important to people to not try to pinpoint us just to like a basic physical stereotype. And what was the second part of the question, sorry.  Sola (00:14:48): What do you think is important for people to know, whether about yourself or your community?  Maria (00:14:52): Well, I would say that's mostly it also. Yeah, I would say that mostly that plus Mexican cultures tend to vibrate a lot from like, just like how Canada is really diverse between the its own like provinces, just like that is in Mexico too. The culture from the north is really different from the people in the south. You're not going to have the same experience and. I don't know, I think that we must lead.  Sola (00:15:14): Do you think people in Canada stereotype a lot?  Maria (00:15:17): Yes, I have a lot of people ask me, and I swear to God, if you're Mexican, why are you what? And I'm like, okay. I'm like, I'm a mixed, like it's a mixed country, we were colonized.  Sola (00:15:30): Right, okay. This question is related more about our project that we're doing. What would be like the probability for you to use the website and to look into, you know, different stories or different cultures that people have.  Maria (00:15:47): I think it depends on what I'm looking for. I don't know if the website will have stuff like Latin events coming up that people can look into it. I will maybe look into like the website if there's like a way to join or like link up with other Latin, other Mexicans. I will also give it like a try to like check the website out. Or maybe if I need it for a project, I'll also need to check it out. Besides, I don't really see myself trying to Google it.  Sola (00:16:11): Yeah, that's fair. Do you have any other comments or questions for us?  Maria (00:16:15): No, I think that's mostly it. I don't know if that's enough.  Sola (00:16:19): Yeah, no, it was great. It was great to hear your insights and what you think about your community and hear it from you. So thanks so much for joining and for letting us have the space to ask you questions. So thank you.  Maria (00:16:35): No problem. Okay.  Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 16:39 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 Maria Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Maria is a Mexican immigrant studying Joint Honours in Political Science and History at the University of Ottawa. She first arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, as a boarding student, then moved to Ottawa for post-secondary education, and returned home in the summer to reconnect with her family and Mexican community. As a young adult, Maria looks forward to continuing her exploration and travelling the world, with the possibility of returning home afterward.</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Her decision to come to Canada was not her own; it was made by her parents, who saw Canada as a welcoming and open country for immigrants. None of her family members moved with her, except for her brother, who came one year after her arrival for a short time but left soon after because he was not enjoying his experience. This reality contextualizes her early experience of settlement, exhibiting the nuance and varied responses involved with being immersed in a new country and culture.</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Maria highlights that long-term integration has not always been easy for her and that this challenge persists long after one’s arrival in a new country. Maria mentioned that she has yet to find a Latin American community in Ottawa, stating she was unaware of its existence. She notes that Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are hubs for Latin American communities, with organized cultural celebrations and events. She articulated an uneven nature of immigrant integration across different cities and urban contexts. </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Maria still holds her cultural identity and the traditions she values very closely, as this helps her stay connected to her Mexican community. She expressed that a significant cultural holiday she celebrates is Semana Santa, a Catholic holy event popular in Mexico. She also appreciates foods such as Chilaquiles, a dish made with tortillas and tomato-chilli sauce, and she buys most of her ingredients at grocery stores like Loblaws and Food Basics. Her incorporation of Mexican culture into her Canadian life has helped Maria maintain her connection to home.</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Though Maria details her positive experience in Canada, she also describes her encounters with stereotypes and external perceptions of her identity. She highlighted the colourist and prejudiced assertions people have made, assuming she was not Mexican because of her appearance. Maria emphasized the microaggressions she has experienced through these stereotypes, being questioned for her Mexican identity because she did not fit the image often associated with Mexicans in Western society. </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Throughout her interview, Maria expressed optimism about the future and the new explorations and pathways it might hold for her.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 10, 2026 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Ethnographic Interview with a Mexican Immigrant https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/2a3438ec80b3438e027fc1eec8320b2c.mp3 84072132ff560e01d862c508e00a22eb 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Brigith Martinez-Rivera, Aseye S Adjei, Rina Shabanitiba and Phillipa Sekalala Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Claudia Martinez Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Brigith Martinez-Rivera (0:23): Perfect. All right. Hi, Claudia. How are you? Rina Shabanitiba (0:24): Okay. Aseye Adjei (0:26): Yeah. Claudia Martinez (0:28): Very good, thank you. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (0:28): Yeah. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (0:30): All right. So today we'll just be conducting a short interview. I believe you already have the questions, so there should not be any surprises. It is for our class, anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean. The study will be used for Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities, and it's being run by Dr. Laurie Weinstein, and she's a professor at uOttawa in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Do you have any questions before we begin? Claudia Martinez  (1:11): That's fine. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (1:12): Okay, perfect. So, what is your country of origin? Claudia Martinez (1:18): My country is Colombia. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (1:22): Very nice. Claudia Martinez (1:24): For the ones that don't know, it's in South America. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (1:30): Yeah. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (1:31): Perfect. And what brought you to Peterborough? Claudia Martinez (1:32): Yeah. Claudia Martinez (1:39): I was living in the States for three years, and basically I started getting information of a country that I could apply for refugee since in the States I couldn't do it because the rules were a little bit different, and the time passed, and I couldn't really go ahead with the process. So, once I got it, I got some information, I knew Canada was a very welcoming country for situations like mine. And my husband and I, today my husband, at the time we were just engage and decide to come to Canada and being at the border, get in the process, somebody mentioned Peterborough and we never left. Here we are. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (2:40): Perfect. And for our next question, do you have any family here or, and do you see them frequently? And it would like you to explain or elaborate as much as you would like. Claudia Martinez (2:58): Okay, so at the time when we came, there was absolutely no one. We were the kind of the pioneers. But then a few months later, a cousin, my husband's, came, then a few years, I believe it was about five years later. My sister-in-law who was in the States as well, because of the law and the way they facilitate family members or family reunion. So, she was able to come to Canada with her family. At the time, it was three kids. So now, so basically, that's the close family we have here. And obviously, the family has grown, little babies now. And yes, we see each other every time we can. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (4:07): Perfect. Thank you. I don't know. I think that's it for my part. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (4:15): Yeah, I have the next three questions. So, do you live in a Latin community or neighborhood where people speak Spanish and or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions? Brigith Martinez-Rivera (4:15): Perfect. Claudia Martinez (4:26): Here in Peterborough is very minimal. With time, I know there is more and more Latinos, but unfortunately, in my case, I don't get together as we wish like because...and always working or doing other stuff. So, but once in a while, I know there is like salsa parties. There is a Mexican restaurant that tries to get people once in a while, I don't know, once a month, every two months. And I know some people do. In particular, I don't. And on a few occasions, I have gone to Toronto to a few celebrations, like July 20th, which is the independence. So usually it's a big concert, a lot of typical foods and that's very fun. But again, I think I have lost a lot of contact with, say, like Latin community. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (5:42): Well, the next one's kind of, it relates to the other one, what celebrations are most important to you. Claudia Martinez (5:52): For our country, I guess one of the biggest celebrations is Christmas, even though it's a little more different. If you are there, it's more like party and a lot of food. Here is, let's say, more commercial, more decoration and like, you know, you do a lot around the house and try to get together with friends and it's a little different. There is more like family and get together and try to see the family that you haven't seen through the year. The big special foods that a lot of sweets. Holy cow, it's a lot of sweets. And but again, here and now that I am a grandma, I guess the most important for me. It's a Christmas, and something that I have adopted is Thanksgiving, which I love because it's like not a commercial part, not presents. And so, they get together and the food, being around the table and celebrate. I like it. And the meaning, I really like it. We don't have that in Colombia, I guess, because Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (7:14): Right. Claudia Martinez (7:20): The whole history, the weather, is very different. So, we don't have it. So, let's say we combine Thanksgiving and Christmas is more like Thanksgiving there. Kind of, that feeling. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (7:25): Yeah. Very cool. And can you describe a typical day in your community? Claudia Martinez (7:41): Say that again, sorry. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (7:43): Can you describe a typical day in your community? Claudia Martinez (7:47): When you say my community, you obviously relate to Colombia or here. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (7:52): I believe so. It doesn't specifically say. Claudia Martinez  (7:53): Yeah, because when I was there. It's very different in the sense that there is more interaction with people. Like every day you go outside, you go to the door, there's a lot of neighbors outside and everybody's, hi, good morning. You have little, short conversations through the day. As you can imagine like when you go to a Latin country, you take the bus or you're in the car, but you talk to a lot of people through the day. Here, basically, you get into car, go to work, and stop the necessary and go back home. So, there is a, you can feel the warm, like, you know, getting close to people. Colombians are very touchy-touchy, so it's always a hug and to say hi. And so, I guess, and also people take a lot of time to sit for a coffee and go here and enjoy other people, friends or family. It's a lot of visiting without noreason. You just somebody's here. People don't let you know that they can visit, they just showed up. So, in that way, that's pretty much a typical day there. Phillipa Bwayiga Sekalala (9:17): Very cool. I think it's Rina. Rina Shabanitiba (10:48): All right. So now I ask the question of how do you celebrate your heritage? Claudia Martinez (10:56): So, when we call Heritage, we usually celebrate October the 12th. I can't remember how they call it here, Columbus Day, or it was when apparently America was discovered. So, basically, when you grow up at school, they teach you that's pretty much how the Spanish arrived in Colombia and other Latin American countries. And basically, our culture is a mix of a lot of still indigenous communities and a lot of like a lot of influence from the Spanish. Good or bad things too. But basically, that's when we identify like our customs and celebrate. Being here is not much of A celebration anymore, but we still recognize like this important day and basically, I don't think I passed that to my kids, but it's, yeah, I would say unfortunately I don't celebrate it anymore. When I was back in Colombia, it's even a holiday. So,people, there is a lot of activities regarding that and a lot of like, they remind you all the story and little things how, let'ssay, yeah, I like the continent was discovered and why some customs or where they come from, but it's not a big celebration for me, put it that way. Rina Shabanitiba (12:58): Amazing. All right. So, in that case, I have the next question, which is, what are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Latin community? Claudia Martinez (13:13): When it comes to values, I think the most important one is the family structure. When it comes to the family, we try to be very close. Unfortunately, we still carry the Latinas moms are well known for the be not easy and probably we spank before we talk. So, we are very strict. As parents, we are very strict because we always, it could be a wrong belief, but we believe a lot in discipline. So I guess the family, we try to keep the family under control, put it that way. And nowadays, there is a lot of different ways to think and how you raise your kids, but As A Colombian family, I guess is very, very important when taking the time to raise your own kids and always like be the one that is always there for them. And so unfortunately, we changes economy, a lot of moms have to go and work, but we try to get still more present. And I guess that's the most important value that I think I try to keep from my culture, the mom being present. Like, as much as possible. Rina Shabanitiba (14:55): Okay, wonderful. And for the last question for me is that what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you think is important for people to know? Claudia Martinez (15:02): Yeah. For people to know. I know it's hard to come to another country, can be Canada, can be anywhere. I was, I had the experience to live in the States for three years. And I think always you will find some resistance from. the people that had always lived there, even though sometimes they don't realize it's only like second generation, they are also immigrants at some point. But you always find that resistance. And I guess the most important part for me, is the, especially I can talk for most of the Colombian people I know. We are very hard workers. We don't expect that everything is given to us. We at some point got help and that's very appreciated. But as soon as we can, like, honestly, we were working two jobs. My husband at some point have three jobs. And we have been always like that. Try to contribute in a way. We can, not just working, but also raising a family that is going to be like, you know, good people, people that is going to ask again, and going to contribute with the community, great human beings. And I'm very proud of my family in that way. So, I'm not going to brag, but I'm very happy with all my kids, like the lives they have and the service they are doing to the community. Aseye Adjei (17:13): So, moving on to question 10. What foods do you make that remind you of home and where do you purchase your groceries to prepare for your traditional meals? Claudia Martinez (17:25): Say that again, sorry. Aseye Adjei (17:26): What foods do you, what foods do you make that remind you of home? And where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals? Claudia Martinez (17:31): Yeah. Okay, sorry about that. There is a very typical soup from my small region. It's called Sancocho. So, it's a soup. Let's say I don't make it anymore because it's a bomb of carbs. It has like yuca, green plantain, potatoes, and you can use either chicken or even the three meats, which is delicious. But fortunately, it has been easier with the years. At the beginning, it was only Nofrills. You can get green plantains. And now we used to go all the way to Toronto to get like Latin products. And I guess with the community asking, I guess they have noticed they need to have those products. And having in mind that it's also students that come to Peterborough, to Trent University, or Fleming College, and people from Mexico mostly, but so they have been able to have a little section of Latin foods, and now we find the condiments, we find spices, we find fruits. I know a lot of people know the passion fruit, or we love that, and other fruits. That is not easy to find, but with years I have seen more and more in not just no frills, but other supermarkets like Sobeys or I don't know. What is the other one? Used to be shoppers. I always forget their name. Freshco, yes. They also have a good selection out. And depends on the area, mind you. Like in Toronto, where there are some supermarkets that have more products than... Brigith Martinez-Rivera (19:39): Freshco. Claudia Martinez (19:53): other area. So, we have been lucky here to find a lot of products. Aseye Adjei (20:02): Yeah, that's good to hear. So how likely would you and your family be to use the websites we are 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 access as well will be as well as what should be posted would be greatly appreciated. Claudia Martinez (20:27): If we, I'm not clear on that one. So, if we use or if we are okay, we upload information. Aseye Adjei (20:36): So, the websites in general, so the website is the AnthroHarvest website and the ultimate goal of it is to create an archive of stories that the Latin community can access at any time to preserve the knowledge and to promote your culture. That's where this interview is going to be uploaded. So, we just want to know how likely you and your family will be able to use the website. Claudia Martinez (20:55): Yes. Oh yes, I think it's a great resource of information, especially for the new generations. And if we can always share some of the stories and people understand, sometimes a lot of people have very difficult put it away, very difficult and sad stories, and the reason why they have to fled their country. I guess the new generations can get more sympathized a little more with that transition, being that it's not easy to leave your country all of the sudden, some people, there are so many different circumstances, and I guess even not just the new generations, but also people that the community here, they probably would like to hear and understand why a...people like me or other people have to leave their countries because unfortunately situations like not just the economy, which is a big one, but it's the social violence. And there is a lot of circumstances that make us make that decision. Um... So, I think it's important and have resources where people can get access to that information. And for us also as well to have a platform or again, software that you can share. a little bit of you and your stories. Aseye Adjei (22:54): Thank you so much. And now at least I would just like to know if you have any comments or concerns about it. Claudia Martinez (22:55): You are very welcome. Well, I'm very happy. To be honest, I didn't know all the questions. I didn't read them, but I'm very happy that you guys doing this for the, not just as a study, but to learn and understand people and understand why, how these new communities are formed. It's not just because, oh yeah, I'm going to Canada and yes. of people that came from many other countries is important. And I guess to, there is a word that I can pronounce, can synthesize, can help me, make people aware of different circumstances and why is so difficult to do this step like is again. At the end, I'm very proud. I'm very lucky to be here in Canada, but my story is not the same as many others. Some people have very difficult processes. Unfortunately, they get deported. because they don't meet all the requirements or yet any other reason, you know, many things can happen. But for you guys being young and being lucky to be in a beautiful country with feeling safe is something that not everybody has grown up with. So, I guess I love the idea how you guys are working on these projects because it give you a little bit of, it's a little bit of eye opener, I guess, to under some many other cultures or people's situations. So, I'm very grateful, very happy you guys are working on this and congratulations. You're doing a great job. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (25:29): Thank you. Aseye Adjei (25:30): Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being open to us as well. Claudia Martinez (25:32): Okay. Rina Shabanitiba (25:32): Thank you. Thank you so much. Brigith Martinez-Rivera (25:34): Yeah, thank you for your time. Claudia Martinez (25:35): You're very welcome, guys. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On MS Teams Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 24 minutes 05 seconds 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 Claudia Martinez Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Claudia Martinez is an immigrant from Colombia and has been living in Canada for over 20 years. She shares her story, touching on themes of cultural adaptation and community growth. She explains that through family reunification, she was able to bring relatives to Canada and has since seen growth in the Latin community, making cultural foods more accessible. Claudia shares the importance she places on family-focused celebrations such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. She also explains comparisons in social norms between Colombia and Canada. Moreover, she emphasizes the strong work ethic of Colombian immigrants and their commitment to family and societal contribution. Overall, she is grateful for the Anthroharvest website, which serves as a great platform to share diverse immigrant stories and can promote a better understanding among the public of the different situations that lead to immigration. </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Friday, March 13th 2026 at 9:00AM Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/82e1ac1d38d4ab767843898e3be10480.mp3 140118f99dcc788d14e8d2ae0093e2a1 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Seanna Aarts-Magee; Maryam Cheikh Hassan ; Sydney Langlois; Latifa Saad; Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Vera Cotter Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Latifa Saad (0:02): Hello, hello.    Seanna Aarts-Magee (0:02): Hi.   Maryam Cheikh Hassan (0:02): Hi. Latifa Saad (0:03): Ah, there's the lovely ladies. OK.   Sydney Langlois (0:05): Hi.   Latifa Saad (0:06): This is Vera.   Sydney Langlois (0:07): Hello.  Maryam Cheikh Hassan (0:07): Hello.  Seanna Aarts-Magee (0:08): Hello. Sydney Langlois (0:09): Thank you so much for taking the time to help us out today.   Vera Cotter (0:13): Oh, wait and thank me after it's over. I might run away.  Latifa Saad (0:20): Perfect. Cool. So let's start. So the first question, which is kind of funny to me, is what is your country of origin?  Vera Cotter (0:34): Trinidad. Kind of thinking India, right?  Latifa Saad (0:38): Oh, no, no, we're thinking Trinidad. It's Trinidad.   Vera Cotter (0:41): Trinidad and Tobago, actually. But I was born in Trinidad, so it's, 2 little islands, one government, but I was born on the Trinidad side.   Latifa Saad (0:51): OK, where in Trinidad were you born?   Vera Cotter (0:54): I was born in Port of Spain, which is the capital. And we lived there until I was 5 and then moved to Princes Town. And that's where I lived the rest of my time at home. So, my family always sent us, sent us away to school, and usually it was the English side. You know, we all the education system in in Trinidad when I grew up there was the English system. So, we went through University of Cambridge. So, when you finish high school, time for university, we have a really good university on the island, but it's just one university, so you can only have so many students, right? And my parents, so family, the habit was you always continued with  University at Cambridge, so, you go the English way. When our turn came, so my mom's siblings would have gone the other way to the east. When our siblings started to go to university, we came to the West.   Latifa Saad (2:08): Hmm.   Vera Cotter (2:09): So that's how I ended that—first, actually, I went to the States, started there and did one and a half years and then moved to um, to Canada because, our culture you have to live with family, like you can't just go as a student to a strange land. And by yourself, like that just wasn't allowed. So, my aunt had just graduated and she's a pharmacist and she wanted to get her license for the States and for Canada. So, while she was doing her work in the States, that's where I went to live and start school when she moved to Ontario, a year and a half later, so you can have her license from Ontario, I have to pick up and move with her, and then I became a rebel, and I dropped out of school. Sorry.   Latifa Saad (3:15): No, that's good.   Vera Cotter (3:17): Culture. It's culture like.   Latifa Saad (3:20): I was gonna ask the second question, which was what brought you to Ottawa. Vera Cotter (3:24): So Ottawa, OK, so Toronto, the only pharmacy school there was at University of Toronto, being stuck with relatives and I had a few more relatives in Toronto.  And I just found living with, they became my parents and it was like too much, too many parents. And we were allowed back then to work like 20 hours a week as a student in Canada. So, I hung out with a crowd that my family did not approve of, it was like, not good. So, there was a lot of pressure. There's school and there's the friends I hang out with, and I ended up moving back home for two years and then realized that's when I just dropped out of school and like I would just rebelled. So, I moved back home for two years and then realized, no, I don't like it back there. I would rather live here. So, I came back to Toronto. And very young because I met my husband, uh, we were 19. So I'd be 21 when we come came back and then we got married at 22. He lived in Belleville, Ontario—not a good crowd. So, he moved back home and went back to school, did a two-year program because he never finished high school. So, when we got married, we ended up moving to his hometown of Belleville. So, I got a job in the bank because back then there were always layoffs, you know, Bell’s laying off, these companies laying off. Belleville, 40,000 people, not very many places to work and have a secure job that paid money. So, I ended up working for the bank. So that's how I ended up in banking and just kind of stayed there.  Vera Cotter (5:33): All the jobs were in the Silicon Valley, like you had to move out West or you come to Ottawa. Nortel Networks, you guys may be too young to know about that company. Very good Canadian company. Nortel was the only place that he can get a job, right? Engineering in, electronics engineering. So, my daughter, we have one child and she finally moved to Ottawa, Ottawa ‘U’. Is that where you guys are? And, well, when she finished school and did her job and settled down, got married, she decided to stay in Ottawa. So, my dream was always culture. It's culture. You stay close to your kids. That was my dream, to move closer to my daughter. I was doing a lot of driving, you know, I'd come to Ottawa, cook for the kids, you know, the students. We'd all get together and I was able to see her a lot. Long story short, how I ended up in Ottawa? So, when my daughter had her first baby, I moved, away, on my own. I'm in Ottawa and I've made a new life over the past 12 years, so it all worked out. I was very lucky. We started working really young in our generation, so I was lucky enough to retire, they called it “Age Plus Service” and you can retire like, I retired at 56, when the first grandchild came, so I could look after my grandchildren and just now you can see why I just picked up and moved. Because you know what? The baby's here. Now I'm going like that was my dream. So that's how I ended up in Ottawa. Latifa Saad (7:25): Oh my God, that is a great story. You also kind of answered some of the questions like as you're going... Vera Cotter (7:31): Ah, really?  Latifa Saad (7:32): Yeah, yeah as you were going, which is good. So, the next question that I was gonna ask, my final question, because these ladies are gonna ask you some questions too, is do you have family here, and uh, do you see them frequently?   Vera Cotter (7:43):  So, I do have family here. You girls would see this later on in life, as you get your own family, like you kind of don't see each other as much because you now have your, your own. So, my siblings, right, have their kids and they're very busy with their kids.  Even my daughter now, my grandchildren are 14 and 16. They're busy with their own lives. So yes, I do have family. Do I see them very often? Probably three? Four? times a year because uh, they're in, again, I have a sister in Kingston, um, Ontario. I have my brother in Toronto. But again, they're busy with their families. So, we will get together, but it's only like three or four times. Or my youngest brother moved back home to Trinidad to look after my parents. That's culture. You kind of like, have to look after your parents. And so that creates a reason for us all to get together, whether it's here or New York or England or Trinidad. Right? So all the, all the even my grandchildren, like it's just amazing the kids, what you have today, we didn't have, right? In our day. So, this what we're doing now. I will hear something from my grandson about the other one that lives out West and I'd say, oh, how do you know that? Well, they're like playing games or doing this zoom thing and, you know, they're planning trips, “OK, when's the next trip?” And I will hear it from the kids, the grandchildren, the great nieces and nephews. So, they keep more in contact than I would with my brother or sister. Right? Because we're not into, we're old people. We don't know how to do this stuff. Not old, you know what I mean? But the kids and they would say, like sometimes they would be, they'd plan, you know, different time zones. And they would plan when they're going to get together and play games.   Vera Cotter (10:09): I do have siblings here, but yeah, I don't see them that often. And that's okay, right? That's okay. Because when we need, there's like 40 of us, like, yeah, and we don't care. So again, culture. Growing up on the islands, we don't care. We'd have like 30 people sleeping on the floor, like in one room, and you don't really fall asleep. There's always somebody talking or, you know, like that's how we grew up. And if we don't care that we have to sleep on the floor or as long as we're all together. So I have, you know, with one of these visits, as I get older, I, I can't handle it. But you do it.  Latifa Saad (10:56): That is so great. Oh, I love that. That's so great. I love hearing the, the stories of, of family and culture.   Vera Cotter (11:04): Yeah. Yeah.    Latifa Saad (11:05): That's great.    Maryam Cheikh Hassan (11:06): So, for the next set of questions, I'm gonna ask you them. Um, the first one is, do you live in a Caribbean community or a neighborhood where people celebrate Trinidadian occasions and traditions?   Vera Cotter (11:20): No. Do you know what? You girls might not believe this when I moved to Belleville. So, Toronto is even more like Ottawa, even now, there's so many different cultures.  When I moved to Belleville, and I lived there for 38 years, when I moved there  there were only three brown, or ethnic or whatever families in Belleville.  So, they didn't actually. It's so funny because I remember once my mother-in-law said to me at a restaurant, she says, “you know, every time we walk into the room, everyone looks at you” and, I kind of like, felt like it was because I was different, right? Like there's only white people, let's just, okay? There's only white, Caucasian people. And so, I said to my husband, I said, well, you know what? Maybe they look at me because they find me attractive. But I think her culture also is, you know, they're probably looking at me because I'm different. I don't know that for sure, but that's how I took it.   Vera Cotter (12:40): And when we were going to get married, she never told her mom that her only son was seeing someone that was a different religion, a different, um, race and everything. And when we decided to get married and she told granny, like her mom, “um, well, you know, Joe and Vera are going to get married and you know, she's different.” And, uh, Granny said, “Well, different. How so?” “Well, you know, she's not Catholic and she's not white and.” So, Mom is telling me this, my husband's mom, she said, “you know, I was telling Granny this, and Granny said, well, is she a nice person?” And Mom said, “Yep, she's a lovely girl.” And Granny said, “what does it matter if she's polka dot?” You know, now coming from when we got married, Granny would have been in her 70s or early 70s, right? Now, back in my day, being 22, I'm thinking, “wow, that's one smart lady.” Like, it's true. What? What does it matter? You know? Anyways, I talk a lot, so you have to stop me.   Latifa Saad (13:57): So no, no Trinidadian culture? Like, really celebrating?   Vera Cotter (14:00): Never had. Only with my family. So, we always celebrate the like everything, like the Eid, you know, we always got together, but not at my place because it was Catholic. My daughter is Catholic, my husband's Catholic. But uh, for fasting in my religion, um, we, we do it right? But not as religiously. Like, I don't pray five times a day. I mean, there's no way. I'm sorry, but I'm not getting up at 5 or sunrise, and all that stuff, I can't do it. But when I go home, I have to do it, right? Like you have to do the culture thing. So, we get together, like in Toronto especially. So, um, the ones here, like from out West and from Kingston, we'll go to my brother's place, in Toronto and do the celebrations.  Latifa Saad (14:59): Celebrations. Vera Cotter (15:03): Um, if someone, we call it prayers, I don't know. So sometimes, uh, in my religion you get together and you'll do a prayer, uh meeting with, with even people from outside, close friends and stuff. That's another culture thing that you will get together for. And then they'll have a feast, you know, they cook all kinds of stuff and the same with Eid, which is our big celebration like Christmas. Um, there's always food. Food, lots of food in the culture.  Maryam Cheikh Hassan (15:37): All right. Well, going along with that, um what celebrations, that you mentioned are most important to you?  Vera Cotter (15:46):  Oh, to myself personally? So being married, uh Catholic family also, believe it or not, as a Muslim, we always went to Muslim school until we got to high school, because the best schools were Catholic schools. Even though the nuns slapped you around like crazy in my day, like honestly, like it was like crazy. Like you dare not even look the wrong way. You'll be slapped. So, because of my husband's family and my family, we celebrate both Christmas and Eid. Those are important to me. Growing up, my father was, in Trinidad, my father was a school principal in his school. Um, it was in the country, so we had all different types of people, um, I never, I don't think you asked me a question about the people, the, the, the actual type of people from Trinidad. When I grew up it was English rule, but originally Spain owned Trinidad and Tobago, so there was Spanish speaking, Spanish culture. Then there was the French that took over, France, so there was, you know. And then in my day, it was like international. We had Chinese, we had Indian, we had the, the, you know, Middle East, and we had the Africans, you know, a lot of them came as slavery, like working cane fields and all that. Um, a lot of Europeans, East Indians were, East Indians was gold, they had gold store, jewelry stores. Chinese, oh, they owned all the grocery stores. The Middle East people like Lebanon and Syrian, clothing, cloth. So, a lot of those people brought their trade, whatever type of trade that they did, to Trinidad. So, I went back to that so you have a little knowledge that Trinidad had the most mixed, uh, cultures. You go to the other islands, you know, Grenada is next to us, Barbados then, and it goes up the line, Okay? They seem to have a specific like mostly the, the blacks, Barbados, a lot of European culture that mixed today. When you go there, you see a lot of, if they see an Indian Person or Chinese Person in Barbados, like back in my day, it was like, you know, my mother-in-law said they stared at me when I walked into the restaurant? That's what it was like in Barbados. Like they've never seen, they don't see Indian people, they don't see Chinese people. Trinidad was one of the only islands that had every different culture. I wanted to give you that history, so you know that there was so many, so much culture. So my dad was a principal. It was in the country. There were different religions and race or whatever. He taught us from the time we started school at five years old, you will participate in every, every culture. So you go to the temple, you go to mosque, you go to the Church, you go to everybody's and celebrate everybody's, um religion, religion and celebration. So that's how my family grew up, yeah.   Maryam Cheikh Hassan (19:44): That's beautiful. Um. So, my last question for you, would be, can you describe a typical day in your community? What does it look like?  Vera Cotter (19:55): You're talking about the island way, right?   Maryam Cheikh Hassan (19:57): Yeah, you can, you can answer it whether at home or here, whichever one you would prefer.   Vera Cotter (20:07):  I know because here it's kind of hard because I don't have many people of my culture, like even in Ottawa, like when you think of how many people live here, like I started by telling you 40,000 in Belleville. And there were only like when I left, there were more, more culture. There was more culture. But when I first went there, the first 10 years, there was only three different, three. And one of them, one of the families, was from Trinidad. So, like, I knew that family, but not to mingle with. Well, I go back home often. A typical day is, Trinidad people are very kinda, I wouldn't say lazy, but it takes them a long time to do anything. So, when you live in Canada and you go back to Trinidad, it's very frustrating, the traffic, I mean when I left, if, if you owned, if each household had a car, so one in 100 household had a car. Now, there's four and five, one for each child, one for the mother, one for the father, one for each child. So, the traffic is terrible. So, when I look at a day in Trinidad culture it is, and they have to even the banks closed at noon. There's this afternoon thing. They open at 7:00, but it's so hot they close at noon and the businesses, they actually have a siesta, like they have a nap and then they might open back again at 3 o’clock. So, life, like any most other islands, that's the way a day is for me. You get up and you always get up early because the sun rises early. So, you get up early, start your day early, you have a nap in the afternoon. You may just even, when I worked at the bank, if we were finished our work, we would borrow a manager's car and go to the beach. Like life in Trinidad is very, what's the word I'm looking for? It's not.  Latifa Saad (22:2): Relaxed? Vera Cotter (22:22): Yes, that's the word. Very relaxed. You just go with the flow. It's not here, but it can be a problem and frustrating because going with the flow doesn't always get stuff done.   Latifa Saad (22:35): That's very interesting.   Vera Cotter (22:38): It is.   Latifa Saad (22:40): Compared to.   Vera Cotter (22:41): Yeah, if I didn't live here, I wouldn't know any better, right? But even people that live here and don't travel. My mother-in-law never travelled. They can't se, it's not, it's almost, it's almost ignorance, really, when you don't travel. So, they wouldn't understand the flooding and they wouldn't understand, “oh, that wouldn't happen to us” You know? With us, with a day in my life, it didn't matter what happened because that's the way they live, expect anything, right? Deal with it.  Sydney Langlois (23:18): Alright, so my first question is what are some of the ways that you celebrate your heritage and, your community and your culture?  Vera Cotter (23:29): Hmm. Sydney Langlois (23:31): This can also be done, you know. . . you could think of everyday life practices. It doesn't have to be any, you know, major. . .  Vera Cotter (23:38): Do you know, on the islands? You're right. Everything's about food. Not, not just as a celebration, but when we cook, we cook enough food as if company is going to come over. If it's dinner time and somebody shows up, they're offered to sit and have a meal. Lunch time. Oh, open the door. “Oh, we're just having lunch. Come on in, sit down, have a meal.” So when I first moved here, for example, it was very, very, you have to, like, make arrangements. You just so knock on someone's door, and you'd never do that at meal time, right? Like.  Latifa Saad (24:24): Like it's considered rude, yeah.  Vera Cotter (24:25): Yeah, yeah. Whereas I grew up where there's always a big pot of food on the stove.  And I like to eat. So I was glad the less people came over. There's more food for me to eat. No, serious, seriously. But that's just a lot of food.   Latifa Saad (24:46): So would you cook traditional dishes to celebrate the heritage?   Vera Cotter   24:47 Oh god yes.  Vera Cotter   24:50 Oh, yes, we cook traditional every day. But we cook special traditional to celebrate. Yeah, yeah.  Sydney Langlois   24:59  I think there's a question specifically about food, so maybe we can get, get into some specifics there. Sydney Langlois   25:06 Another question would be, what are some values that you hold most dear as a member of the Caribbean community?  Vera Cotter (25:14): Oh my God, a value. There's so many. Being like, coming from the Caribbean, because we, I explained that we come from different, um, ethnic groups all over the world, the harmony like, that we lived in in the 60s, 70s, 80s, I don't think you could have found that anywhere and I really value that I was able to live in that environment atmosphere like, everyone lived so peacefully, and just like the rest of the world today, it didn't stay that way. But that's what I value. That's what I grew up with. When you're not there and there's change, that doesn't really reflect in your heart, right? You still, I still remember growing up the way I did. And so, the fact that all these different nations could live together like that was very impressive.   Latifa Saad (26:22): So, you could say that your culture taught you the value of understanding others’ cultures?   Vera Cotter (26:28): Yep. Latifa Saad (26:29): And integrating it? Vera Cotter (26:30): Yep, because living in that you had to, I mean, not everyone did, right? There's always somebody who wouldn't. But on the whole, I remember that always being a big thing. Yeah. And it's something not too many, you know, if you come from a certain country, like it's you and your culture. Whereas with me on the island of Trinidad, especially with all the different cultures moving in. You kind of have to live together in peace, right? In harmony.   Sydney Langlois (27:07): All right. So, my last question is, what would you like to share about yourself or your community that you feel it's important for people to know or understand?   Vera Cotter (27:21):  Oh, okay. We are a little bit crazy, and it's taken the wrong way. People from the island, they are, because I told you, we're carefree. You know, um. Yeah, we do get serious, but mostly we would like to live that life. We're stress free almost. And a big thing is when we speak to people and we want to emphasize something, we touch you as if to get your attention. So in this day, maybe even back home, I don't know that. But this touching is such a bad thing, right? They'll take you to court because you, I might go to touch you, “Hey.”  Latifa Saad (28:10): It's not well received, I guess.   Vera Cotter (28:12): It's not well received. And also I, I mentioned, yes, we're very carefree. I don't know, there might be a better word, but basically, you know, it's not like, it's not like we don't care. It's just if you, if something is going on and you cannot do anything about it, like why fret, right? Coming from the island, I came with that. Do I still have that after living here? I don't know that, but you asked what I valued and that would be a big thing. And I do like doing that to get people's attention. It's just so hard, so hard to stop. And honestly, in the workplace, especially in the past 10 years in Canada, like, that's not a good thing, right? You don't mean anything. You're just trying to get the attention. But I am happy that we grew up that way. I think a little touching or feeling is, is good in the right way. I still believe that. I still believe that. And I do believe that people, I always like, I'm at Costco part-time because I love to socialize. So, I like going into work for my few hours and you know, people. You know, the members or even clients at the bank, they can be so mean. And you know what I say to myself? There's a lot of unhappy people in this world, and they wait to come out and take it out on you. Whereas on the island? Everybody was happy, go lucky.  Seanna Aarts-Magee (29:48): I'm going to go with my questions now. The first one is, what—calling back to foods—what food do you make that reminds you of home? And where do you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals?  Vera Cotter (29:58):  So I kind of go to Food Basics. They tend to have like a lot of ethnic stuff. I would sometimes get my brother to mail stuff if I can't find it around here because Toronto has so much. Now, Ottawa is getting better, right? 12 years ago? I think they have a lot more ethnic stuff now. Honestly, there's nothing like a good, curried duck. I don't know if you know what that is. There's nothing like a good Stew. You could do a chicken Stew, a beef Stew, but island, island, cooking way, island spices. We do a Stew where you caramelize brown sugar, but you don't let it burn. It has to be that caramel color and you, you throw your, your meat or your beef or your chicken or whatever into that mixture and honest to God, there's not anything that I know that would make a good Stew, taste, colour, everything. It gives it everything, the caramelizing effect of brown sugar, and I do crave that. The other thing that I crave, and I don't know that people do that and it's so easy, a beef bone, especially if you're sick. You can simmer that thing for a day, two days, and within the two days that you're sick, that's all you're doing the broth, right? It's not gonna go bad on the stove simmering. I do crave that, especially when I get sick, because when we grew up, we didn't go to the doctor. You had to be dying before you got taken to a doctor. They'd go in the backyard, and they'll pick some leaf or something, put it on the mumps or the measles, make a paste. Like again, the beef broth thing. That's where it came from, from home. And there was something else, and I remember it was horrible, but when you boil rice. Not to, not to cook it, but when you boil it in a bunch of water, it kind of looked like foamy water to me. And there was something when we got sick, they would make us drink that. So we grew up with all these weird medicines as well as food, cause the first time my, my mother-in-law saw Curry chicken, my husband loved it, so I would always make sure if he didn't go home with me, I brought some back and, and one of his sisters says, “oh, what's that? It's disgusting.” Again, people who don't travel like, and you don't talk about people's food. But I crave those things as maybe you crave some stuff that you're used to your ethnic stuff like, yeah.  Vera Cotter (33:08): People laugh when I tell them this, when I came to Canada or to the US, when I came to the West, a treat for us, if you got an ice cream cone like once every six months, like that was like heaven. We never had things like cake and doughnuts unless it's your birthday. Well, never doughnuts. I didn't know about doughnuts. The only thing I knew about was cake and ice cream. And you had those, you know, specialty occasions. But you know what? The biggest treats, like, things like dates and prunes. I remember, my, for celebrations. You asked about the food and stuff. Our treats for celebrating one of the big ones. You, you pit the prune and you stuff it with peanut butter. And how healthy is that too? Now, I didn't know it was healthy back then, but that was our treat, right? It wasn't all this sugar and cookies. I couldn't understand how they could eat cookies for dessert. But now, being here for so long, I stuff my face with all that stuff, right? But I still, I crave my food, like the curries and the lentil soup and the beef bone soup. Yeah, those things.   Latifa Saad (34:24): I need those recipes.  Vera Cotter (34:26): But they're so, those are easy things though, right? Like I put the stupid beef bone in a pot of a, you know, I water or throw a package, of , how do you pronounce K-N-O-R-R? Knorr? You know how they have those soup?   Latifa Saad (34:43): The broth?  Vera Cotter (34:44): No, their vegetable soup mix, like, even when I'm making my stews, my home stews, I put that in now. And my sister-in-law, the one that lives home looking after my parents, she has seen us do that, using that seasoning as a, um,   Latifa Saad (35:02): Like an additional to that?  Vera Cotter (35:04): You know, spike the food, the taste, and even they have started using it at home. So, it's easy. Like you just throw that on the stove and throw your beef bone in there and let it simmer. No recipe.  Seanna Aarts-Magee (35:22): The next question is talking about the website that this interview could potentially end up on. Our anthropology class is, we're all doing these ethic interviews to be able to give some kind of answers and different interviews and cultures to the community, so people here have access if they can reach out if any other Caribbean people want to hear from people who have the same experiences as them. They can do it through this website. So we were wondering how likely you or your family or people within the community would be to use the website and how you think that it could be best utilized? If you think these interviews are a good way for people to use it or if we should add other things or anything that you would recommend.  Vera Cotter (36:09): Let me see.  Latifa Saad (36:09): How people could, um, learn your culture as well through the interviews that we're doing and watch it on the website.   Vera Cotter (36:17): Okay, so okay, I was, I was thinking I got it wrong. I thought you meant, on your website, cultural, ethnic people can go on your website and actually have a say about how their culture works. Is that correct?   Latifa Saad (36:38): Well, that's what we're doing right now. Yeah.   Vera Cotter (36:39): Yeah.  Latifa Saad (36:39): Yeah, in a way, yes. Vera Cotter (36:41): They can—you're saying this question, this last question—they can actually go on themselves without your knowledge? No?  Seanna Aarts-Magee (36:51):  Yeah, so people can access like any of the interviews. So, there's interviews, there's art posted on Anthro Harvest, so then they can listen to them. And there could be other things, but if you think that there should be an interactive portion as well, that could be a recommendation or. Latifa Saad (37:07): So what do you think could make it better and more interactive so that they learn? Vera Cotter (37:11): You have to advertise that somewhere then, your website.   Latifa Saad (37:16): That could be a good, that's a good point.   Vera Cotter (37:18): You have to set it out somewhere where people can, it's like Google, learn about whatever. I don't know how, how I, I am not tech savvy, so you as a student have to now put that out there, and someone, you know, if I saw that out there, I'd go click, Yep, let me see what's going on. What did she say?   Latifa Saad (37:46): That would be, that's a really good suggestion.   Vera Cotter (37:48): So that's the way, that's why I'm confused as to how these people are gonna see that, right? First of all, you guys got to create something where the interest pops up on social media. That's I don't know how you know like under the university, ‘U’ of, University of Ottawa “interviews, uh, different cultures.” Whatever you guys can, you guys can figure it out, but you've got to put it out there because I would, if I saw that, if I Googled something like that, University of Ottawa interviews, cultural interviews, I might click on that because I want to see Who and What?  Latifa Saad (38:33): So, you think we should put more time in promoting this?  Vera Cotter (38:35): In promoting, that's the word. Oh my God, sorry. I mean, that could be something else that you, uh, your program that you're doing now, these interviews, you talk to your prof and say, hey, you know what we need to promote. We're doing all this work. We need to promote this. You know, get it out there.  Seanna Aarts-Magee (38:54): To last to wrap it up, do you have any other comments or concerns?  Latifa Saad: Like any other questions— Vera Cotter: Yeah, No, I'm kind of glad it's done because I haven't been interviewed in like, I'm, in like early 70s. I haven't had an interview in a long time. I hope it works out. I hope it works out.  Seanna Aarts-Magee: It was very wonderful. Your answers were so insightful. Thank you very, very much.  Sydney Langlois: Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us and for your insight. And just thank you so much. We really, really appreciate it.   Vera Cotter: But don't go telling everyone that we're crazy. We are, but—  Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data On MS Teams Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 39 min 36 sec 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 Vera Cotter Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This Interview features Vera Cotter and her journey from Trinidad and Tobago to Canada. Born in 1955, Vera spent her early years in Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain. She then moved at the age of five to Princes Town, where she would spend the rest of her childhood and teenage years until moving abroad to the United States for University. When describing her upbringing, Vera explained that she grew up in a large, multi-generational household and neighbourhood. Education was very important in her family and within her community; you could attend either French or English school. Vera’s family chose the English system and, in turn, expected their children to attend English universities after finishing secondary school, particularly the University of Cambridge. Family is vital to Vera’s culture and has played a central role in how she ended up in the West years ago and how she continues to live today. She articulated that she was only able to go to the United States at all because of her aunt, who was already studying there. She describes this, stating, "our culture, you have to live with family, like you can't just go as a student to a strange land." She later moved to Canada and began attending pharmacy school at the University of Toronto. As she described her time in Toronto, she laughed and explained that she was a bit of a rebel within her family. While studying, she was still required to live with her family and, being in her early twenties, felt a strong need for independence that ultimately led her to drop out of university at the time she described this, stating, </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“being stuck with relatives, and I had a few more relatives in Toronto. And I just found living with, they became my parents. And it was like too much, too many parents. And we were allowed back then to work like 20 hours a week as a student in Canada. So, I hung out with a crowd that my family did not approve of, it was like, not good. So, there was a lot of pressure. There's school and there's the friends I hang out with, and I ended up moving back home for two years and then realized that's when I just dropped out of school and like I would just rebelled.”</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">At this time, Vera moved back to Trinidad for two years. However, she returned to Ontario after meeting her now-husband. They married at the age of twenty-two and moved to her husband's hometown, Belleville, Ontario, where she worked for a bank for the rest of her career and raised her family. When Vera and her husband moved to BelleVille, they were among the only three “Brown or ethnic families” in town. She described a conversation she had with her mother-in-law about this topic, stating, </div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">“it's so funny because I remember once my mother-in-law said to me at a restaurant, she says, “you know, every time we walk into the room, everyone looks at you,” and, I kind of like, felt like it was because I was different, right? Like there's only white people, let's just, okay? There's only white, Caucasian people. And so, I said to my husband, I said, well, you know what? Maybe they look at me because they find me attractive. But I think her culture also is, you know, they're probably looking at me because I'm different. I don't know that for sure, but that's how I took it.”</div> <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Vera shared many details about the dynamics at play in BelleVille and within her blended family throughout the interview. Today, she’s seen a significant change in BelleVille's population, but she still finds it difficult to celebrate her culture outside specific family traditions. Vera later moved to Ottawa after retiring to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She currently still lives in Ottawa, working part-time in banking and remains closely connected to her family, particularly her daughter and granddaughter, both of whom are extremely important to her. Vera reflected on her life and said, "I'm in Ottawa and I've made a new life over the past 12 years, so it all worked out. I was very lucky. We started working really young in our generation, so I was lucky enough to retire, they called it “Age Plus Service,” and you can retire like, I retired at 56, when the first grandchild came, so I could look after my grandchildren." </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026-03-05 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 file Language A language of the resource English https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/84e0040ae8dc2e2851f7ef8079b812eb.jpg 78fb1eb76ba7d969c92fd14b8733a9f6 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/25da3e855075459ac3920a7cbea8732a.jpg facbd65f254853d70912ece9b9f79c63 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/fc9176b14e6b72c6ad89aa01378880e1.jpg aaf403470d793558dff20b0ae9934fe2 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/099b5f5433c7fcc991f7e810ac9c932c.jpg 1c21be14c9c49fbd00a6be1987b79216 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/76e6f457de70606c53920f62b14eff47.jpg 9547a750918878a9f0dda811bfd2e0f3 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/c1b3c501a6f3fff41fec82e9fb310556.jpg 85de79ca7017979ee4bd3ea33a199ad1 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/03c08874032410d7cee8caffaf6235fa.jpg 02f7a55c13b5c15ebf996a6cd43a8835 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/6bc292970ed82a1f85ff889fa3c9294d.jpg 1f7d3494d31dd0c52266cb36dd642873 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/69fc063c7a2de42d217b9e9060c93f0d.jpg c40decc568c2e7a14370417323b53c53 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/005227fdae8ae1ab75e0191cc131702e.jpg 7a46b00fcb5239c426b1b90a0939f2f9 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/83dcc7beadc4f148cb2628961219f70e.jpg be340c46daade02eb86106b67659e382 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/e75ff2079b84daa28f6a48413ae9afac.jpg f5b89a19a2034a3bdfb98859d035d286 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 Sandy Hill Food Asset Mapping 2026 Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">"Food systems considerations are an increasingly indispensable focus in urban planning. Resilient food systems, the systems and infrastructures needed for food production, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal, with the potential food supply chain disruption effects from climate change.” <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2021.1918750">Shulman, Bulkan and Curtis 2022</a> The students in Food and Food Systems Anthropology 4135 mapped the neighborhood surrounding uOttawa, called Sandy Hill. This historical neighborhood used to be the home to Ottawa's wealthy back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, embassies, government workers and university students live here. The anthropology students were tasked with researching how people acquired food. Sandy Hill has a variety of eateries and convenience stores, but grocery stores are outside the central area. For lower-income residents, including students, accessing affordable fresh food is an issue. A number of charitable programs help fill that void, but not completely. Students also looked at the transportation infrastructure here, the number of rentals to owners, green areas where gardens could be planted, charitable organizations offering food assistance and the history of Sandy Hill in maps.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter Term 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Students in the Ant 4135 Food and Food Systems taught by Laurie Weinstein, Ph.D. Winter 2026. Students included: Din Betote Akwa, Jodie Choy, Kelsey Davey, Sarah Donaldson, Roodmya Douge, Devon Giguere, Ito Sakura, Fiona Labonte, Yungu Liu, Sabryn Mclennan, Gabbie Mills, Red Phangura, Carolyn Phidd, Lily Smith, Sarah Struthers Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Sandy Hill, Ottawa, ON Relation A related resource Our team discovered this earlier food asset-mapping that covered Sandy Hill as well by Karen White-Jones Student, Community Development and Engagement Team Sandy Hill Community Health Centre 221 Nelson St., Ottawa, ON November 2010 https://justfood.ca/community-food-assessment-toolkit/ 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 1901 Historical Fire Insurance Map Of Sandy Hill Subject The topic of the resource Sandy Hill in 1901 Description An account of the resource These images document Sandy Hill. It serves as a baseline to see how the neighborhood has changed. By clicking on an image and enlarging it, you can see where there were grocers (GRO), as well as other businesses from livery stables, coal sheds, freight yards to hotels.  https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/9f0276fd9c135eca3550753b9e763219.jpg 2c90c1ffa389ecb06c7bbf5155a9333d https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/68cd2581b8c6a08c22b929a004d3d20f.jpg 680b8d14d28f67c5f5b7ce0b7c1333c3 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/1f57e4e1ba3294d3d5854e423b20261a.jpg 24c648324d2401646ca38d8f440a5713 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/c5704e82b658deec59a656996e2854c7.jpg 952d3abd2e9ab826c7dd3204d55d2de0 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/54202a4148bb5571e98e8867450682d0.jpg 004c829d60aed1417a21f10a5fb71c22 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/54138d3353831bde3f2e785c6eb0b30e.jpg 19632fb826bdfdb9914f0ea76e65895a https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/7a43ac48d16c5bca0ae84a3555880ca1.jpg aeedb5c65583962ef86b0a2560528a07 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/0f13b7284eb170c83b3145d4b555cd07.jpg bc56d15b0cf1d23a28d07fd37fc6c9bc https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/bfc65bec32c882fb67351b05168d1205.jpg 4c72acea162afd6c66ec63777cf8233a https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/f803714a76c4bc176a3c3813290d9b50.jpg 96bbfdb7f0bb405634a977f2058842ed https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/763603fdaa891af69888cbbdd50027fe.jpg 7ff3f7a6d82f01a6867d98c1eff91d3a https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/920ec716310d3315cdd9703e72d2dcea.jpg ae48e14cbc2e166117d17ba167cdc623 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/34079b5a0455b1f24841327cba268029.jpg 30a942a10566730a43cb9ec03d77f98c https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/fd8e1a70c4953dfe1cf64b9310bb97cc.jpg b3f67e0f59fadc5086e98e9da4a3ed55 https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/b9004685892576d8f6c6c3797484c5f8.jpg 51ccde40e746254f96aad5d2498486ed https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/1c66b611e14c8a2add2a8d84eba3c314.jpg 76c58d9445b7f246708504bc23efb237 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 Sandy Hill Food Asset Mapping 2026 Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">"Food systems considerations are an increasingly indispensable focus in urban planning. Resilient food systems, the systems and infrastructures needed for food production, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal, with the potential food supply chain disruption effects from climate change.” <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2021.1918750">Shulman, Bulkan and Curtis 2022</a> The students in Food and Food Systems Anthropology 4135 mapped the neighborhood surrounding uOttawa, called Sandy Hill. This historical neighborhood used to be the home to Ottawa's wealthy back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, embassies, government workers and university students live here. The anthropology students were tasked with researching how people acquired food. Sandy Hill has a variety of eateries and convenience stores, but grocery stores are outside the central area. For lower-income residents, including students, accessing affordable fresh food is an issue. A number of charitable programs help fill that void, but not completely. Students also looked at the transportation infrastructure here, the number of rentals to owners, green areas where gardens could be planted, charitable organizations offering food assistance and the history of Sandy Hill in maps.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter Term 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Students in the Ant 4135 Food and Food Systems taught by Laurie Weinstein, Ph.D. Winter 2026. Students included: Din Betote Akwa, Jodie Choy, Kelsey Davey, Sarah Donaldson, Roodmya Douge, Devon Giguere, Ito Sakura, Fiona Labonte, Yungu Liu, Sabryn Mclennan, Gabbie Mills, Red Phangura, Carolyn Phidd, Lily Smith, Sarah Struthers Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Sandy Hill, Ottawa, ON Relation A related resource Our team discovered this earlier food asset-mapping that covered Sandy Hill as well by Karen White-Jones Student, Community Development and Engagement Team Sandy Hill Community Health Centre 221 Nelson St., Ottawa, ON November 2010 https://justfood.ca/community-food-assessment-toolkit/ 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 1912 Historical Fire Insurance Maps of Sandy Hill Description An account of the resource These images document Sandy Hill. By comparing these to the previous map collections, you can see how the neighborhood has changed. By clicking on an image and enlarging it, you can see where there were grocers , bakers, Chinese laundry, churches and schools. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/cb1568fdd24de9fe3885d0f0f9a4cc4e.png 4a3b179ed62fd6170e47c8c06154b29e https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/959d9873582bd9a58fd91dc8199d4a13.png 8f2d54d84ace3fad5fa5a2da5d8017e9 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 Sandy Hill Food Asset Mapping 2026 Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">"Food systems considerations are an increasingly indispensable focus in urban planning. Resilient food systems, the systems and infrastructures needed for food production, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal, with the potential food supply chain disruption effects from climate change.” <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2021.1918750">Shulman, Bulkan and Curtis 2022</a> The students in Food and Food Systems Anthropology 4135 mapped the neighborhood surrounding uOttawa, called Sandy Hill. This historical neighborhood used to be the home to Ottawa's wealthy back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, embassies, government workers and university students live here. The anthropology students were tasked with researching how people acquired food. Sandy Hill has a variety of eateries and convenience stores, but grocery stores are outside the central area. For lower-income residents, including students, accessing affordable fresh food is an issue. A number of charitable programs help fill that void, but not completely. Students also looked at the transportation infrastructure here, the number of rentals to owners, green areas where gardens could be planted, charitable organizations offering food assistance and the history of Sandy Hill in maps.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter Term 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Students in the Ant 4135 Food and Food Systems taught by Laurie Weinstein, Ph.D. Winter 2026. Students included: Din Betote Akwa, Jodie Choy, Kelsey Davey, Sarah Donaldson, Roodmya Douge, Devon Giguere, Ito Sakura, Fiona Labonte, Yungu Liu, Sabryn Mclennan, Gabbie Mills, Red Phangura, Carolyn Phidd, Lily Smith, Sarah Struthers Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Sandy Hill, Ottawa, ON Relation A related resource Our team discovered this earlier food asset-mapping that covered Sandy Hill as well by Karen White-Jones Student, Community Development and Engagement Team Sandy Hill Community Health Centre 221 Nelson St., Ottawa, ON November 2010 https://justfood.ca/community-food-assessment-toolkit/ 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 Graphs of City of Ottawa Public Investment Description An account of the resource These two graphs are from data gathered from the City of Ottawa Operating Budgets from 2012-2025, minus 2015. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/anthroharvest/files/original/aecddca48f886e5a2b6ebde0cbf37f4d.mp3 bd7329979ef0f4ea8f99c7268fd0528a 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 <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Beginning in Winter 2025, Professor Laurie Weinstein in ANT3340: Latin American and the Caribbean created Anthroharvest with the goal of inspiring students to explore the diversity of our city through ethnographic interviews. This collection stands as a pillar of students' ongoing efforts to interview friends, family, and members of Ottawa's Latin American and Caribbean communities in surrounding areas. Our ultimate goal is to create an archive of stories for those who identify with the Latin American and Caribbean community, accessible at any time, that preserves knowledge and promotes their cultures. Our project remains ongoing as we learn and connect with new students and people across Ottawa and eastern Canada. We invite you to browse the stories collected by our students, listen to the audio recording, and read transcripts and biographies of those interviewed. </div> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Mia E. Lavergne, Zoé C.M. Asselin Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Carlos Zapata Location The location of the interview Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound [Mia – 0m 00s]   Thank you so much, Carlos, for joining Zoé and I for this interview. We appreciate your participation. Just for the record, as we have stated previously, you do not need to answer any questions for whatever reason, and we will not follow up. And so, without further ado, thank you for participating.    [Carlos – 0m 17s]   Thank you! And I apologize, because I have braces not long ago, and so I- I sound funny.    [Mia – 0m 23s]   All good, all good. (…) [All participants briefly laugh.] All right, I’ll be uh (…) uh giving out the questions in odd numbers – Zoé the even numbers [on the questions sheet given to the participant] like we said, so let’s get started off with the first question. And uh, what is your country of origin?    [Carlos – 0m 36s]   Columbia. I was born and raised in Columbia – so South America, yes.     [Mia – 0m 44s]  Great!    [Zoé – 0m 45s]   Uh – Question number two [#2] what brought you to Ottawa?    [Carlos – 0m 48s]  So – uhm – when I decided to – uhm – go to – uhm – When I finished my bachelor’s, I was- I was thinking about the possibilities, right? So, either I stay in Montreal or I go to Calgary – and I actually applied for multiple jobs in Calgary and Edmonton – uhm – Ottawa – uhm – and in Montreal. Then – uhm – I was actually very lucky that – uhm – I applied for – uhm – another university in Montreal – for a job at another university in Montreal – and I applied for this one, and – uhm – they both called me, but then after analyzing the possibilities and the opportunities and the quality of life and other stuff, I decided to move to Ottawa. So, I lived in Montreal for, I would say, more than ten [10] years, and then after I finished my bachelor’s – then my master’s – I decided to move to Ottawa. That was the reason, yeah.    [Mia – 1m 57s]   Sounds good. And do you have any family here, and do you see them often?    [Carlos – 2m 02s]  I do not. But I am actually very lucky, because Montreal is not actually very far, and – uhm – my family, they live very close to the urban core, so it is super easy to go from where I live – in the – uhm – I live very close to l’Hôpital Montfort [in French] – so, very close, I- I- I can take the four-seventeen [417, referring to Ontario Highway 417] right away, so I can be in Montreal in two [2] hours, and even my community, they’re close to NDG [refers to <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame-de-Gr%C3%A2ce">Notre-Dame-de-Grâce</a>, a residential neighbourhood in Montreal], so the very urban core of Montreal, so I can be in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Autoroute_15">Décarie</a> [a major highway in Montreal, Autoroute 15] in pretty much an hour and forty-five minutes [01h 45m] if I take the four-seventeen [417], so yeah. I- I go see them for – you know – I would say I go once a month, which is – which is OK, yeah.    [Mia – 2m 49s]   Just to – uh – Just for the “explain” part, real quick. So the family isn’t here in Ottawa, but it is here in Canada – in Montreal.     [Carlos – 2m 55s]  Yeah, it is, it is. So, they’re pretty much all in – I- I have family in Quebec. I have family in Ontario, and – uh – they’re very close – uhm – like, they’re mostly in Montreal and in Montreal’s South Shore.    [Mia – 3m 10s]  OK, yeah, thank you.    [Zoé – 3m 12s]  Do you live in a Latin community or neighbourhood where you speak to- where you speak Spanish and/or Portuguese and celebrate various occasions?   [Carlos – 3m 20s]  No. So – uh – in Ottawa, no, but – uhm – in Montreal, I did. S, pretty much my life outside of work and university – I conducted pretty much, I- I- I would say sixty percent [60%] of my life in- in- in Spanish, and – uh – I really had the opportunity to not only connect with my community, but also to be able to practice many of our traditions. And – uh – here in Ottawa it’s a bit more challenging. The – uh – Latin American community, I would say, as strong as it is – for many reasons of course – as it is in Montreal or in Toronto, but – uh – yeah, no, I’ve (…) I’ve been a bit disconnected from my communities since I moved to Ottawa.    [Mia & Zoé – 4m 04s]  Mhm [in quick succession].    [Zoé – 4m 04s]  Do you know – uhm – why exactly there isn’t as big of a diaspora of Latin Americans in Otta-    [Mia – 4m 11s]  [Cutting off Zoé] We- We’re- I- We’re not quite authorized to-    [Zoé – 4m 13s]  [Interjecting with Mia] OK.    [Mia – 4m 13s]  -by the ethics form. We- we can ask after the interview, but currently we are stuck to these questions, unfortunately. What – uh – what celebrations are most important to you, then?  [Carlos – 4m 24s]  We have many. [Carlos breathes a faint sigh] So the first one is that – uhm – I don’t – so – I [marked with a notable vocal fry and tone of careful deliberation] – I would start chronologically. Uhm – I would say, the first one is – uh – <a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_de_M%C3%BAsica_del_Pac%C3%ADfico_Petronio_%C3%81lvarez">Petronio Álvarez</a> – it is something that I used to enjoy – uhm – growing up in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cali">Cali</a> – uhm – I’m not from Bogotá or Medellín, so – uhm – I actually come from Colombia’s Pacific coast – so from the West coast – uhm – we have towns in my state, which is Valle del Cauca, where the – uhm – Afro-Colombian population can go up to ninety percent [90%], and – uh – in my city, I would say – uhm – it has a very large Afro-Colombian population – like, very large – uhm – the Afro-Colombian culture is very palpable – very present – so uh – Petronio Álvarez is a festival that honors that African ancestry in our city and in our state, and – uh – so it’s been many many years that – uhm – that I haven’t been able to go – uhm – particularly because for me, August is a blackout, because I work in education, so we have to prepare for the Fall semester, and July and August, for me, super busy – it’s pretty much peak period. So, I haven’t been able to go back, and I would say one of my objectives in the future is to be able to take some time to go to Colombia – to Cali – uhm – again – and to be able to celebrate Petronio Álvarez. It is- it is great, it is – uhm – (…) an incredible festival. I highly recommend it. And the second thing is, of course, Christmas – uhm – and it is nothing about our Christian values, I-I- I’m not Christian, so I really do not care about the Christianity, or the – uhm, the uhm – religious component of Christmas. It is just about the festivities, right? So – uh – being close to home, the food, the culture, the music, so pretty much between the first week until the – uh, uhm – I would say the thirty-first [31st] of December, we celebrate almost every day. So, we get together, we eat, we share, we drink, we listen to music [Carlos thumps his open hand on the table, and his voice gains a notable liveliness], we play music sometimes. (…) So – uhm – I would say those two [2] are a – my- my- my top two [2] (…) Yeah, my top two [2].    [Mia – 6m 51s]  Uhm…    [Zoé – 6m 52s]  Can you describe a typical day in your community?    [Carlos – 6m 56s]  Uhm – In Columbia, or in Canada?    [Mia – 7m 00s]  Let’s do both, just to be thorough with it.    [Carlos – 7m 02s]  Oh, OK. So – uhm – I grew up in a very working-class community. Uhm – The- the name of the neighbourhood is actually Primero de Mayo, which means “the first of May”, which is – uhm – in Canada we celebrate Labour Day in September, but in many other countries, including France or in European countries and in South America, we celebrate it the first of May. So, its name is self-explanatory. It is a very working-class community, and – uh – it was – uhm – my community had – has, still, a very vibrant – uhm – I would say, economy. So, we have a lot of restaurants – uh – family-owned restaurants. We have, also, local shops. So, something that I remember was – uhm – being able to be a part of this rich ecosystem. So, you would, you know – I was walking back from school, and I remember, you know – uhm – the local restaurants, so I would have you know – uh – like – uhm – fast food in that restaurant, or – that is something that I remember – that was pretty much my- my- my- my- my day: being part of that very rich ecosystem of local shops, restaurants, and – uhm – and- and of course the- the- the (…) It- it was like a very – uhm – [Carlos hesitates, tapping the side of his open hand on the table a few times, gesturing to try and articulate his ideas] (…) Uh – I grew up in a very densely populated space, and we were pretty much next to each other. Like, if I raised my voice a little bit, my neighbour could hear me.    [Mia – 8m 44s]  [Interjecting Carlos] Unlike here. [A slight chuckle from everyone]    [Carlos – 8m 46s]  It’s – uh – It was [Carlos gestures slightly with his hands while holding the last syllable in a vocal fry before falling silent for a second] (…) – We were very close, right? It is – I grew up in an apartment that was – eh – very small, and it was right next to – we were right next to each other, right? [Carlos repeatedly punches his left hand, palm open, with his right hand, fist closed, to emphasize the point.] So – uhm – I do remember also being part of that ecosystem of being able to listen to my neighbours, to the music they were listening to, to their conversation that they were having – uhm – If- if someone was having an issue – all of a sudden like a, you know, argument – all of a sudden, you were part of that argument because you were pretty much listening to the entire conversation of people [Carlos says this while laughing with Zoé]. So, it was – If- if there is something I remember because I grew up in that environment where, you know, we had a very rich ecosystem [Carlos lands his fist on the table] of shops and restaurants and local pubs too, and also because I grew up in a densely populated area, we were right next to each other so it was super hard not to be part of that ecosystem. Like, you were part of it even if you didn’t want to, right? And – uh – yeah, it is called Gratamira [neighbourhood in Cali] – uhm – the apartments are super nice. It was a very beautiful community, and – uh – yeah. And here, (…) – uhm – I would say it’s not the same, because, again, I moved to Ottawa, I would say four [4] years ago, so – uh – my life is not the same right now. But I could say, in Montreal, as I said before – uhm – outside of work and university, my – I- I conducted my- my- my- – like sixty per- sixty percent [60%] I- I would say, of my life, was conducted in Spanish. Uhm – My network is pretty much – uhm – South Americans: Peruvians and Colombians, mostly. And – uhm – yeah, it was, again – We somehow kept our traditions alive. So – uhm – there is something that I- I can say is, despite the challenges and, of course, the weather, and the difficulties to get the ingredients – uhm – we found – uhm – a way to cook our food, get together, listen to our music, and to continue our Colombian traditions. Uhm – Of course, it is not the same, because – uhm – they’re not from my city, so they’re mostly from the – uh, uhm – coffee belt. So – uh – Manizales, Medellín, Pereira. So, it’s where, you know, the – uh – coffee belt in Colombia which is in the middle of the country (…) kind of. So – uh – they have all their traditions, but (…) we made it work, right? We – uh – But yeah.    [Mia – 11m 28s]  And – uh – how do you celebrate your heritage if- if you do celebrate your heritage?    [Carlos – 11m 36s]  [Carlos breathes a deep sigh.] Uh – OK. This is- This is a very heavy question. Uhm-    [Mia – 11m 40s]  And again, you don’t need to answer if anything makes you uncomfortable if you don’t want to.    [Carlos – 11m 43s]  [Intersecting with Mia.] Thank you. (…) How do I celebrate? It is a very, I would say – uhm – introspective exercise. I wish I had other people from my city – particularly from my community – that I could actually talk to and listen to our music and sometimes – because if I am the only person from Colombia’s West coast, I- I have to adapt to what the diaspora does here in- in either Ottawa or Montreal. So, it is a very, I would say – uhm – individual, introspective, exercise. Sometimes, I take one hour out of my day, and I listen to my music – uhm – I don’t listen to the same music people from perhaps Bogotá or Medellín listen to (…) and – uh – so it is a very individual – uhm – introspective exercise. So that’s pretty much how I celebrate. I take, for instance, on a Saturday or a Sunday, like, one hour to listen to my music, to read something from my – uh – town, to – uhm – yeah! But- but I would say it is mostly through music. The last last time was last week – that I took, like thirty, forty-five [30-45] minutes to listen to – I – you know, it is very [Carlos snaps his fingers before initiating a reflexive pause] (…) out of the blue, y’know? Like all- Like all of a sudden, I get homesick, and I- and I always get back home – of course, metaphorically – through music. (…) [In a low, almost whispery voice] Yeah, always. Salsa music particularly, yeah. We’re the – uh – international capital of salsa music. [Everyone briefly chuckles.] So, salsa, it is very close to our heritage, to what we do, how we understand the world, and – uh – and I listen to salsa music, mostly, to get back home (…) just for a few minutes. Yeah. Yeah!    [Zoé – 13m 47s]  What are some values you hold dear as a member of the Latin/Caribbean community? (…)    [Carlos – 13m 55s]  Uhm – (…) When I was doing my- my- my- my master’s, I- I did my first master’s in political science at the university of Ottawa, (…) and something that I wanted to show is that (…) we lack many things in community – many, right? Many, many, many. I was actually doing an introspective analysis of me growing up in Colombia, and everything I had growing up was donated or second-hand, right? (…) And – uh – (…) Everything we had at home, from our bed to our dining table, to our thing, you know, in our living room – most stuff was either second-hand donated, and – uhm – we always faced – uhm – financial difficulties – uhm – which is normal in a low-income, working-class community in – uhm – low-income, working-class family in Colombia. (…) But, something that I wanted to show – uhm – in my master’s and- and also through my work – right – is that sometimes, we go back to community, and we always see the things they lack, but we never see the things that they have. And I always want to show to people that if you go to community, there is knowledge in community, there is value in community. Uh – sometimes, you see (…) many folks – uhm – they go to community and they want to impose ideas just because they think we’re dumb, that we- we lack knowledge, that we don’t have the ability to speak for ourselves. And I think something that – uhm – (…) I hold dear, is- is the respect for community. Uhm – I think (…) relationships shouldn’t be transactional. In fact, last Tuesday, I was invited to FSS [Faculty of Social Sciences building at the university of Ottawa campus] to speak in a panel conversation, [Carlos breathes in heavily] and what I told students was (…) : when you’re building your network, never do so (…) – uhm – in a way that is transactional. (…) Always aim to have reciprocal, trust-based relationships, right? In a way that you can say “I have their backs as much as they have mine.” [Carlos rhythmically taps the side of his open hand on the table after every word.] (…) And this is something that I learned from my community, and – uh – and that’s something that I also wanted to show through my master’s and through my work, you know? My thesis was – uhm – in political science was about networks of solid- solidarity during the pandemic crisis. And I wanted to show how people, despite the lack of support from government, despite all the challenges, they organized themselves to respond to those needs. Food insecurity, lack of jobs, lack of opportunities throughout the pandemic. So – uhm – I- I- I would say that’s- that’s- that’s the most important value for me. Yeah    [Zoé – 17m 19s]  Yeah, that’s great, I love that. Yeah.     [Carlos – 17m 21s]  Yeah.     [Mia – 17m 22s]  I feel it comes back to – uh – the questions we were- the question we were meant to ask after, but like- you know about something you would like to share about yourself or your community that you think is – uh – important for others to know – which I- I feel like you’ve already shared a lot, but if there’s something more you’d like to share – uh – (…)    [Carlos – 17m 39s]  [Carlos breathes in heavily] What else I can say? You know? Uh (…) – It is really incredible when- when- when you’re able to (…) – Still to this day, I would say many of the skills and competencies that allowed me to succeed at work came from community. (…) And I value that, right, and I actually appreciate that. Sometimes, we don’t see those skills and competencies as valuable (…), but I would say, many of these skills and competencies helped me get where I am today – I learned those from community, my community. And – uhm – of course – uhm – bachelor’s degree and master’s degree helped, but also those skills that I learned – uhm – from my community helped me as well. And – uh – and I would be ungrateful if- if- if- if- if-if-if I said that they- they- they didn’t help me. Yeah.     [Zoé – 18m 54s]  What foods do you make that remind you of home? And where to you purchase your groceries to prepare your traditional meals?     [Carlos – 19m 02s]  Oh! There is a – uhm – there is a store – it’s called Bienvenido – it means welcome (…) in Spanish – and I’ve been trying to (…) cook more Colombian food, particularly from my city, because, again, the challenge is that every time that I go to a Colombian restaurant – uhm – or the challenge that – maybe it is not the same, or maybe I haven’t gone to all the Colombian restaurants in Montreal and- and- and in Ottawa, but every time that I go to one, the challenge is that they serve the food that people eat in Bogotá and Medellín. (…) I don’t eat that food, right? And why? Because (…) and this is maybe – uhm – a criticism that I have, which is that if you see the population – uhm – of- of- of the Colombian- the Colombian diaspora, right, you would see that finding a black Colombian is incredibly hard. And finding people from my town, or finding people from Colombia’s West coast, even though that area of Colombia is disproportionally affected by conflict, by poverty, by – uhm – violence – you don’t see them here. Right? Even though they’re equally affected or even more than Medellín, Pereira – uhm – like the cities in the Coffee Belt, or- or- or Bogotá, but most people you see – that the Colombian diaspora living here – most people come from those cities, right? You don’t- you don’t see many Caleño [demonym for the residents of Cali, Colombia] here, right? You don’t see many people from Palmira; you don’t see many people from Buenaventura – let alone – uhm – from Cauca or- or- or Nariño, or Garzón, right? So the challenge that I have is that, every time that I go to a Colombian restaurant, or every time I go to a – uhm – Latino/Latin-American – uhm- uhm – restaurant, or – uhm – store, it is very hard for me to get the ingredients that I need to cook the food that I actually eat back home (…) right? So, (…) again, our- our city is deeply influenced by the African diaspora in Colombia (…) – like Afro-Colombian. So, that’s not the food I eat. So one of the solutions that I encountered – uhm – was going to Haitian or Jamaican restaurants, because that’s the food I eat! Right? So – uh – it is a way to eat something that is similar to what I eat – uh – back- back home, but now, it is- it is very complex, because I don’t have the ingredients – uhm – if I go to a restaurant, it is very hard to order what I eat, so – uhm – I am trying, but it is always very simple recipes. Like, super simple, like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandebono">pandebono</a> and those things, but it is super simple – things that you bake, right?    [Mia – 22m 03s]  Hang on. I- I- I know I’m going to steal your thunder, Zoé – you can take the next question real quick – but just because you kind of went onto that, can you give us more examples of food that remind you of home, and – uh – because you told us where you purchase them, like in the next question, and the groceries, but, like, tell us a bit more about the means and stuff! [Zoé and Carlos let out laughs.]    [Carlos – 22m 17s]  [Carlos enthusiastically slaps his palm against the table.] It’s been- it’s been years, like, I- I haven’t had a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bactris_gasipaes">chontaduro</a>, like, in years, you know? And- and- and this is something that people from Cali would appreciate very much.    [Mia – 22m 29s]  [Interupting] Sorry, what’s a chontaduro [mispronounced] [laughs nervously but amicably]?    [Carlos – 22m 30s]  Ah! Chontaduro is – I don’t even know what it is! It- it- it is like – uhm, uhm, uhm – like a (…) nut? I-it is – I don’t even know if it’s a fruit. It should be a fruit. No, it’s not a vegetable, for sure, but it is- it is a fruit. So – uhm – you actually have to cook it because it is very hard. So you actually have to cook it, like, boil it for hours, like I don’t know for how long, but long, right? I think it is actually overnight. [Carlos slams his fist against the table in a show of enthusiasm.] So – uhm-    [Mia – 23m 00s]  Oh, sorry, just watch out not to tap the table. The audio peaks when you do that.     [Carlos – 23m 05s]  Sorry. So, chontaduro is something that – uhm – it is a fruit that you have to boil. And then, what you do is that, when it is soft, you peel it off, and then you add honey and salt (…). So it is sweet and sour, and it is very delicious. And, again, chontaduro, it is – uhm, uhm – from the – uhm – Afro-Colombian – uhm – cuisine. And chontaduro, it is something that we enjoy in Cali very much. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholado">Cholado</a>. Cholado it is a – uhm – a desert, I- I would say, and it comes in multiple forms. It is- it is pretty much a – hm – a kind of ice cream, and we add fruits, and – uh – and- and- and cookies, and it is quite delicious.     [Zoé – 24m 03s]  I was going to say, it sounds delicious, yeah. [Zoé lets out a lighthearted laugh.]    [Carlos – 24m 06s]  It is good. It sounds delicious. Uhm – also <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sancocho">sancocho</a> (…) – uhm – it is soup – uhm – it is a chicken soup, pretty much, but it is nothing, like, not kind of the Chinese? It’s very different. I highly recommend you Google-it after this. Uhm – yeah, pandebono – uh – what else? El aplastado! El aplastado is like – kind of like – uhm – a – uh – [Carlos chuckles nervously] (…). It’s like, kind of, hamburger. But, we – uhm – use kind of a panini machine, and then we flatten the hamburger, and it is different. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salchipapa">Salchipapa</a> – uhm – it is – salchipapa means – uh – salchicha means – uhm – sausage, and papa means potato, so it is pretty much a potato and a sausage, and we cut it in cubes, and then we mix it up with whatever. From – uhm – pork, chicken, beef. So, let’s imagine a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine">poutine</a>, but on steroids, right? And – uh – yeah, that’s – yeah. And it’s been ages, to be truly honest. But- but- but- but again, one of the main challenges is that – uhm – we don’t have that many people from my region here, right, because those folks that were allowed to get in, and- and- and they could stay – they came from other cities. Mostly from the big cities, right? (…) Not from where I come from.     [Zoé – 25m 34s]  Yeah. In one of my previous projects, we had also talked about – uhm – like, food insecurity, and how they don’t have like-    [Carlos – 25m 42s]  [Interjecting] Cultura, yeah, grocery.     [Zoé – 25m 43s]  you have to- you have to go to different, like, groceries to find ingredients for your recipe, and yeah-    [Carlos – 25m 46s]  [Interjecting] If you find, right? And even if – yeah.     [Zoé – 25m 47s]  I found that super interesting.     [Mia – 25m 51s]  [Directed to Zoé] I’ll let you take the next one, since I stole yours. I-    [Zoé – 25m 54s]  [Zoé laughs] No, it’s ok! [Directed at Carlos] 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? We would like to better serve the community, so any suggestions from you about access as well as what we should be (…) posting – uh – would be greatly appreciated.     [Carlos – 26m 13s]  You know, to me – uhm – (…) story-telling matters for multiple reasons. S o the first thing is that if you analyze – uhm – (…) I really want to be able to encourage – uhm – new Colombians, or, like, the first- second [1st-2nd] generation of Colombians. Uhm – we don’t see many working in higher education, we don’t see many working as managers, supervisors, and – uhm – and of course, this is a – uhm – structural issue, that it is not only affecting the Colombian diaspora, but also many other diasporas still, and ethnic minorities, and equity-deserving, and equity-denied folks across the country. But, one of my- my- my objectives is to be able to, through my own story-telling and through other story-telling, right, like- like- like other folks telling their story, to be able to show Colombians that we’re here, that – uh – we’re powerful, that – uhm – we can, you know, get to where we want to be, and – uhm – and yeah. Through story-telling, be able to tell other folks from Colombia that they’re not alone, that we also went through the same challenges, that – uhm – that – uhm – be able to strengthen our diaspora, and to support each other a little bit more, because I think – uhm – right now, we’re not exactly as unified as I- as I wish we were, and I think it is important to create than sense of unity, and I think it is through story-telling that we’re going to be able to create that unity – that kind of narrative, right? It is through our storytelling that we’re going to start analyzing that: “Oh! That person went through the same experience I did.” Right? So, it is through that storytelling that we’re going to be able to identify – “Oh, like, we- we’re- we’re- we’re so close in- in- in- in our experience, in- in- in- in- in- in the things that we have to face.” Right? So, I think those platforms are really important to get- to capture [Carlos placed his palm on the table in a sudden motion] and then share those – uhm – stories so people do not feel alone, people feel like they have a network that they can – you know, like, I really hope that in the future, like, a Latin-American student from uOttawa sees me on that platform, and then contacts me on LinkedIn, and asks for professional advice, and asks, you know – uhm – “What I can [sic.] do with my diploma?” And I will be more than happy to support – uhm – that- that- that person. But I think my first objective is – it is through storytelling that we’re able to relate to each other (…). And the second one is to make our diaspora, I would say, stronger, and- and- and- and- and unified. (…)    [Mia – 28m 57s]  Well, I’ll close it off with this last question – uh. (…) If you have any other comments or concerns – uh – please let us know, but otherwise – uh – yeah, no – uh.    [Carlos – 29m 08s]  No, yeah – uh – thank you so much. Like, I like storytelling. Uh – I- I- I think – uhm – quantitative stuff matters, but also qualitative stuff matters, right? And I think storytelling is great. It really shows people that we’re all humans, right? Sometimes, people see maybe five percent [5%] of what we go through, and it is through storytelling that we’re able to share our challenges, how we overcame those challenges, how we feel, how sometimes we all feel, so – uh – yeah, it is- it is really great. Thank you. I appreciate it.    [Mia – 29m 42s]  No, thank you for participating, and – uh – we really appreciate it, so we’ll – uh – end the interview with your name, quick.     [Carlos – 29m 47s]  Carlos Zapata.    [Mia – 29m 49s]  Carlos Zapata, Mia Lavergne as interviewer, and-    [Zoé – 29m 52s]  Zoé Asselin as second interviewer.    [Mia – 29m 56s]  Alright, thank you so much, that concludes it for today, thank you- [A slight thud is heard as the microphone mutes itself.]  Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data In person Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 30m01s 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 Zapata Description An account of the resource <div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">This interview tells the story of Carlos Zapata, who immigrated to Canada from Santiago de Cali, Colombia, on the Pacific Coast. Carlos migrated to Montreal in pursuit of higher education at Dawson College and later at Concordia University. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he accepted a job at the University of Ottawa because of the opportunities, possibilities, and quality of life the city of Ottawa offered. While Carlos has found a rich and fulfilling life in Ottawa, he still celebrates his culture in myriad ways, including participating in holidays such as Petronio Álvarez and Christmas. Food is also a significant factor in how Carlos stays connected. His culture. He highlighted some of his favourite foods from back home, Santiago de Cali, such as chontaduro, cholado, sancocho, el aplastado, and salchipapa. Finally, Carlos emphasizes his love for salsa music, which he still listens to today to reconnect with his roots. Having lived in Canada for most of his adult life, Carlos emphasizes the disconnect he feels from his culture. Simple practices, such as cooking one’s favourite dish, become nearly impossible due to the lack of accessibility to ingredients needed to recreate meals from his hometown on the Pacific Coast. Now, through his work as a specialist in ‘Partnerships and Community Engagement’ in Community Service Learning (CSL) programming at the University of Ottawa, Carlos uses his personal experince as a guiding light in his endeavours to create unity among Latin American communities through storytelling. Community is a central value for Carlos, after growing up in what he describes as a “densely populated, rich ecosystem full of local shops, restaurants and pubs”. From Carlos’ perspective, it is important for Latin Americans to support each other, form reciprocal, trust-based relationships, and take up space.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2026/03/18 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 file Language A language of the resource English