Enrique Watson, an educator at Lincoln Junior High School in northwest Washington, DC, spoke about his family's origin in Panama and Jamaica; his many siblings; being raised by two of his aunts; working as a custom inspector; the Panama Canal; his career as an educator in Panama and the United States; and when and why he immigrated to the United States. He explained how Panama evolved into a country of Spanish and English speakers, what accounted for the mix of Blacks and Hispanics in families, and that the majority of Black Panamanians are bilingual.
Watson also spoke about overcoming his educational disability, his stuttering; his involvement in sports, including martial arts, soccer, and basketball; living in the city of Colón during his adolescent years; and incidents involving the clever thieves in Panama.
Interview is in English. Digital audio files include loud white noise and static, and background noise. Interviewee's voice can be heard clearly for the most part.
General:
Associated documentation, including partial transcripts, for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives. The textual transcripts are not verbatim of the audio recordings.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
3 Digital files
2 Sound cassettes
Type:
Archival materials
Digital files
Sound cassettes
Place:
Haiti
Africa
New York (N.Y.)
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
circa 1992-1993
Scope and Contents:
Harry Azemar, known as Rameza in the music world, spoke about his migration to the United States, including why he was reluctant to come to the United States; his first year in the United States, including learning English and enlisting in the United States Navy; living in New York City, including going to night clubs and the Haitian community; typical Haitian fashion attire and style in the late 1970s; his experience in the US Navy; and how and why he arrived in Washington, DC.
Azemar spoke about his relationship with his mother; his wife, who is also Haitian; what soccer means to him and attending soccer games; the Haitian community in Washington, DC; his experience as a coordinator for the "Today and Tomorrow" program, which taught teenagers how to succeed in the United States; how he would teach Haitian youth to assimilate in the new culture while keeping them in touch with their Haitian roots; and being a solo musician without a band.
Azemar explained how music is the rhythm of a culture, specifically spoke about music in Haiti and South Africa; the relationship between music, what is happening in a country, and the people of a country; different kinds of Haitian music, including instruments and Haitian bands; how his interest in music developed when he was young, and then as new immigrant in the United States; how he developed as a musician and transitioning from the guitar to the electronic keyboard; the difference between performing with a Spanish band versus a Haitian band; the connection between music and politics; how music supports learning and education; and why some Haitians do not listen to American music.
Azemar also spoke about writing his own music; performing in front of an audience; the demographics and size of the audiences; where he performs; the types of music he plays; his relationship with other Haitian musicians in Washington, DC; musicians who have influenced him and how; visiting Africa in the mid-1970s; the radio stations he listens to in Washington, DC; Haitian, calypso, soca, Spanish, African, and French music; different types of Haitian dance; and Haitian Carnival.
Azemar described his experiences with vodou ceremonies, the Protestant church, and the Catholic church in Haiti when he was young. He also explained the relationship between vodou and nature, and vodou practices and beliefs. Azemar also described the values and characteristics of those who live in the countryside versus the city in Haiti. He also detailed some of Haitian history, including Haitian revolution and independence.
Interview is in English. The interview concluded with a musical demonstration by Harry Azemar. Digital audio files include white noise and static; there is more static during the musical demonstration. Interviewee's voice is intelligible.
General:
Associated documentation for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
4 Digital files
2 Sound cassettes
Type:
Archival materials
Digital files
Sound cassettes
Place:
Haiti
Africa
New York (N.Y.)
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
1993 January 08
Scope and Contents:
Kleber Vielot spoke about why he migrated to and remained in the United States in 1959; what he left behind, including his children and library, in Haiti; his work in New York City, and his first time working for a white man; his mentor in New York City; navigating NYC and mass transit system; his Haitian political work while he was living in the United States; and forming soccer team and building Haitian community. Vielot also mentioned he taught primary and secondary education, and had a role with a teachers' union in Haiti.
Vielot spoke in detail about his Haitian and American heroes, including Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Malcolm X, and MLK. He explained the difference between the civil rights struggle in the United States and what was happening in Haiti; why interactions between Black Haitians and Black Americans are difficult, and how their relationship evolved; the differences between Black Haitians and Black Americans; the constructed inferiority of Black Americans in the United States; and African, French, and United States influence in Haiti and on Haitians.
Vielot spoke about Haitian youth and identity crisis; why Haitian parents criticize American way of life; differences in how children are raised in the United States versus Haiti; why Haitians return to Haiti; the differences in the educational systems between United States and Haiti; discipline, including how Haitian teachers disciplined students in Haiti; and how to retain Haitian culture while living in the United States, including while raising children. Vielot stated where his children were educated, some in the United States and some in Haiti; and what his children studied in higher education. Vielot explained why he never became an United States citizen. He stated his wife, also Haitian, became an United States citizen; and that he was born and raised Catholic.
Vielot explained how the Haitian diaspora affects politics and economics in Haiti; how he communicated with and sent money to his family as a political exile of Haiti under the Francois Duvalier regime; and the differences between the Haitian political exiles when he was exiled versus Haitian political exiles in 1993. Vielot also explained the importance and role of oral tradition, including stories and proverbs, in the lives of Africans and Haitians. He described a few of the stories; and recited and explained proverbs.
Vielot also spoke about Francois Duvalier and Haitian politics; Haitian independence; Haitian way of life in Haiti; Haitian and African culture and values; origin, history, beliefs, and practices of vodou; rites of passage in Haiti; the importance of education to the Haitian family; the value of individuals based on their occupation; the respect teachers received in Haiti; his visits to Africa; how babies are named in Africa; relationships between men and women; characteristics of Haitians; and stereotypes about Haitians.
Interview is in English and minimal Haitian Creole; Vielot recited proverbs in Haitian Creole and then explained them in English. Digital audio files include white noise and static; minimal background noise; and a very short portion of the audio is distorted. Interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.
General:
Associated documentation for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Sydney March, a Jamaican musician and writer, spoke of his memories growing up in West Kingston, Jamaica, including his schooling in East Kingston, playing cricket, and music clubs. He spoke about his connection to Jamaican culture and his roots; freedom in Jamaica; and race in Jamaica versus United States. He explained his thoughts on education, and separation and isolation in the United States; and the importance of learning about all cultures.
March explained he migrated to Washington, DC to attend Howard University, and why he still lived in Washington, DC area. He described the political atmosphere while he attended Howard University; and spoke about prominent figures at Howard University, including Stokely Carmichael, Donald Byrd, Eric Williams, and Sterling Allen Brown.
March spoke about the Jamaican and Caribbean community in Washington, DC, including night clubs and reggae music, and on Howard University campus, where Jamaicans spoke Patois and played cricket and soccer together. He explained there was not much unity between Caribbean and African American communities on Howard University campus at the time, the lived experience that separated the two communities, how long it took for African Americans to connect to Caribbean culture, and the evolution of culture and identity.
March also spoke about ska, reggae, calypso, jazz, rocksteady, and R & B music; Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey, and their philosophies; when and how he started playing music; the musicians he listened to; learning and playing music, and the music scene in Jamaica, London, New York City, and Washington, DC; the various instruments he played; the musicians and bands he played with; some of the venues where he played music in Washington, DC; reggae DJs, including Tony Carr, and impact on rap DJs; DJ battles; Rastafarian performers; and Bob Marley's influence on reggae music. March explained Rastafari and reggae are not synonymous. He also spoke about the Jamaican posse; guns and drugs in Washington, DC; shootings at venues where reggae bands performed; and Operation Caribbean Cruise. Finally, March talked about his writing work and publications.
Interview is in English. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee's voice is intelligible for the most part.
General:
Associated documentation, including partial transcripts, for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives. The textual transcripts are not verbatim of the audio recordings.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited Bunia and its surroundings, near Lake Albert. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.
Local Numbers:
EENG-I-22, 34A.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "N 3 Zai. Zaire. Bunia. Students at Catholic mission school before the soccer game. 4/1970. EE. neg.no. I-22, 34A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited Bunia and its surroundings, near Lake Albert. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.
Local Numbers:
EENG-I-22, 35A.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "N 3 Zai. Zaire. Bunia. Students at Catholic mission school before the soccer game. 4/1970. EE. neg.no. I-22, 35A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited Bunia and its surroundings, near Lake Albert. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.
Local Numbers:
EENG-I-22, 36A.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "N 3 Zai. Zaire. Bunia. Students at Catholic mission school before the soccer game. 4/1970. EE. neg.no. I-22, 36A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
