Michele M. Serros was a Chicana writer who grew up in Oxnard, California. She is best known for Chicana Falsa: And Other Stories of Death, Identity, and Oxnard and How to be a Chicana role model. The papers cover her childhood, high school work, undergraduate courses, published works, and speaking and workshop engagements. The collection also includes photographs, drawings, and her high school yearbook.
Content Description:
The Michelle M. Serros Papers include materials from her childhood, undergraduate education, and music interests. The majority of the collection documents her work as a poet, speaker, and author.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into five series.
Provenance:
Collection donated to the Archives Center in 2019 by Antonio Magaña.
Restrictions:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The Hector and Norma Orcí Advertising Agency Records document the history, educational, and creative output produced by Hector and Norma Orcí throughout their extensive career in advertising. The Orcís founded their own independent agency in 1986 in Los Angeles. The Orcí Advertising Agency successfully introduced various products to Latinos in the United States and developed a reputation as one of the top advertising agencies to understand the US Latino market. The collection showcases the agency's history and awards, advertising and marketing campaigns, and its role in educating advertising agencies on the importance of the US Latino market.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the Orcí Advertising Agency and its work in helping clients market their products to U.S. Latinos, its marketing methods and creative philosophy, and its role in educating other advertising companies about the Latino consumer market in the United States. The collection includes the founding and history of the agency, business records, awards and press clippings, training materials for staff, reports on the US Latino market for various products, training and curriculum materials for a UCLA Extension course on advertising in the US Latino market, account reports, conference materials, slides and photographs, and campaigns and advertising materials developed for clients such as Allstate, Honda, and Pepsi. Video footage of Spanish-language commercials developed by the Orcí Advertising Agency is also part of the collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into five series.
Series 1: Background Materials, 1979-2010, undated
Series 2: Advertising and Marketing Materials, 1986-2003, undated
Series 3: Teaching Materials, 1985-2012, undated
Series 4: Conference Materials, 1984-1999, undated
Series 5: Audiovisual Materials, 1986-2016
Biographical / Historical:
Once employees of La Agencía de McCann-Erickson advertising company, Hector and Norma Orcí founded their own independent agency in 1986. The Orcí Advertising Agency, also known as La Agencía de Orcí & Asociados, is based in Los Angeles. Since its inception, the Orcí Advertising Agency has devoted itself to US Latino marketing and teaching other advertising agencies how to effectively advertise and sell products to US Latinos. The Orcís quickly developed an impressive roster of successful campaigns for major clients and continue to be a well-respected agency in the advertising sector.
Separated Materials:
The Division of Work and Industry holds the following artifacts related to this collection:
Virgin of Guadalupe Painting, Accession #: 2015.0306.01
INS Eagle Painting, Accession #: 2015.0306.02
Don Quixote Figurine, Accession #: 2015.0306.03
Provenance:
Collection donated by Hector and Norma Orcí, 2016.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Exiles in America: Cuban Pedro Pans and Balseros was an oral history project designed to research and document the journeys and experiences of two distinct immigration/migration experiences of the Cuban diaspora. Steve Valesquez of the National Museum of American History Division of Home and Community Life conducted twelve oral history interviews 2014-2015. The project was funded by the Consortium for the American Experience.
Scope and Contents:
Exiles in America: Cuban Pedro Pans and Balseros consists of eleven born digital oral history interviews about the journeys and experiences of Cubans who came to the United States as unaccompanied children via Operation Pedro Pan in the early 1960s, and of those who fled the island as balseros—rafters—beginning in the mid-1990s.
There is also supporting documentation in the form of interview transcripts and summaries.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in two series.
Series 1: Oral History Interviews, 2014-2015
Series 2: Supporting Documentation, 2014
Biographical / Historical:
Exiles in America: Memory and the Lived Experiences of Cuban Pedro Pans and Balseros was a collecting initiative that looks at the journeys and experiences of Cubans who came to the United States as unaccompanied children via Operation Pedro Pan in the early 1960s, and of those who fled the island as balseros—rafters—beginning in the mid-1990s. Building on relationships already established with former Pedro Pan children, universities, archives, and museums in Miami, the project conducted research, recorded oral histories, and acquired collections to document the legacy of Cuban migration to the United States. This project was funded by the Consortium for the American Experience in 2014 and was part of the Smithsonian-wide Immigration Initiative and the National Museum of American History exhibit project, Many Voices, One Nation.
Following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, many Cubans became wary of their country's new leader, Fidel Castro, and his Communist regime. Those who opposed the revolution sought ways to keep their family together and "save" their children from Communist indoctrination. This growing sentiment prompted underground forces in Cuba and the Catholic Church in Miami—with later assistance from the State Department—to establish Operation Pedro Pan, an underground exodus of approximately 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States, beginning in 1960 and ending in 1962. By 1961, the U.S. government waived all visa requirements for Cuban children and set aside federal money for their care. Under the auspices of Catholic Charities and the Catholic Welfare Bureau, the Miami diocese processed the Cuban children and placed them in shelters (foster care, orphanages, or with family) in forty-seven dioceses in thirty states. In 1962, the Missile Crisis severed all ties between the U.S. and Cuba, halting Operation Pedro Pan; some children waited years to reunite with their parents, others never saw their parents again.
In addition to the State Department's endorsement of Operation Pedro Pan, the federal government enacted policies such as the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 that provided federal aid and resources to help Cubans resettle in the United States and become permanent residents. Many scholars, such as Lillian Guerra, argue that these anti-Communist/Cold War policies ultimately influenced Cubans to embrace "Cuban exceptionality" as fundamental to their identities in the U.S.
In the summer of 2014 the project set out to collect stories and objects, via "collecting days" in collaboration with HistoryMiami. The project invited the community members to participate, record their stories, and collect objects (material culture) related to Operation Pedro Pan and balseros, respectively.
The goal was to research and document the journeys and experiences of Pedro Pans and balseros to understand how two distinct immigration/migration experiences of the Cuban diaspora have shaped the larger American and U.S. Latino experiences, affected the identity-formation of Cuban Americans, and how Latinos have shaped the nation.
Three interviews were collected prior to the collecting days (see Family of Voices (AC1365)) in Miami. Three were recorded in Miami. Four were collected in Washington D.C. and two over the phone. Collected by Steve Velasquez, Division of Home and Community Life.
Steve Velasquez
Separated Materials:
The Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution holds artifacts related to this collection.
Provenance:
Made by Steve Velasquez, curator, for the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution in 2014-2015.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Interviews and supporting documentation available only in the Smithsonian Institution Digital Asset Management System (DAMS).
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The López Negrete Communications Advertising Collection showcases the successful print advertising campaigns the communications agency undertook with major clients like Goya Foods, NationsBank, and Walmart. The advertising posters in this collection exemplify the agency's creativity in building on U.S. Latinos' everyday experiences to market American products and services. Alex and Cathy López Negrete, the founders of López Negrete Communications, made it their mission to use ethnographic approaches to better understand the U.S. Latino market which led to their success as the largest independently-owned Latino advertising agency in the country.
Scope and Contents:
The collection is made up of López Negrete Communications' large posters created as part of the print advertising campaigns for major American corporations and oral history interviews with Javier Gonzalez Herba, Alex López Negrete, and Cathy López Negrete. Transcripts for oral history interviews with Javier Gonzalez Herba and Alex López Negrete are available.
López Negrete Communications' clients include Fiesta Mart, Goya Foods, NationsBank (and its successor, Bank of America), Tyson Foods, and Walmart. The content of the posters serves as an example of the advertising agency's efforts to better understand the U.S. Latino market by engaging with Latinos' everyday experiences through ethnography and direct communication.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into ten series.
Series 1: Background Materials, 2016
Series 2: Bank of America, 2000-2007
Series 3: Circle K, Totally Bueno, 2003
Series 4: Fiesta Mart, Inc., 2002-2003
Series 5: Goya Foods, Inc., 2003
Series 6: Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO), El camino a su destino/The Road to Your Destiny, 1988
Series 7: Microsoft, Nosotros vemos/We See, 2002
Series 8: NationsBank, 1994-1998
Series 9: Tyson Foods, 2001-2006
Series 10: Walmart, Inc. 1998-2015
Biographical / Historical:
Originally named Third Coast Marketing, López Negrete Communications was founded in 1985 by Alex and Cathy López Negrete. The advertising agency has been based in Houston, Texas since the beginning but has additional offices in Los Angeles and New York. López Negrete Communications is currently the largest independently-owned Latino advertising agency in the United States. It is known for drawing on the everyday lives and experiences of US Latino consumers in order to work with major corporate clients to market their products through effective communication and empowerment.
Separated Materials:
The Division of Work and Industry holds the following artifacts related to this collection:
Coin, Accession #: 2015.0305.01
Paperweight, Accession #: 2015.0305.02
Provenance:
Collection donated by López Negrete Communications, 2016.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The Quince Años Documentation is a collection of liturgical publications, handbooks, and audiovisual materials created by Sister Angela Erevia, Missionary of Cathecists of Divine Providence and Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas. The materials were formulated in order to be shared with the surrounding Catholic community and used as preparatory tools for youth, their families, and religious staff who would be partaking in the Quince Años celebration.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of liturgical materials, audiovisual aids, and hymnals developed by Sister Angela Erevia, MCDP, intended for use during the religious observance portion of the Quince Años (fifteenth birthday) celebration. The handbooks and booklets included in the collection are intended to prepare quinceañera/quinceañero youth, their families, and religious staff for the Quince Años celebration while also centering the Catholic faith.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series. Materials are arranged topically.
Historical Note:
The celebration of Quince Años is a social, coming-of-age event that is held when US Latino and Latin American youth (usually young women) turn fifteen years old to celebrate their societal debut into adulthood. Quince Años are celebrated throughout Latin America and in parts of the United States. Young women celebrating their Quince Años are referred to as quinceañeras, while young men are called quinceañeros. While Quince Años celebrations are not meant to be religious, families of Catholic quinceañeras and quinceañeros who wished to center their Catholic faith as part of the celebration have worked with religious staff to incorporate Catholic elements and practices. Sister Angela Erevia, part of the Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence and current Director of Hispanic Ministry through the Diocese of Dodge City, developed pamphlets and videos to help quinceañera and quinceañero youth, their families, and religious staff prepare for the religious part of the Quince Años celebration.
Separated Materials:
Natalia Flores donated artifacts to the Division of Home and Community Life in 2009. See accession #: 2009.0169.001 (Quinceanera dress worn by Natalia Flores); 2009.0169.002 (Quinceanera shoes worn with the dress); 2009.0169.003 (tiara worn with the Quinceanera dress); and 2009.0169.004 (bouquet (not flowers or dried) carried with the dress).
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center by Sister Angela Erevia in 2009.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Copyright for these materials remains the property of the Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence, 2318 Castroville Road, San Antonio, Texas 78237.
The Alejandro Orengo Photograph Collection is arranged thematically, then alphabetically by title:
1) Freddie Gray Riots
2) General Baltimore
3) Latino Baltimore
Biographical Note:
Alejandro Orengo is a Baltimore-based street photographer and videographer of Puerto Rican descent. Born in NY, he moved from the densely Latino section of Washington Heights, NY to Baltimore, MD in 2006. In addition to freelance photography and personal projects, he currently works as a director of photography at Johns Hopkins University.
Provenance:
The collection was purchased with funds through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, Smithsonian Institution in 2016.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials require an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu
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.
Latinos in American society and culture Search this
Genre/Form:
Born digital
Digital images
Citation:
Alejandro Orengo Photograph Collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Purchase through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, Smithsonian Institution in 2016.
Sponsor:
Purchase through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, Smithsonian Institution.
