29 May Archival Adventure Awaits!

¡Hola!

My name is Lissete and this is my first time joining LHIP! My parents came to the U.S. from Mexico, and I was born and raised here in southern California. I am currently a grad student in the Master of Library and Information Science degree program with the San Jose State University iSchool. I also completed my BA in Anthropology-Sociology (a cool combination degree offered at my college) last May. There was a greater emphasis on cultural anthropology in my studies, and I loved it. I discovered that I have a passion for cultural and social awareness and have a strong desire to learn about and understand others. In anthropology I found elements of history and heritage and of preserving that information and spreading awareness. I found the same elements during my internship with a historical museum. That is where I learned what the archives room is. I began with organization projects, and I always felt a great sense of accomplishment when I was done with them. I even learned a few things about the history of the city of Whittier along the way. Towards the end of my internship, I worked on a project that involved the contents of a trunk someone had donated. The trunk belonged to one of the first families to settle in what is now the city of Whittier. It was full of letters, journals, photographs, and other materials. I had to research the family with the information that we already had in the museum in order to identify the people in the photographs and to keep track of family relationships. It was like a giant puzzle or a mystery game. My favorite items were these set of journals that belonged to one of the men in the family. He wrote in his journals up until his last days! I’ll never forget that project; it was an incredible experience. This is why I am so excited to be joining Homestead National Monument of America in Nebraska, where I will be working on the archives of the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company. I cannot wait to hear more fascinating stories and to learn much more about archival records. I will miss my home and my family—but I know that this is an amazing opportunity, and I am proud to be a Latina working with the LHIP and the National Park Service. ¡Hasta pronto!