Urban Borderlands Records

This collection consists of oral history tapes and transcripts, photographs, and supporting documentation for the Anthropology 183 seminar Urban Borderlands. Urban Borderlands was a joint effort between Tufts undergraduates and Latino high school students from Cambridge and documents the arrival and integration of the Latino community in contemporary US cities. Through interviews, recorded oral histories, and field research, students developed a history of the Latino community of Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. Research topics were determined by the class and included subjects such as: the history and trajectory of the various Latino groups' arrival in Cambridge and Somerville, their settlement patterns and primary economic activities; the role of the church, sports, culture and the media; and the relationships and interactions of the various Latino groups with Cambridge and Somerville's existing ethnic communities. As a final project, students collectively prepared a booklet based on their research, which was published by the Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy.