We posted here earlier about the Chicana por mi Raza (CPMR) Archival Online Database project co-directed by Maria Cotera of University of Michigan, and Linda Garcia Merchant of Voces Primeras.  The project seeks to provide “broad-based public access to oral histories, material culture, correspondence, and rare out-of-print publications for use in both scholarly research and the classroom.”  MALCS leadership is currently considering organizational  sponsorship of the CPMR project.  
Meanwhile….
The Voces Primeras production team is seeking support for their travel to El Paso, Texas for the 4oth anniversary celebration of the Raza Unida Party Convention.  The team will be recording interviews with the Women of the Partido as they share their memories of their involvement in the party and throughout this movement. These women participated as not only political candidates, but also as caucus chairs, precinct captains, and organizers. This is an unprecedented opportunity to record this reflection as it happens.  The Indiegogo campaign here seeks financial support to fund their travel, lodging and airefare.
The production team would appreciate your donation at the Indiegogo site, and are offering various small incentives. Â Or, they write, “Share our link! We don’t have a lot of time to gather these funds, so let your friends and family know about our campaign! If you would like to donate but would like to mail us a check, here is our information: Â Voces Primeras, 47 West Polk Street, Suite 100-275, Chicago, Illinois 60605.”
Please don’t miss Maria Cotera’s comment below – click on “Comment”
Queridas Compañeras, I will write this because I know Linda won’t. Since 2009, we have made two research trips to Texas and three to California (one time for 10 days of interviews accompanied by three undergrads and my MOTHER). I have used my research funds to pay the undergraduates and graduates who have helped us, and to cover food and lodging on these trips, and finally to pay someone to transcribe our interviews.
But throughout our partnership on this project, Linda has traveled at her own expense, taking time off of work (she has a full time job). She has enlisted the help of her “crew” (Katy, a photographer and Jordy, a videographer)who have joined us (at their own expense and sometimes on Linda’s dime) for several of these trips. They have done this work for free, contributing both their talents and their equipment to this effort. Jordy has even let us borrow his equipment when he couldn’t afford the time or expense of joining us. This has kept our expenses to a bare minimum, and allowed us to use what little money we do have to cover expenses for undergraduates and graduates who want to work on the project (and sometimes even pay them). While I can request money from my institution to pay for an occasional plane ticket, Linda has to dig deep into her own pockets to help make this project happen. She will say it is a labor of love, and it really is, but such labors do not happen without sacrifice.
We have completed 25 oral histories with mujeres in the Midwest and Southwest, collected about 800 documents, and trained a small cadre of undergraduate students in the methodologies of oral history and archival work, with no major foundation support, and a very moderate amount of university support, but with lots and lots of GANAS and passion. Thank you for your continued support.