UTRGV is preserving the stories of Latinos who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Rio Grande Valley with a project called ‘Voces of a Pandemic’.

When the pandemic began over a year ago, Dr. Noreen Rivera asked students in her Mexican American Literature classes to help preserve the stories of Latinos affected by COVID-19.

The project includes interviews that range from police officers and nurses to truck drivers.

“I didn’t want to narrow it to any specific job sector, because I wanted to cast a wide net there were so many experiences out there,” Rivera said.

UTRGV conducted nearly 100 interviews for the oral history project.

“ I personally interviewed my Tio,” said UTRGV freshman Sarah Perez. “So, I think hearing everyone else’s experiences, hearing his experience since he lives in a difference city - it lets you know you’re not alone in the things that you’ve experienced.”

UTRGV Voces will become a part of a digital collection housed in the university library’s Special Collections and Archives and can be found at scholarworks.utrgv.edu/voces/