FHS Oral History Project
The Florida Historical Society Oral History Project is an effort to continue diversifying the archival collections at our Library of Florida History by creating a digital and physical archive of oral histories, focusing on diverse and typically underserved communities in our state. These interviews preserve personal recollections, experiences, and perspectives on past events. These interviews capture the voices and memories of individuals who lived through significant historical periods, contributing to a richer understanding of the past.
FHS Oral History Project – Christine Malamanig Berk Click for full page.
Christine Malamanig Berk was born in Tamuning, Guam, in 1973. Christine briefly recollected fond memories of her early upbringing on the island before her family moved to California when she turned five years old. Christine cited familial trends and improved opportunities in the contiguous United States as reasons they left Guam. She recounted...
Christine Malamanig Berk, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Priyanka Chandra Sen Click for full page.
Priyanka Chandra Sen was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1994. She recounted her upbringing, particularly her experiences navigating her dual American and Indian identity, from her parents maintaining Indian cultural norms at home while attempting to assimilate her within American society, to her own cultural encounters throughout her K-12 education in...
Priyanka Chandra Sen, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Surabhi Adesh Click for full page.
Surabhi Adesh was born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1965. Her father received a position with the Indian High Commission to teach Hindi music and culture in the West Indies and report on the broader conditions of the Indian diaspora in that region. As a result, in 1966, when Surabhi was around a year old, the family moved to Trinidad. In...
Surabhi Adesh, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Jasdeep Aujla Click for full page.
Jasdeep “Jazzy” Aujla was born in Barking, East London, United Kingdom, in 1990. She emigrated to Central Florida at four years old with her father. Economic difficulties prompted Jasdeep’s parents to leave the UK, while relatives already living in Central Florida facilitated their decision and transition to the Sunshine State. As an Indian immigrant...
Jasdeep Aujla, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Subhash Chandra Click for full page.
Subhash Chandra was born in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1944. He recalled how India’s independence in 1947 affected his earlier years and his family more broadly. In addition to the challenges brought with independence, Subhash remembered the financial difficulties his family experienced during his childhood. A fascination with American...
Subhash Chandra, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Madhu Chandra Click for full page.
Madhu Chandra was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1947. She recollected memories of her upbringing, particularly how frequently her family moved from various cities across India, given her father’s position in government. Born a few months into the Partition, Madhu remembered stories that her family passed down during her childhood years...
Madhu Chandra, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Jasbir Mehta Click for full page.
Jasbir Mehta was born in India in 1955. She recounted her upbringing in India, particularly how her family moved around the country frequently, as her father worked for the government. Jasbir also remembered how the transition from colonialism to post-colonial independence affected her early life and family. She particularly recalled stories her...
Jasbir Mehta, oral history
Orit Reuben was born in Israel in 1966. She recounted her upbringing in Israel during the 1970s, from visiting her grandparents in their kibbutz to living in a low-middle-class neighborhood. She specifically recollected memories about experiencing the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Her dad served in the Israeli military and moved the entire family to the...
Orit Reuben, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – George Rodón Click for full page.
George Rodón was born in Santiago, Cuba, in 1947. George recounted his upbringing in Santiago, particularly the joyous mood once Fidel Castro took control of the island from the longstanding right-wing dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. George explained how the elation quickly soured, prompting his family to flee Cuba on November 13, 1960, almost two...
George Rodón, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Guenet Gittens-Roberts Click for full page.
Guenet Gittens-Roberts was born in Guyana in 1975. She recollected her upbringing in Guyana during the 1980s, particularly how the country’s multicultural and diverse religious landscape influenced her profoundly. Guenet recalled memories of her parents owning a screen printing company and the intertwined relationship between work and life. Despite...
Guenet Gittens-Roberts, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Mayor Jerry L. Demings Click for full page.
Mayor Jerry L. Demings was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1959. He recounted his upbringing throughout the 1960s and early 1970s in Washington Shores, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Orlando. He recollected memories of his father working as a taxi driver for twelve hours a day, seven days a week, and his mother as a housemaid, all while both of...
Jerry L. Demings, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Louis “Lou” Boria Junior Click for full page.
Louis “Lou” Boria Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927. A child of Puerto Rican parents, he recalled the contentious racial climate growing up in Brooklyn during the 1930s and early 1940s. He vividly remembered the racially charged statements he received as an adolescent, particularly “F— Puerto Rican this, F— Puerto Rico that,” and how that...
Louis Boria Jr, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Melvin “Mel” Jenner Click for full page.
Melvin “Mel” Jenner was born in Goodrich, North Dakota, in 1922. His family moved to Michigan when Mel turned four years old, and he recounted his upbringing. A fascination with airplanes led Mel to join the Michigan International Guard during high school. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the federal government mobilized...
Melvin 'Mel' Jenner, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Volodymyr Chornyy Click for full page.
Volodymyr Chornyy was born in Ukraine in the former Soviet Union in 1981. Volodymyr recalled his experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union, particularly how education changed after the USSR fell in 1991. He fondly remembered the Ukrainian independent spirit of the 1990s, while also emphasizing the economic difficulties many families faced...
Volodymr Chornyy, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Ania Martynuk Click for full page.
Ania Martynuk was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 2006. A daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, Ania recounted her young life experience, especially navigating her dual identity as a Ukrainian and American living in Florida. She remembered her visit to Ukraine when she was ten years old. She recalled her childhood growing up in Palm Coast, Florida, all...
Ania Martynuk, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Roksalana Cisyk Click for full page.
Roksalana Cisyk was born in Ukraine, at the time the former Soviet Union, in 1969. She recounted her experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union. Roksalana shared how her worldview on the United States changed once her aunt, who...
Roksalana Cisyk, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Vasyl Boichook Click for full page.
Vasyl Boichook was born in Ukraine in 1966. Vasyl recounted his adolescent experience in the former Soviet Union throughout the 1980s, particularly as the empire opened and eroded. He explained his inspiration for studying artistic woodworking and how he developed his versatility in a school he attended in Ukraine. In December 1991, Vasyl emigrated...
Vasyl Boichook, oral history
Samir Fkiyi was born in Morocco in 1986. After briefly discussing his experiences growing up in Morocco, Samir recounted his decision to leave and emigrate to the United States in 2011. He realized that perceptions in Morocco about Americans—and vice versa—differed from what he observed living in the States. In fact, Samir created a YouTube channel...
Samir Fkiyi, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Claudia Menezes Click for full page.
Claudia Menezes was born in Belém, Pará, Brazil, in 1966. She briefly recounted her experiences growing up in Belém, particularly the inspiration she drew from her mother. Claudia initially majored in history, and explained why she selected that field of study and how it informed her approach to tourism, the career she ended up graduating from and...
Claudia Menezes, oral history
FHS Oral History Project – Khalid Muneer Click for full page.
Khalid Muneer was born in Pakistan in 1951. He recalled his earliest years in Pakistan, particularly the stories his family passed down about the deadly Partition that divided India and Pakistan in 1947. Khalid emphasized how his turbulent migrant experience from India to England motivated him to study a career that ensured financial security and...
Khalid Muneer, oral history
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