PROPOSAL TYPE
Roundtable
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Memory
- Museums/Exhibits
- Oral History
ABSTRACT
I wish to present about the Angolans in Maine Oral History Project. The project has two aims: a) to hear from Angolan immigrants about why they decided to emigrate to the U.S. and settle in Maine; and b) to learn about they immigrant experience in Maine. Maine is home to a substantial and growing population of refugees from the west-central African country of Angola. In Greater Portland and Lewiston-Auburn, immigrants make up close to 1 in every 10 residents and about 17% of Maine’s foreign-born residents come from Africa. My presentation will discuss reasons refugees report for leaving Angola, their decision to settle in Maine, and their lives now.
DESCRIPTION
I think my proposal would fit in a larger panel looking at contemporary immigrant experiences. Another angle that might resonate in Greater Providence is that Angolans are part of a Portuguese-speaking diaspora in the U.S. A panelists or community member might present about the experience of other Portuguese-speaking immigrants. My research is based on oral histories, so another option would be to discuss challenges and opportunities for conducting oral histories. The interviews from the Angolans in Maine Oral History Project will be housed in the oral history collection at the Maine MILL Museum in Lewiston.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly:
Jeremy Ball, Dickinson College, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be sent by November 15, 2025. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.