The Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library and Joel Berrocal, the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, are working to document the untold history of Bristol’s Puerto Rican community, writes Emily Neil for WHYY.
Berrocal noted that he’s had this project in mind for a while. However, he was recently inspired to start as the first generation of Puerto Rican residents has begun to pass away.
Approximately 1,100 Puerto Ricans reside in the borough, making up 15 percent of Bristol’s Latino and/or Hispanic population.
“Preserving what memories are left from the initial group moving over to Bristol is important, and also preserving their memories from home,” said Abigail Duffany, one of the library’s archivists. “It’s very interconnected.”
Berrocal and archivists have worked to find the best ways to collect the documents, photos and oral histories of residents.
Those interested can volunteer their support and assist with looking through historical documents and old newspapers for more stories.
“If you have pictures, if you’re interested in doing an oral history, it’s all important,” Duffany said. “If you have a button, or if you want to talk about your relative, and you may not live in Bristol, but your relative lived in Bristol, it’s important to capture all of that.”
Duffany is assisting families with digitizing documents and photos, and is happy to arrange a time to meet.
Read more about how Bristol’s Puerto Rican community is preserving its rich history and how to get involved at WHYY.
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