Chicago's Diplomatic Voces of the Pandemic Oral History Research Project

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed long-standing vulnerabilities caused by immigration status, race, ethnicity, and income. Protections for Chicago and Midwest residents of undocumented status are limited. Most federal aid requires applicants to hold citizenship status. The undocumented Latinx population find themselves in a vulnerable position. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to determine why the Latino community in the United States has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It was found that Latinos are at an increased risk for serious illness if they contract COVID-19 due to higher rates of underlying health conditions. Latinos are also more likely to be uninsured; work in the service industries such as restaurants, retail, and hospitality that are particularly at risk for loss of income during the pandemic; live in housing situations, such as multigenerational families or low-income and public housing that make it difficult to social distance or self-isolate; and work in jobs that are not amenable to teleworking. Chicago’s Diplomatic Voces of The Pandemic also seeks to understand how Latin American Consulates are responding to COVID-19 in the Midwest. Latin American diplomatic corps were interviewed to demonstrate the ways in which Latin American consulates have addressed the vulnerability of their diaspora in an effort to comprehend the challenges that Consulates have experienced and their ongoing obstacles. This project aims to contribute to the first oral history collection of Latino experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The main purpose of this project is to preserve the oral histories of Latin American Consulates in Chicago and their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect their diaspora through partnerships with local governments, non- profit organizations, and other self-started initiatives. This project is in partnership with the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The interviews will be archived in the Northern Illinois University Libraries and shared with the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin.