The McLean County Latino History Project seeks to research and record the culture and experience of Latinos who have settled in McLean County and identify artifacts, images and documents associated with their culture and lives for future programs and exhibits. The Museum of History teamed with the Illinois State University Latin American and Latino Studies Program for this project. Community volunteer Sal Valadez led much of the early research, assisted by Museum staffer Jeff Woodard.
The materials collected, which include oral history interviews with longtime Latino residents will assist researchers and others in the community with understanding migration, social and economic advancement. The collection also aims to help in creating events, displays and multimedia exhibits.
From the late 19th into the mid-20th centuries, Latinos immigrating from the US Southwest, Puerto Rico, etc. found diverse employment within homes (as domestics), railroads, farms, factories, circuses and as general laborers. Many remained in the community, raising their families. Others moved on elsewhere in the US or back to their native countries. In recent decades, immigrant Latinos have found work at State Farm, in education at ISU, Mitsubishi and some have been very successful creating access to food, developing authentic restaurants and cultural festivals locally.