Immigrant Groups in Indiana, 1978
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleImmigrant Groups in Indiana, 1978
Project No.
ohrc060
Interviews
15 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This collection of interviews deals with different ethnic groups
in Indiana between the 1910s and the 1970s. Most of the interviewees are first
generation Americans born around the turn of the century. They share their life
histories, discussing mainly the World War II era, what they lived through,
what brought them to the United States, and how they adjusted to American life.
They discuss their native cultures and traditions, as well as their involvement
in American life.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains fifteen interviews conducted over the course of one year. The interviews range from fifty minutes
to two hours. All interviews consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts and collateral materials.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Ames, Sylvianne
October 17,
1978
Call Number
78-041
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30
minutes
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Sylvianne Ames, born in Bordeaux, France in 1941, discusses her
early life in France. She also talks about her adjustment to life in the United
States.
Interviewee
Asars, Anna
September 21,
1978
Physical Description
78-027
49 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ana Asars, born in Latvia on June 30, 1898, discusses the
obstacles she overcame throughout her life. She talks about both the German and
the Russian occupations of her country and the devastation each brought through
communist government, deportation and killing. She recalls fleeing Latvia to
refugee camps, where she and others were aided by the International Refugee
Organization, and describes that life she lived for over three years. Asars
speaks of immigrating to America though sponsorship, of her belief that she
would soon return home, and of her impressions of the United States, especially
her shock at the lack of women's rights. She also talks about her political
involvement in the United States.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- International Refugee Organization
-
-
Place Names
- Czechoslovakia
- Latvia
-
-
Personal Names
- Hefman, Buster
-
-
Subjects
- deportation
- German occupation
- Immigrant sponsorship
- immigration
- political involvement
- refugee camps
- Russian occupation
Interviewee
Balon, Maria; Balon, Roman
October 11,
1978
Call Number
78-040
Physical Description
42 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 40 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Roman and Maria Balon, both born in Poland, share their life
stories. They talk about the German occupation in Poland and how it turned
their lives upside down even before being deported as teenagers to Germany,
where they faced many more hardships. They describe the tragedies that they
both witnessed and experienced throughout World War II-- the German occupation,
concentration camps, refugee camps, etc.-- as well as the hardships of life
during that time. The Balons discuss their original hope of returning home to a
free Poland after the war, their realization that Russian control was just as
dangerous as that of the Germans, and their consequent decision to immigrate to
the United States. They discuss the adjustments they had to make creating a new
life in America, especially in learning a new language.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Germany
- Poland
- United States
-
-
Subjects
- Americanization
- concentration camps
- deportation
- German occupation
- immigration
Interviewee
Cohen, Habiba; Cohen, William
October 7,
1978
Call Number
78-036
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45
minutes
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Habiba Cohen, born in Iraq in December of 1940, and William
Cohen, born in Finland in 1941, discuss their early lives in their respective
birthplaces. They share their reasons for immigrating to the United States as
well as the problems they faced adjusting. They talk about anti-semitism,
especially in academia. The Cohens also speak of cultural traditions and values
that they have carried on in the United States.
Interviewee
Fischel, Henry
October 10,
1978
Call Number
78-037
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Restricted: quotations should not be used out of context
Scope and Content Note
Henry Fischel, born in Bonn, Germany in 1913, discusses his
early life and education in Germany. He discusses the Nazi takeover. Fischel
talks about his life as a student at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland as
well as in Canada. He speaks of his immigration to the United States and shares
information about Jewish studies. He also discusses anti-semitism.
Interviewee
Goren, Gideon
October 5,
1978
Call Number
78-034
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Gideon Goren, born in 1933 in Jerusalem, Israel, discusses his
early life in Israel. He shares his impressions of America and talks about the
Jewish community in Indianapolis, Indiana. Gideon also discusses the function
of the Jewish Educational Association (JEA).
Interviewee
Grunwald, John
September 27,
1978
Call Number
78-032
Physical Description
23 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; no index
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
John Grunwald, born in 1935 in Budapest, Hungary, discusses his
early life in Hungary. He talks about the Nazis and what occurred when they
came in 1944. He describes his father's escapes as well as his own, and
mentions his mother's inability to get out. Grunwald talks of being smuggled
into Austria by a professional smuggler paid by an uncle in the United States,
then with the aid of the United States International Refugee Organization,
finally making it to the United States. Grunwald recalls his education here and
his uncle's desire for him to become Americanized. He gives a brief history of
the veneer business of his uncle, where Grunwald has worked. He also talks
about Hungarian politics during his lifetime as well as his involvement in
American politics.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- International Refugee Organization
-
-
Occupation Names
- veneer manufacturer
-
-
Place Names
- Hungary
- United States
-
-
Subjects
- Americanization
- education
- Hungarian politics
- immigrant smugglers
- political involvement
Interviewee
Kete, Edwins; Kete, Lydia
September, 20,
1978
Call Number
78-026
Physical Description
49 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes; no index
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Edwins Kete, born on February 8, 1895, and Lydia Kete, born on
August 31, 1898, both in Latvia, discuss the hard life and times that they
encountered. They describe fleeing to Germany during the Russian occupation in
1944, because there was little other choice. They talk of living in refugee
camps and with relatives for five years while Edwins, among other jobs, worked
as a translator for the United States Army, before being sponsored to immigrate
to the United States. They discuss fleeing to Russia for a time when Germany
occupied Latvia, and their hope that after the Russian invasion they would
again return to Latvia, which did not come about. They speak of the immigration
process, including screening and qualifications. They talk about learning
English, and their political involvement in America despite their decision not
to become citizens. They also discuss the Latvian immigrant community.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Latvian Community Center
- United States Army
-
-
Place Names
- Germany
- Latvia
- Russia
- United States
-
-
Subjects
- citizenship
- German occupation
- immigration
- learning English
- refugee camps
- Russian occupation
Interviewee
Lukins, Marianna
September 20,
1978
Call Number
78-025
Physical Description
40 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes; no index;
photograph of interviewee
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Marianna Lukins, born in Latvia on January 1, 1906, discusses
the Russian occupation in Latvia and the devastation it caused the country and
the people through deportation and seized property. She speaks of the German
occupation and why both Germany and Russia would want to overrun Latvia. She
recalls the family members she lost to these occupations, including her
husband. Lukins fled to Germany with many others in 1944, then to England three
years later, where she struggled to make a new life. She explains that she
chose to settle in England rather than the United States because she clung to
the hope of returning to Latvia and wanted to remain in Europe; this too is why
she never sought American citizenship. When her daughters decided to come to
America, Marianna came as well to keep the family together. She compares living
in the United States with Europe and talks about the Latvian traditions she
still practices as well as the now world-wide Latvian community which remains
connected.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Latvian Community Center
- United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation
Administration
-
-
Place Names
- Germany
- Latvia
- Russia
- United States
-
-
Subjects
- citizenship
- cultural traditions
- deportation
- German occupation
- Latvian community
- political involvement
- religion
- Russian occupation
Interviewee
Meijers, Ruta J.
September 21,
1978
Call Number
78-028
Physical Description
37 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes; no index
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ruta J. Meijers, born in Latvia on May 12, 1929, recalls both
the Russian and the German occupations, and how they affected her as a child ,
especially in the area of schooling. She talks about fleeing to Germany and
refugee camp life. She discusses the immigration process to the United States,
including the screening process and the use of sponsorship. Meijers speaks of
Latvian traditions and celebrations, some of which she still upholds, as well
as the difficulty she has passing this culture to her children. She discusses
her love of Latvia the sadness she feels in being unable to return, and her
feeling that although she is an American citizen, she still considers herself
Latvian. She talks about her involvement in American politics. She also
discusses how she perceives Americans and their treatment of immigrants.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Germany
- Latvia
- United States
-
-
Subjects
- citizenship
- cultural traditions
- German occupation
- immigrant screening process
- political involvement
- refugee camps
- Russian occupation
Interviewee
Ogan, Pekin
October 6,
1978
Call Number
78-035
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45
minutes
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Restricted: notification of interviewee prior to publishing a
direct quotation
Scope and Content Note
Pekin Ogan, born in Turkey in April of 1936, discusses his life
and education in Turkey. He talks about his impressions of America as well as
the problems he faced with his immigration visa. Ogan discusses cultural
assimilation along with practice of Turkish traditions. He also talks about the
political climate in Turkey.
Interviewee
Ozolins, Yanis
September 29,
1978
Call Number
78-033
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes;
ethnic festival flyer
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Yanis Ozolins, born in Latvia in September of 1939, speaks of
his early life in Latvia. He discusses immigrating to the United States, the
problems he faced in a new country and the adjustments he had to make. He talks
about ethnic identification in Indiana as well as ethnic activities.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- Latvia
- United States
Interviewee
Remak, Henry H. H.
October 11,
1978
Call Number
78-038
Physical Description
Not transcribed, 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45 minutes;
article about interviewee
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Henry H. H. Remak, born in Germany in 1916, discusses his early
life and education in both Germany and France. He recalls immigrating to the
United States and his impressions of Bloomington, Indiana. Remak discusses
anti-semitism. He also speaks of the history of Indiana University.
Interviewee
Sliwa, Ann; Sliwa, Jozef
October 11,
1978
Call Number
78-039
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 2 hours
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ann and Joseph Sliwa discuss their early lives in Poland. They
talk about their deportation to Germany and their experiences during World War
II. They also talk about their immigration to the United States.
Interviewee
Valdmanis, Edgars; Valdmanis, Ivette
September 27,
1978
Call Number
78-031
Physical Description
48 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 30 minutes; no index;
Latvian newspaper
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Radio-TV Building, Room
314. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Interviewer
Cooper, Susan
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Edgars Valdmanis, born in 1925 and his wife, Ivette Valmanis,
born in 1930, discuss their early lives in Latvia. They talk about both the
German and the Russian occupations of their country and the devastation they
caused. They also discuss communism, the practice of deportation, and World War
II. They speak of their experiences fleeing Latvia in 1944 to refugee camps in
various parts of Europe. The Valdmanises discuss beginning again, first in
England, then in the United States and the adjustments they had to make to the
new culture and the different language. They share their impressions of America
prior to arriving as well as after their arrival. They speak in depth about the
world-wide Latvian community- especially in England and America- and they
express their desire to preserve their culture. They also talk about their
political involvement as American citizens, though they remain Latvian at
heart.
-
Keywords
-
-
Place Names
- England
- Latvia
- United States
-
-
Subjects
- citizenship
- Communism
- deportation
- German occupation
- Latvian community
- political involvement
- refugee camps
- Russian occupation
- World War II
