The Florida Historical Society Oral History Project is an effort to continue diversifying the archival collections at our Library of Florida History by creating a digital and physical archive of oral histories, focusing on diverse and typically underserved communities in our state. These interviews preserve personal recollections, experiences, and perspectives on past events. These interviews capture the voices and memories of individuals who lived through significant historical periods, contributing to a richer understanding of the past.
Henry Kwan was born in Winter Park, Florida, in 1988. His parents fled China in the early 1980s. Henry recollected stories his grandmother told about China’s authoritarian regime, particularly memories about Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to seeking economic prosperity, these conditions prompted Henry’s grandmother and parents to emigrate…
Brittney Keophoxay-Lam was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in 1993. She recollected stories that her family had passed down about their experiences in Laos, particularly how the Laotian Civil War, which lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s, affected them. Her father unofficially served in the Royal Lao Army and survived a harrowing incident in which he witnessed the death of…
Asawin “AJ” Jockkeaw was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1970. AJ recollected memories of his formative years, particularly the linguistic challenges he faced when he and his family moved from Bangkok to Northern Thailand. At the age of eighteen, AJ worked as a professional musician, citing financial difficulties as the primary reason for performing in clubs and earning money…
Melissa Jest was born on September 20, 1964, in Savannah, Georgia, but lived her childhood in Harlem, New York. She recounted her mixed experience growing up in Harlem, remembering how uplifting it felt being around a historically significant Black enclave, but also the pain of seeing her mother struggling to support two young children as a single parent. She briefly recalled…
Melvin “Mel” Jenner was born in Goodrich, North Dakota, in 1922. His family moved to Michigan when Mel turned four years old, and he recounted his upbringing. A fascination with airplanes led Mel to join the Michigan International Guard during high school. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the federal government mobilized the National Guard, and Mel…
Kymbat Iglikova was born in Talshik, Kazakhstan, in 1984. She recounted memories of her upbringing, particularly the uncertainty that followed Kazakhstan’s independence after the fall of the Soviet Union, as well as fond recollections of her parents and grandparents. Kymbat wished to pursue a career in chemistry; however, her mother discouraged her from working in such a field…
Silvia Huddleston was born in Lima, Peru, in 1969. She recollected memories of her upbringing in Lima, particularly the challenges growing up with terrorist attacks across the city during the 1970s and 1980s. Silvia discovered dance as a way to gain a deeper understanding of her native culture, one in which, as she explained, Peruvian schools did not teach and overlooked. She…
Edward H. Greene was born in Winter Park, Florida, in 1948. He grew up in several communities across Orlando in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in Eatonville. He recalled his adolescent experience in Eatonville, particularly attending Hungerford High School. Edward’s family intersects deeply with Eatonville’s history, as his grandmother’s uncle was Joe Clark, the formerly…
Lisa Gong Guerrero was born in Guangdong Province, China, in 1977. Lisa emigrated to Tampa, Florida, at around five years old with her family. She explained the circumstances that prompted her family to leave China, emphasizing the limited opportunities, especially for young girls and women. Lisa recalled her K12 education experiences, particularly the racial and cultural…
Guenet Gittens-Roberts was born in Guyana in 1975. She recollected her upbringing in Guyana during the 1980s, particularly how the country’s multicultural and diverse religious landscape influenced her profoundly. Guenet recalled memories of her parents owning a screen printing company and the intertwined relationship between work and life. Despite not explicitly realizing it…
Samir Fkiyi was born in Morocco in 1986. After briefly discussing his experiences growing up in Morocco, Samir recounted his decision to leave and emigrate to the United States in 2011. He realized that perceptions in Morocco about Americans—and vice versa—differed from what he observed living in the States. In fact, Samir created a YouTube channel to challenge the cultural…
Reginald (Reggie) Finlayson was born on May 12, 1954, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father’s family history, however, has deep connections to Florida, particularly his grandfather, who built one of the oldest remaining Black churches in Miami—the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Coconut Grove. Reggie recollected stories about his grandfather’s time serving as…
Alex Erdmann was born on August 26th, 1969, in Thuringia, East Germany. Alex recollected his experience growing up in East Germany, from the Soviet influence to the difficulty of seeing family that lived across the Berlin Wall in West Germany. Alex joined the East German military to professionalize as a chef, which remained one of the few ways to practice culinary arts then.…
Mayor Jerry L. Demings was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1959. He recounted his upbringing throughout the 1960s and early 1970s in Washington Shores, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Orlando. He recollected memories of his father working as a taxi driver for twelve hours a day, seven days a week, and his mother as a housemaid, all while both of them operated several small…
Adriana Collado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1966. Seven years removed from the start of the Cuban Revolution, Adriana recounted her upbringing in a society transitioning from a capitalistic free model to a communist oriented world. She emphasized how the state forced children to prioritize the leader and follow politics more than anything, including their own families. The…
Roksalana Cisyk was born in Ukraine, at the time the former Soviet Union, in 1969. She recounted her experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union. Roksalana shared how her worldview on the United States changed once her aunt, who lived in the US, brought items from the capitalist society. She visited the US several times and permanently emigrated to the country in 1994,…
Volodymyr Chornyy was born in Ukraine in the former Soviet Union in 1981. Volodymyr recalled his experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union, particularly how education changed after the USSR fell in 1991. He fondly remembered the Ukrainian independent spirit of the 1990s, while also emphasizing the economic difficulties many families faced during this transition.…
Priyanka Chandra Sen was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1994. She recounted her upbringing, particularly her experiences navigating her dual American and Indian identity, from her parents maintaining Indian cultural norms at home while attempting to assimilate her within American society, to her own cultural encounters throughout her K-12 education in Orlando. She specifically…
Subhash Chandra was born in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1944. He recalled how India’s independence in 1947 affected his earlier years and his family more broadly. In addition to the challenges brought with independence, Subhash remembered the financial difficulties his family experienced during his childhood. A fascination with American society and culture, learned…
Madhu Chandra was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1947. She recollected memories of her upbringing, particularly how frequently her family moved from various cities across India, given her father’s position in government. Born a few months into the Partition, Madhu remembered stories that her family passed down during her childhood years after the freedom movement…
Henry Kwan was born in Winter Park, Florida, in 1988. His parents fled China in the early 1980s. Henry recollected stories his grandmother told about China’s authoritarian regime, particularly memories about Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to seeking economic prosperity, these conditions prompted Henry’s grandmother and parents to emigrate…
Brittney Keophoxay-Lam was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in 1993. She recollected stories that her family had passed down about their experiences in Laos, particularly how the Laotian Civil War, which lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s, affected them. Her father unofficially served in the Royal Lao Army and survived a harrowing incident in which he witnessed the death of…
Asawin “AJ” Jockkeaw was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1970. AJ recollected memories of his formative years, particularly the linguistic challenges he faced when he and his family moved from Bangkok to Northern Thailand. At the age of eighteen, AJ worked as a professional musician, citing financial difficulties as the primary reason for performing in clubs and earning money…
Melissa Jest was born on September 20, 1964, in Savannah, Georgia, but lived her childhood in Harlem, New York. She recounted her mixed experience growing up in Harlem, remembering how uplifting it felt being around a historically significant Black enclave, but also the pain of seeing her mother struggling to support two young children as a single parent. She briefly recalled…
Melvin “Mel” Jenner was born in Goodrich, North Dakota, in 1922. His family moved to Michigan when Mel turned four years old, and he recounted his upbringing. A fascination with airplanes led Mel to join the Michigan International Guard during high school. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the federal government mobilized the National Guard, and Mel…
Kymbat Iglikova was born in Talshik, Kazakhstan, in 1984. She recounted memories of her upbringing, particularly the uncertainty that followed Kazakhstan’s independence after the fall of the Soviet Union, as well as fond recollections of her parents and grandparents. Kymbat wished to pursue a career in chemistry; however, her mother discouraged her from working in such a field…
Silvia Huddleston was born in Lima, Peru, in 1969. She recollected memories of her upbringing in Lima, particularly the challenges growing up with terrorist attacks across the city during the 1970s and 1980s. Silvia discovered dance as a way to gain a deeper understanding of her native culture, one in which, as she explained, Peruvian schools did not teach and overlooked. She…
Edward H. Greene was born in Winter Park, Florida, in 1948. He grew up in several communities across Orlando in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in Eatonville. He recalled his adolescent experience in Eatonville, particularly attending Hungerford High School. Edward’s family intersects deeply with Eatonville’s history, as his grandmother’s uncle was Joe Clark, the formerly…
Lisa Gong Guerrero was born in Guangdong Province, China, in 1977. Lisa emigrated to Tampa, Florida, at around five years old with her family. She explained the circumstances that prompted her family to leave China, emphasizing the limited opportunities, especially for young girls and women. Lisa recalled her K12 education experiences, particularly the racial and cultural…
Guenet Gittens-Roberts was born in Guyana in 1975. She recollected her upbringing in Guyana during the 1980s, particularly how the country’s multicultural and diverse religious landscape influenced her profoundly. Guenet recalled memories of her parents owning a screen printing company and the intertwined relationship between work and life. Despite not explicitly realizing it…
Samir Fkiyi was born in Morocco in 1986. After briefly discussing his experiences growing up in Morocco, Samir recounted his decision to leave and emigrate to the United States in 2011. He realized that perceptions in Morocco about Americans—and vice versa—differed from what he observed living in the States. In fact, Samir created a YouTube channel to challenge the cultural…
Reginald (Reggie) Finlayson was born on May 12, 1954, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father’s family history, however, has deep connections to Florida, particularly his grandfather, who built one of the oldest remaining Black churches in Miami—the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Coconut Grove. Reggie recollected stories about his grandfather’s time serving as…
Alex Erdmann was born on August 26th, 1969, in Thuringia, East Germany. Alex recollected his experience growing up in East Germany, from the Soviet influence to the difficulty of seeing family that lived across the Berlin Wall in West Germany. Alex joined the East German military to professionalize as a chef, which remained one of the few ways to practice culinary arts then.…
Mayor Jerry L. Demings was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1959. He recounted his upbringing throughout the 1960s and early 1970s in Washington Shores, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Orlando. He recollected memories of his father working as a taxi driver for twelve hours a day, seven days a week, and his mother as a housemaid, all while both of them operated several small…
Adriana Collado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1966. Seven years removed from the start of the Cuban Revolution, Adriana recounted her upbringing in a society transitioning from a capitalistic free model to a communist oriented world. She emphasized how the state forced children to prioritize the leader and follow politics more than anything, including their own families. The…
Roksalana Cisyk was born in Ukraine, at the time the former Soviet Union, in 1969. She recounted her experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union. Roksalana shared how her worldview on the United States changed once her aunt, who lived in the US, brought items from the capitalist society. She visited the US several times and permanently emigrated to the country in 1994,…
Volodymyr Chornyy was born in Ukraine in the former Soviet Union in 1981. Volodymyr recalled his experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union, particularly how education changed after the USSR fell in 1991. He fondly remembered the Ukrainian independent spirit of the 1990s, while also emphasizing the economic difficulties many families faced during this transition.…
Priyanka Chandra Sen was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1994. She recounted her upbringing, particularly her experiences navigating her dual American and Indian identity, from her parents maintaining Indian cultural norms at home while attempting to assimilate her within American society, to her own cultural encounters throughout her K-12 education in Orlando. She specifically…
Subhash Chandra was born in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1944. He recalled how India’s independence in 1947 affected his earlier years and his family more broadly. In addition to the challenges brought with independence, Subhash remembered the financial difficulties his family experienced during his childhood. A fascination with American society and culture, learned…
Madhu Chandra was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1947. She recollected memories of her upbringing, particularly how frequently her family moved from various cities across India, given her father’s position in government. Born a few months into the Partition, Madhu remembered stories that her family passed down during her childhood years after the freedom movement…