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African Immigrants in the Bluegrass Oral History Project

Project Summary

This is a collection of interviews conducted by Jack and Angene Wilson, former Peace Corps volunteers and authors of "Voices from the Peace Corps: Fifty Years of Kentucky Volunteers." (University Press of Kentucky, 2011)

Between 1990 and 2011 the foreign-born population in Kentucky grew from 34,119 to 140, 433. The number born in Africa grew from 1,007 to 12,982. The most recent figures (2016) from the Migration Policy Institute state that more than 19,000 individuals born in Africa now live in Kentucky. In contrast to the 1970s and 1980s when students from African countries came to colleges and universities and often took their degrees back home, from 1990 on individuals more often came from African countries as part of the diversity lottery or as family members or as refugees (Lexington hosts one of the largest numbers of refugees from the Congo in the country). Or they came for education and stayed in the U.S. for better economic opportunities.

These African Immigrants are part of Kentucky's history, and through this series of interviews, many of their voices are now part of Kentucky's story. Each interview is filled with tales of how they came to Kentucky, and why; who they left behind or who they brought with them; reminiscences of their homelands, and how their journeys have unfolded in a new country and new culture.

Project Code

aitb


Interviews in this Project (45 Total):

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh062_aitb001
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh063_aitb002
Interviewer: Angene H. Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh064_aitb003
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh065_aitb004
Interviewer: Angene H. Wilson
Restrictions: Restrictions Apply
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh066_aitb005
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh070_aitb006
Interviewer: Angene H. Wilson
Restrictions: Restrictions Apply
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh071_aitb007
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh072_aitb008
Interviewer: Angene H. Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh073_aitb009
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh074_aitb010
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh075_aitb011
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh079_aitb012
Interviewer: Angene H. Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2014oh131_aitb013
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh194_aitb015
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh195_aitb016
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh196_aitb017
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh197_aitb018
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh198_aitb019
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh199_aitb020
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh200_aitb021
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: Restrictions Apply
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh214_aitb022
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh292_aitb024
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh392_aitb025
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh484_aitb026
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2015oh485_aitb027
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh151_aitb028
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh152_aitb029
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh269_aitb030
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh270_aitb031
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh271_aitb032
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: Restrictions Apply
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh417_aitb033
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh418_aitb034
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2016oh419_aitb035
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh033_aitb036
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh036_aitb037
Interviewer: Angene Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh145_aitb038
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh327_aitb039
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh358_aitb040
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh359_aitb041
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh377_aitb042
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh378_aitb043
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh465_aitb044
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh466_aitb045
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh468_aitb046
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 2017oh571_aitb047
Interviewer: Jack Wilson
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access: