捐赠2.5万美元支持新R.I. 葡萄牙裔美国人档案

玛丽Fraley, co-founder and former director of the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies at Rhode Island College and former managing director of the Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States, 捐了25美元,000 to the college to establish the Joseph George Ray Portuguese American Archives Endowed Fund. 

Administered by the Rhode Island College Foundation and named in honor of Fraley’s father, the fund is designed to support the establishment of the Rhode Island Portuguese American Archives, 存放在亚当斯图书馆的特别馆藏.

具体地说, the endowment will support the cataloging and preservation of the collection, sponsor internship and research opportunities for RIC students and support cultural events related to the collection.

克拉克格林, RIC基金会临时执行董事, 州, “We are so grateful for Marie’s gift and her continued support of Portuguese studies at Rhode Island College.”

In addition to this generous donation, Fraley was the first to contribute to the archives. Among the items she’s donated are her father’s 二战 medals and other insignia and his biography in book form, 体现了葡萄牙裔美国人生活的遗产.

Titled “My Buffalo Nickel and Other Stories from a Portuguese American Life: The Life and Writings of Joseph George Ray as Told by Marie Ray Fraley” (Jan-Carol Publishing, 公司., 2023), this book is a compilation of Ray’s writings and Fraley’s insights into her father.

It gives readers a window into his life as a Portuguese American growing up in Rhode Island’s Pawtuxet Valley and his experiences during the Great Depression, 二战, the lace-making industry in which he worked and his struggle with Parkinson’s disease.

“My hope is that other members of the Portuguese community will be encouraged to contribute to the archives,Fraley说. “它有助于建立和保护我们社区的遗产.”

Initiated by RIC Associate Professor of Portuguese Studies Silvia Oliveira, the Portuguese archives complements the Cape Verdean archives at RIC. She explains that “Cape Verdeans are among the Lusophone [Portuguese-speaking] nations, RIC的档案是最大的档案之一, oldest and most important archives of Cape Verdean American culture.”

“As director of the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies, I felt it was important to create an archive that focuses specifically on the Portuguese American heritage in Rhode Island, 也,奥利维拉说.

“It fulfills part of the institute’s mission: to foster connections between the college and Lusophone communities in the region and to pursue scholarly research and cultural projects related to the Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures. Ultimately, by creating this archive, we are fulfilling our mission,她说。.

论文贡献, 个人提供的照片和其他类型的文件, families and cultural organizations are welcome for permanent retention in Adams 图书馆’s Special Collections.

特别馆藏将对每个馆藏的一部分进行数字化, allowing anyone with Internet access to go online and view the digitized items. 任何人都可以进来查看特定的收藏, by contacting Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Veronica Denison for an appointment. 

Denison reminds potential contributors that their family papers and personal experiences are important archival material. 

“作为档案保管员, I’ve found that researchers use collections of ordinary people the most,她说。, “因为 they tell a story of a community and what life was like for the ordinary person.” 这成为了一个社区的遗产.

As far as the legacy of the Portuguese, Fraley says, “We have a word in Portuguese – teimoso, 意思是固执. 在积极的意义上，它意味着确定的. I think one of the legacies of the Portuguese people is their determination. 他们是我认识的最努力工作的人. 他们有勇气. 他们知道如何生存. I see it in the young people, 也, because they were raised that way. 葡萄牙人也为自己是葡萄牙人而感到自豪. They have social clubs that are over 100 years old that pass on the pride and cultural values to the children.”

根据2020年的人口普查，7.6%的罗德岛人拥有葡萄牙血统. That’s the highest percentage per capita of any state in the country,Fraley说. “Portuguese is also the third most spoken language in Rhode Island, 马萨诸塞州和康涅狄格州, 英语和西班牙语后,奥利维拉补充道, 这意味着仍然存在一种文化, 通过语言, 这是非常活跃的. 现在是社区聚集在这个项目周围的时候了, donate to the endowment and add their memories to our rich history.”

要了解有关可以提交到档案的内容的更多信息，请参阅 特别藏品的收购及捐赠政策 at Rhode Island College or contact Special Collections Librarian Veronica Denison at vdenison@tamascandle.net 或者拨打401-456-9653. Submissions and access to the collections are by appointment only.