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1980, 1998
2.15 linear
feet
Collection
Number 108
Prepared by Patricia A. Threatt
February 2007
CITATION:
The Mediterranean Oral History Project Collection, Collection No.
108, Box number,
Folder number, Archives and Special Collections Department, Frazar
Memorial Library, McNeese State University.
Archives and Special Collections Department
Frazar Memorial Library
McNeese State University
Historical Sketch
The McNeese Archives conducted the Mediterranean Oral
History Project in March-July, 1998. The project aimed to collect
interviews with Southwest Louisiana residents who emigrated from the
Mediterranean region. Tyler Crogg, an experienced oral historian conducted
most of the interviews. The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest
Louisiana, the Southwest Louisiana Historical Association, and the City of
Lake Charles provided grant funds for the project.
Scope
and Content Note
The Collection consists of four series:
Administration, Italians, Lebanese, and Audiotapes. The administration
materials contain information about the project, including grant
applications, correspondence, receipts, and clippings. The Italian and
Lebanese series contain transcripts of the interviews, signed use
agreements, and personal documents. The interviews are arranged according
to the interviewee’s name. The interviewee’s place and date of birth are
in parentheses after the name. Tyler Crogg conducted each interview,
except where noted. An asterisk indicates that the file contains
photographs. The final series contains the audiotapes of the interviews.
NOTE TO PATRONS AND STAFF: Because certain
interviews may carry restrictions on use, patrons may not read the
transcript or listen to the tape of an interview until a staff member has
checked the interview agreement in the file for possible restrictions.
Container List
Series - Administration
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Box |
Folder |
Description |
|
1 |
1 |
Grant application, contracts,
receipts, correspondence, and final report for the project. |
|
|
2 |
Photocopies of newspaper articles,
research materials, bibliographies, and a notebook kept by Tyler Crogg
during the project. |
Series - Italy
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Box |
Folder |
Description |
|
1 |
3 |
Henry Joseph Mancuso Sr. (Lake
Charles, La., 1922) interviewed on May 7, 1998. Subjects: Modern
Sicily and Italy, businesses including the sale of hot tamales and the
“poor farm” on Ryan Street, and St. Joseph’s Day celebrations. |
|
|
4 |
Paul Joseph Montalbano (St. Louis,
Missouri, 1930) interviewed on May 8, 1998. Subjects: Relations among
Italian family members, prosperity attained by Italian immigrants in
Lake Charles, St. Joseph’s Day celebrations, and the decline of
Italian traditions. |
|
|
5 |
Eugenia DiCarlo (Lake Charles,
La., 1916) interviewed on May 21, 1998. Subjects: Northern Italian
immigrants, cultural differences between northern and southern Italy,
St. Joseph’s Day celebrations, businesses including tailoring and the
introduction of pizza to Lake Charles, and Italy during World War II. |
|
|
6 |
Mary Ann Liprie Riviere (Lake
Charles, La., 1939) interviewed on May 22, 1998.* Subjects: Ethnic
groups in Goosport; Italians in Southeast Texas; businesses including
beverage bottling, railroad employment in Illinois, and midwifery;
Sicilian Catholic religious life; and food customs. |
|
|
7 |
Madeline Leone Badolato (Corleone,
Italy, 1914) interviewed on May 29, 1998. Subjects: Process of
immigration, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, religious
practices, St. Joseph’s Day celebrations, food customs, and Sicily and
America during World War II. |
|
|
8 |
Fr. Don Anthony Piraro Jr. (Lake
Charles, La., 1941) interviewed on May 29, 1998. Subjects: Linguistic
adaptation, class differences within Italian community in Lake
Charles, duties of Italian women, Italian stereotypes in American
culture, religious practices, and St. Joseph’s Day celebrations. |
|
|
9 |
Sam Robert Battaglia (Lake
Charles, La., 1935) interviewed on June 1, 1998. Subjects: Marriage
customs, relations between parents and children in Italian homes,
family living arrangements, and prejudice against Italians. |
Series – Lebanon
|
Box |
Folder |
Description |
|
1 |
10 |
Mary Eddy Gani (Jdidet Marjayoun,
Lebanon, 1899) interviewed by Bernice Gani et al. in November
1980. Subjects: Hurricane of 1918, businesses including peddling and
groceries, and wedding customs. |
|
|
11 |
Bernice Gani (Lake Charles, La.,
1925) and Mary Gani (Lake Charles, La., 1926) interviewed on March 6,
1998.* Subjects: Hurricane of 1918, Lebanese community functions,
relations with neighbors, food customs, parents’ working relationship
in grocery business, education, religious customs, and Arabic
language. |
|
|
12 |
Rajia S. Rahbany Jr. (Boston,
Mass., 1934) interviewed on March 9, 1998. Subjects: Marriage customs,
Lebanese community functions, relations with neighbors, and Lebanese
paternalism. |
|
|
13 |
Halim Rahbany (Lebanon, 1910)
interviewed on March 17, 1998. Subjects: Famine and influenza epidemic
in Lebanon during World War I, Lebanese in Latin America, Lebanese in
American military during World War II, interrogation of German war
criminals after World War II, Lebanese social club in Lake Charles,
and efforts to organize Orthodox churches in Lake Charles. |
|
|
14 |
Dr. Edmund Nagem (Lake Charles,
La., 1923) interviewed on April 7, 1998. Subjects: Confectionary
business, Lebanese marriage trends, and Italians in Lake Charles. |
|
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15 |
Ann Vestal (Lafayette, La., 1909)
interviewed on May 21, 1998.* Subjects: Orthodox and Episcopal
religious practices, use of French and Arabic languages by Lebanese in
Calcasieu Parish, Lebanese family relations in Lebanon and America,
relations among Lebanese families in Calcasieu Parish, relations
between Lebanese families and non-Lebanese people. |
|
|
16 |
Albert Khoury (Sulphur, La., 1922)
interviewed on May 25, 1998. Subjects: Lebanese in Latin America,
businesses including peddling, Orthodox religious ceremonies, food
customs, and Lebanese organizations in Calcasieu Parish. |
Series – Audiotapes
|
Box |
Description |
|
2 |
Original audiotape cassettes for
all interviews. |
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