Librarian and Curator of Political Affairs and History of Science Collections
Steve Hussman
Contact:
UA Libraries
Special Collections Department
1510 E. University Blvd. C211
P.O. Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Special Collections Department
1510 E. University Blvd. C211
P.O. Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
520-621-8842
The United States Southwest, encompassing West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California, reflects the heritage of diverse groups of peoples. From native-born inhabitants to those who chose to settle in this region, each group has contributed to Southwestern culture and society.
The documentation of the Jewish pioneer experience continues...
U. S. Southwestern history has traditionally focused on the contributions of Native Americans, and people whose ancestral roots are in Mexico and Europe. Jewish pioneers not only built Jewish communities, but that they also made significant contributions to the development of the U. S. Southwest.
The Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives offers several educational exhibits:
The Pioneers exhibit presents the pioneer Jewish experience in West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona through images of photos held in regional archives and museums, electronic texts, articles, newspaper accounts, and biographical information.
The Synagogues exhibit reinforces that pioneer Jews placed a priority on maintaining their beliefs, values, and traditions amid the hazards of the nation's frontier.
This section on Crypto-Jews focuses on the Crypto-Jewish experience in the U. S. Southwest (including areas of Mexico)
The Oral Histories section features interviews with Tucson's New American community. Members were invited to participate in recording information about their lives and experiences in the former Soviet Union (and now in Tucson). By including their stories, we find similarities between the pioneers of the 19th century and those of the late 20th. These histories include the story of a 20th (and now 21st) century family whose family odyssey is traced from Europe to the eastern U.S. and then to Tucson.
Also included:
- suggested readings
- rights and permissions
- websites related to Southwest Jewish history, Crypto-Judaic studies, and synagogues
About the physical collection
The Finding Aids provide information about the physical collection held in the UA Library's Special Collections.
Additional oral histories on Tucson/SW Jewish Experience
- Interview with Abe ChaninAbraham (Abe) Chanin was an author, historian, former publisher of the Arizona Jewish Post, sports editor at the Arizona Daily Star, and professor at the University of Arizona School of Journalism from 1976 to1988. From 1988 to 1994, Chanin was director of the Bloom Southwest Jewish Archive at the University of Arizona. This collection contains interviews created by Abraham Chanin dating from 1974 to 1977 with prominent Arizona settlers, politicians, University of Arizona faculty, and members of Indigenous communities on 30 audiocassettes.
Notable figures include Charles Loloma who discusses the Hopi community and Enos Francisco who details life on the Papagueria. Also of note is an interview with Hiro Nomura, William Kajikawa and Margaret Kajikawa discussing their experiences in a Japanese-American internment camp and Hayzel Burton Daniels discussing African American pioneers. Other interviewees include politicians Raul Castro and Morris Udall and University of Arizona faculty Emil Haury and Roy Drachman. Several of the interviews were used as source material for This Land, These Voices by Abe Chanin with Mildred Chanin, published in 1977.