Ana Patricia Rodríguez and José Centeno-Meléndez
Salvadoran Americans are the fourth largest Latino group in the US, but in DC, they are the largest segment—which is not broadly known. Though Salvadorans have shaped Washington, DC and its neighborhoods over the past 40 years, they have not historically been well represented in city government or other public spaces and forums.
Where does the Salvadoran community fit within DC’s larger Latino community, as well as the city as a whole? What does it mean to be a Salvadoran Washingtonian? What public spaces and forums does this community occupy? And how will their stories be preserved?
Professor Ana Patricia Rodríguez and oral historian José Centeno-Meléndez will discuss how DC’s Salvadoran immigrant community maintains its cultural identity in DC. They will be joined by special guest Abel Nuñez, executive director of CARECEN, for a conversation about issues of Salvadoran political representation and the impact of both local and federal politics on the community.
“Forever Wachintonian Salvadorean”: Community, Culture, and Representation is the latest installment in the DC History Center’s Context for Today series of online conversations with thoughtful and thought-provoking historians.