VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova University History graduate students Anamartha Hinojosa and Micaela Miralles-Bianconi were recognized in a recent article in Archival Outlook written by Villanova's Falvey Memorial Library Distinctive Collections Librarian and Archivist Rebecca Oviedo, who worked closely with Hinojosa and Miralles-Bianconi to translate and transcribe a series of letters between families in Philadelphia and Havana, Cuba, in the early 1800s.
Oviedo's article, "Revealing the Secrets of Love Letters: Transcription and Translation of Nineteenth-century Spanish-language Correspondence," was published in the July/August issue of Archival Outlook, a publication of the Society of American Archivists. In the piece, Oviedo discusses the origins of the project and its relation to the broader mission of the Falvey Digital Library, the painstaking work done by her team, the rationale behind some of their translation decisions, and the importance of the work as it amplified previously overlooked Latinx voices.
Oviedo notes in her piece that Hinojosa and Miralles-Bianconi found it meaningful to work on a project that gave voice to those who have often been cast aside and make hidden content accessible.
Said Lynne Hartnett, PhD Associate Professor of History and Director of History Graduate Program, "I am glad that Micaela and Anamartha were so helpful and that they took so much from the endeavor. Clearly, they gained a great first-hand appreciation for 'hidden content' and the power of digital sources."