Family Ties: Stories That Inspire
A Raíces Community History Project
This project is dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing untold and undertold family stories from a diversity of cultural perspectives.
YOU can contribute to this project too! You don’t need a degree in History to be a Community Historian. Whether the story is yours or the story of someone important in your life, Raíces can help you share real history–our history–to spark inspiration, change, and hope. Find out how.
Browse Interviews
Check out this selection of stories to begin your exploration, or browse the full collection.
Your History Matters
Building community and understanding our past is more important now than ever. When we understand our shared histories and find roots in common ground, our communities grow stronger.
That is why Raíces is helping people just like you document their untold family stories.
Digital Exhibits
These digital exhibits showcase stories with a particular theme or perspective, told by Community Historians just like you. Have a story you want to contribute? Find out how.
What Is Family Ties?
Family Ties: Stories that Inspire is a Raíces Community History project, and part of the Stories of the Ancestors, Stories of Healing project initiatives.
Consider this project your place to share and reflect upon your family history, and to see how it connects to the bigger story of our world.
How Does It Work?
After you submit the form below, a member of our Raíces Community History team will review your submission and reach out to you to schedule an interview to record your story. If you decide to go beyond a single interview and make your a full digital exhibit, our team members will work with you to provide assistance and support.
Does it Cost Anything to Participate?
No! It is free of charge to participate in our Family Ties project and have your family story preserved.
How Long Will My Story Stay Published?
All interviews and digital exhibits collected and created through this project will remain published for the life of the project unless you request that it be removed from the collection.
Who Owns the Rights to My Materials?
You! We only ask for use permission, so that we can share your story and any additional media or records that you decide to share. You retain the rights to your materials.
“I learned just how precious our family histories are. There is magic in the ways my ancestors moved in the world.”
Words from the Project Creator
Natalie Saldarriaga, Raíces Community Historian
“Stories are powerful. They give a glimpse of what life was like in the past. They grant us access to people who lived long ago, but in the end we learn so much about ourselves. We understand how we got here and what the life we lead can mean to the legacy of our families.
Not many of our families have the luxury to possess physical objects as proof of their existence. Many stories though are never told and often forgotten. Many don’t fit into the main narrative of history and are not included. Through this project we hope to preserve as many family histories as possible.
We believe that all stories are important. They tell of different experiences and realities that culminate into the existence of a culture, community, or country.
And that’s exactly what we’d like to do with your story. We want to give you a place to tell and reflect upon your family history. What it means to you and your family as a whole.”
– Natalie Saldarriaga
Project Support
This project is supported by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website or in our programs do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
