South Florida Folklife Center. Nicaraguan Folklife in Miami - 1990-1993

This series documents a field research project conducted by the Historical Museum (now HistoryMiami Museum) between 1990 and 1993 on the folk and artistic traditions practiced in the Nicaraguan communities of Miami-Dade County.

Subjects include: local religious and other festivals such as the Three Kings Parade, Fiesta de San Sebastian, and Purisima; folk music and dance; decorative arts; foodways; and other expressive traditions such as piñata-making. According to fieldworker Katherine Borland, the Nicaraguan community in Miami consists of three distinct culture groups, all of which are represented in the project: the Spanish-speaking Pacific Coast population; the southern Atlantic coast Creole English-speaking population; and the Atlantic coast Miskito population. Although they share some foodways, their cultural heritages are quite distinct, and the three groups have limited contact with each other. Materials also included folk music and dance, decorative arts, foodways, and other expressive traditions. The research culminated in the publication of a book, Nicaraguan Folklife in Miami, in both English and Spanish.

Materials include: research and field notes by fieldworkers Laurie Sommers and Katherine Borland; informant sheets and archive deposit agreements; reports, articles, and presentation materials in both English and Spanish, and ephemera; photographic prints, contact sheets, 35mm slides, negatives, and logs; audiocassette tape recordings of interviews, musical performances, religious services, and logs; and a copy of the book Nicaraguan Folklife in Miami.

Arranged into three series by format.

This collection is open for research. Additional digital formats of audio and image files available: Records were digitized 2015 – 2016. Users must contact staff ahead of visit for access.

Digital materials available on Folklife Archive external drive.

Finding Aid Authors: Katherine L. Fleming, David Font, Vanessa Navarro, and Katharine Labuda 2014-2016.

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