Catalog ID:
ORH-006-0006
Creator:
Delgado, Lourdes
Archives Field 21:
Scope & Content:
Date of interview: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Location of interview: East Side Senior Center
Duration: 1 hour, 12 minutes, 52 seconds (main interview + brief addition)
Born in Castañer, Puerto Rico in 1958, Lourdes grew up her entire life in Bridgeport, Connecticut, having moved to the city as an infant and settling in the East Side neighborhood. She spends the first part of the interview talking about her upbringing, specifically her experiences learning English and the racial and ethnic makeup of her elementary, middle and high schools.
A bulk of the interview was dedicated to unpacking Lourdes's journey as an educator, first as an early education teacher, and eventually an assistant principal, at multiple schools in Bridgeport. First, Lourdes worked at the Columbus School (the Hollow) as a paraprofessional while completing her bachelor's degree. She then transitioned to the Multicultural Magnet School (North Bridgeport) as a bilingual teacher for many years. Afterward, Lourdes worked at Luis Muñoz Marin Elementary School (East Side) as a Gifted and Talented Coordinator. From there, Lourdes worked at John Winthrop Elementary School (North End), Elias Howe (now closed - West End), Barnum School (East Side) and finally Thomas Hooker School (North Bridgeport) as assistant principal, before retiring.
Lourdes reflects back on this time fondly, supporting mostly Puerto Rican children learning English, as well as supporting multiple students of Color in the Gifted and Talented program at Luis Muñoz Marin with exposure to new opportunities. She recalls one particular memory in which her Gifted and Talented students collaborated with students taking a sociology course at Sacred Heart University, learning how to use Microsoft PowerPoint and eventually giving an oral presentation at the university. Lourdes emphasizes her approach to teaching: project-based, student-initiated learning over classroom management and silent comportment. She then covers the importance of incorporating local Bridgeport community members and local Bridgeport histories into the classroom, and what led to her decision to ultimately retire (a frustration with increased investment in adult needs through classroom management at the expense of the kids' learning).
In the latter part of the interview, Lourdes touches on her transition into church-centered education advocacy, going to churches and counseling parents (particularly new Latiné arrivals) about their involvement in their kids' education, as well as her involvement with the East Side Senior Center. She concludes with some backtracking to her parents' divorce in 1963 and her mother's remarrying her stepfather, also a Puerto Rican from Bridgeport, in 1973; as well as her and her husband's decision to buy a home in the Connecticut River Valley (a trend she noticed emerging with a few other upwardly mobile Puerto Ricans, who could only afford homes in the Valley on account of high costs in the city). Finally, in a brief 3 minute "addendum", Lourdes discusses her two sons, whom she proudly raised bilingually, and the importance of staying true to one's essence in the face of American pressures to assimilate.
-0:00-3:46 = folks moving to Bridgeport
-3:47- 9:08 = learning English without a formal bilingual program; racial/ethnic makeup of classrooms; influence of faith on schooling; high school and college experiences
-9:09-32:37 = becoming an early education teacher, then transitioning to bilingual education, then gifted and talented, then principal before retiring, working at Columbus School, then Multicultural Magnet, then Luis Muñoz Marin, then John Winthrop School, then Elias Howe, Barnum School and finally Thomas Hooker School
-Highlights: collabing with Sacred Heart University sociology class and her gifted and talented students, kids giving presentations at university; taking kids to Beardsley Zoo, as well as local cemetery to do research on the city itself and its history
-Philosophy about teaching: project-based learning over mindless classroom management
-32:38 - 48:11 = importance of incorporating local Bridgeport community members, local Bridgeport histories into the classroom; decision to leave the classroom and ultimately retire (frustration with increased investment in adult needs through classroom management at the expense of the kids); lack of diversity in teaching staff and a divestment from bilingual programs beginning in the 1990s
-48:12 - 56:29 = transitioning into church education advocacy - going to churches and supporting parents (particularly new Latino arrivals) about their kids' education; also advising pastors via trauma informed ministry; involvement with the East Side Senior Center
-56:30 to end = brief backtracking to her parents' divorce in 1963 and her mother's remarrying her stepfather, also a Puerto Rican from Bridgeport, in 1973; decision to buy a home in the Connecticut River Valley, and other Puerto Ricans moving to the Valley because of an inability to purchase homes in Bridgeport
-Final 3 minute snippet: two sons who she raised bilingually, attended college
Location of interview: East Side Senior Center
Duration: 1 hour, 12 minutes, 52 seconds (main interview + brief addition)
Born in Castañer, Puerto Rico in 1958, Lourdes grew up her entire life in Bridgeport, Connecticut, having moved to the city as an infant and settling in the East Side neighborhood. She spends the first part of the interview talking about her upbringing, specifically her experiences learning English and the racial and ethnic makeup of her elementary, middle and high schools.
A bulk of the interview was dedicated to unpacking Lourdes's journey as an educator, first as an early education teacher, and eventually an assistant principal, at multiple schools in Bridgeport. First, Lourdes worked at the Columbus School (the Hollow) as a paraprofessional while completing her bachelor's degree. She then transitioned to the Multicultural Magnet School (North Bridgeport) as a bilingual teacher for many years. Afterward, Lourdes worked at Luis Muñoz Marin Elementary School (East Side) as a Gifted and Talented Coordinator. From there, Lourdes worked at John Winthrop Elementary School (North End), Elias Howe (now closed - West End), Barnum School (East Side) and finally Thomas Hooker School (North Bridgeport) as assistant principal, before retiring.
Lourdes reflects back on this time fondly, supporting mostly Puerto Rican children learning English, as well as supporting multiple students of Color in the Gifted and Talented program at Luis Muñoz Marin with exposure to new opportunities. She recalls one particular memory in which her Gifted and Talented students collaborated with students taking a sociology course at Sacred Heart University, learning how to use Microsoft PowerPoint and eventually giving an oral presentation at the university. Lourdes emphasizes her approach to teaching: project-based, student-initiated learning over classroom management and silent comportment. She then covers the importance of incorporating local Bridgeport community members and local Bridgeport histories into the classroom, and what led to her decision to ultimately retire (a frustration with increased investment in adult needs through classroom management at the expense of the kids' learning).
In the latter part of the interview, Lourdes touches on her transition into church-centered education advocacy, going to churches and counseling parents (particularly new Latiné arrivals) about their involvement in their kids' education, as well as her involvement with the East Side Senior Center. She concludes with some backtracking to her parents' divorce in 1963 and her mother's remarrying her stepfather, also a Puerto Rican from Bridgeport, in 1973; as well as her and her husband's decision to buy a home in the Connecticut River Valley (a trend she noticed emerging with a few other upwardly mobile Puerto Ricans, who could only afford homes in the Valley on account of high costs in the city). Finally, in a brief 3 minute "addendum", Lourdes discusses her two sons, whom she proudly raised bilingually, and the importance of staying true to one's essence in the face of American pressures to assimilate.
-0:00-3:46 = folks moving to Bridgeport
-3:47- 9:08 = learning English without a formal bilingual program; racial/ethnic makeup of classrooms; influence of faith on schooling; high school and college experiences
-9:09-32:37 = becoming an early education teacher, then transitioning to bilingual education, then gifted and talented, then principal before retiring, working at Columbus School, then Multicultural Magnet, then Luis Muñoz Marin, then John Winthrop School, then Elias Howe, Barnum School and finally Thomas Hooker School
-Highlights: collabing with Sacred Heart University sociology class and her gifted and talented students, kids giving presentations at university; taking kids to Beardsley Zoo, as well as local cemetery to do research on the city itself and its history
-Philosophy about teaching: project-based learning over mindless classroom management
-32:38 - 48:11 = importance of incorporating local Bridgeport community members, local Bridgeport histories into the classroom; decision to leave the classroom and ultimately retire (frustration with increased investment in adult needs through classroom management at the expense of the kids); lack of diversity in teaching staff and a divestment from bilingual programs beginning in the 1990s
-48:12 - 56:29 = transitioning into church education advocacy - going to churches and supporting parents (particularly new Latino arrivals) about their kids' education; also advising pastors via trauma informed ministry; involvement with the East Side Senior Center
-56:30 to end = brief backtracking to her parents' divorce in 1963 and her mother's remarrying her stepfather, also a Puerto Rican from Bridgeport, in 1973; decision to buy a home in the Connecticut River Valley, and other Puerto Ricans moving to the Valley because of an inability to purchase homes in Bridgeport
-Final 3 minute snippet: two sons who she raised bilingually, attended college
Interviewer:
Interviewed by Amanda Rivera
Dates of Creation:
2024-01-17
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