>>WELCOME.
I'M JEFF REZNICK.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR
TODAY'S NLM HISTORY TALK.
TO THOSE ON TWITTER, THANKS FOR
FOLLOWING ALONG USING THE
HASHTAG #NLMHIST TALK.
FOR QUESTIONS USE THE "LIVE
FEEDBACK" BUTTON.
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE'S ANNUAL SERIES OF
HISTORY TALKS ARE INTENDED TO
PROMOTE AWARENESS AND USE OF THE
LIBRARY AND RELATED HISTORICAL
COLLECTIONS FOR RESEARCH,
EDUCATION, PUBLIC SERVICE, IN
BUY MEDICINE, SOCIAL SCIENCE AND
HUMANITIES, SPANNING TEN
CENTURIES FROM EVERY PART OF THE
WORLD, PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN,
INDIVIDUALS OF A VARIETY OF
CULTURAL AND DISCIPLINARY
BACKGROUNDS WHO VOLUME THESE
COLLECTIONS AND USE THEM TO
ADVANCE RESEARCH, TEACHING, AND
LEARNING.
CO-SPONSORED BY NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT OF HUMANITIES,
COLLABORATING ON RESEARCH,
EDUCATION, CAREER INITIATIVES.
SPECIFICALLY, THE PARTNERSHIP
THROUGH VIRGINIA TECH TO
CO-SPONSOR DATA, HEALTH, DIGITAL
HUMANITIES, A SERIES OF VIRTUAL
PROGRAMS AND SCHOLARLY BOOK.
TO EXPLAIN I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE
DR. TOM EWING OF VIRGINIA TECH,
PROFESSOR IN DEPARTMENT OF
HISTORY AT VIRGINIA TECH,
ASSOCIATE RESEARCH PROJECT
COLORS TRANSMISSION OF
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SO-CALLED
RUSSIAN INFLUENZA OF 1899 AND
1890.
HE COORDINATES THE DATA AND
SOCIAL CONTEXT PROGRAM, WHICH
SUSTAINS INTERDISCIPLINARY
APPROACH IN THE HUMANITIES AND
SOCIAL SCIENCES.
THANKS FOR JOINING US, I'LL TURN
THINGS OVER TO YOU.
>>THANK YOU.
IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF
THE PROGRAM AND VIRGINIA TECH
INITIATIVE YOU MENTIONED.
THIS IS A WORKSHOP BRINGING
TOGETHER NINE EARLY CAREER
SCHOLARS IT THE INTERSECTION OF
DATA HEALTH AND HUMANITIES,
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, PANDEMICS,
MATERNAL HEALTH, COMMUNITY
WELL-BEING, FROM SCHOLARLY
PERSPECTIVES IN ANTHROPOLOGY,
PUBLIC HEALTH HISTORY AND MUSEUM
STUDIES, CHAPTERS PUBLISHED IN
OPEN ACCESS PEER REVIEWED VOLUME
FROM VIRGINIA TECH PUBLISHING.
THIS FULFILLS SHARED MISSION OF
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
AND NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR
HUMANITIES AND VIRGINIA TECH
ENGAGING PUBLIC AUDIENCES WITH
ADVANCED RESEARCH THAT HAS
IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR
SOCIAL WELL-BEING, PUBLIC
POLICY, COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
DR. KIM GALLIN OF BROWN
DELIVERED THE FIRST, AS PART OF
HISTORY TALK SERIES, MET WITH
THE WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS FOR A
DISCUSSION OF BRINGING
HUMANITIES INTO SCHOLARSHIP ON
DATA AND HEALTH AND LOOK FORWARD
TO THE SECOND BY DR. KATY KOLE
DE PERALTA, AND MEETING WITH
PARTICIPANTS THIS MONTH.
A CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
OF HISTORY AT ARIZONA STATE
UNIVERSITY, HER RESEARCH
INTEGRATES HISTORY OF MEDICINE
ENVIRONMENT IN EARLY MODERN
IBERIA AND PERU TO CAPTURE
INTRINSIC AND HISTORICAL
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT
AND HEALTH IN URBAN AREAS AND
DEMONSTRATE EVOLUTION OF HEALTH
AS A FULLY CHANGING CONCEPT ON
CULTURAL CONTEXT IN WHICH IT WAS
PRODUCED, USING DIGITAL
HUMANITIES AND OPEN ACCESS
PLATFORMS TO MAKE ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH HISTORY ACCESSIBLE TO
ENGLISH AND SPANISH-SPEAKING
AUDIENCES.
DURING THE PANDEMIC SHE PIVOTED
FROM EARLY MODERN MEDICINE TO
DOCUMENTED COVID-19, PROJECT
LEAD OF JOURNAL, PLAGUE YEAR,
THE LARGEST CROWD SOURCED
ARCHIVE ON THE PANDEMIC.
AUTHOR OF A BOOK CALLED "MURDER
AND MARTYRDOM" ON ETHNOHISTORY
OF SPANISH FLORIDA AND NUMEROUS
SCHOLARLY ARTICLES INCLUDING
COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA SENTENCE,
SMELL SCAPES IN LIMA PERU, AND
PUBLIC HEALTH AND WATER POLICIES
IN PERU, PUBLISHED IN THE
JOURNAL OF WATER HISTORY.
TODAY SHE JOINS US TO PRESENT
LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN, PANDEMIC
PERSPECTIVES FROM PERU.
WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
>>THANKS FOR THE GENEROUS
INTRODUCTION.
THANKS TO NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR
HUMANITIES AND NATIONAL LIBRARY
OF MEDICINE FOR SPONSORING THIS
AND TO JEFF AND TOM FOR
METICULOUS PLANNING AND INVITING
ME AND PUTTING THIS INTERESTING
SERIES OF TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
TOGETHER ON HISTORY OF MEDICINE
AND DIGITAL HUMANITIES, WHICH
HAPPENING TO TWO OF MY FAVORITE
SUBJECTS.
MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR YOUR
PRIORITIZATION OF GLOBAL
PERSPECTIVES.
SO THE RESEARCH I'M GOING TO
TALK ABOUT DRAWS ON MY
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ONE OF
THE LARGEST DIGITAL CROWD SOURCE
ARCHIVES ON THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC, DRAWS ON THE CROWD
SOURCE EFFORTS OF ANOTHER
PROJECT IN PERU.
NOT ALL OF US SPEAK SPANISH.
IT MEANS ARCHIVE, IT'S A PROJECT
BUILT BY A FEW FACULTY MEMBERS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN MARCOS
IN LIMA, PERU.
BECAUSE I'M A TRAINED EARLY
MODERNIST, NORMALLY 16th
CENTURY, HISTORICALLY POETIC
THAT TO THE SAN MARCOS
UNIVERSITY CREATED A COVID
ARCHIVE GIVEN HISTORY AT ONE OF
THE FIRST MEDICAL UNIVERSITIES
IN COLONIAL PERU.
BEING ABLE TO GIVE THIS TALK
TODAY MEANS I GET TO SHARE SOME
MATERIALS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO
THE ARCHIVES WITH YOU, INCLUDING
MEMES, SOCIAL MEDIA POST,
STORIES, VIDEOS HIGHLIGHTING
STORIES PEOPLE WANTED TO RECORD
AND WANTED THE WORLD TO
REMEMBER.
MY TALK SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND THE
PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE IN PERU,
THROUGH THE LINES OF CROWD
SOURCE MATERIALS, THE STORIES
THEY WANTED TO SHARE.
THIS PRESENTATION CAN AND WILL
DRAW IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS
ABOUT DISCUSSING PUBLIC HEALTH
MANDATES AND DISEASE MITIGATION
EFFORTS.
I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF
CONTEXT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
AUDIENCE IS ALL ON THE SAME PAGE
BEFORE I TRANSITION INTO A
NUANCED DISCUSSION OF THE
PANDEMIC IN PERU.
CROWD SOURCES, DIGITAL
HUMANITIES, PUBLIC HISTORY, THE
SOCIAL WEB, WHAT DOES CROWD
SOURCE MEAN?
THE PROCESS ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTES
TO A PROJECT IN THE FORM OF
DONATING TIME, EXPERTISE, AS IN
THE CASE OF TRANSCRIPTION
PROJECTS SUCH AS THOSE AT THE
SMITHSONIAN CENTER THAT ASK THE
PUBLIC TO BECOME DIGITAL
VOLUNTEERS AND TRANSCRIBE
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS, THEN
EVENTUALLY MADE PUBLIC, EASIER
FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS BECAUSE OF
THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS.
IT CAN COME IN FORM OF
DONATIONS, ARCHIVES THAT SEEK
CONTRIBUTIONS TO COLLECT
HISTORICAL MATERIALS, THESE CAN
BE PHYSICAL, BUT IN THE CASE OF
COVID-19, SAN MARCOS, THESE WERE
DIGITAL CROWDSOURCING EFFORTS.
THOSE ARE WHERE WE'RE ASKING THE
AUDIENCE, THE PUBLIC, TO
CONTRIBUTE DIGITAL OBJECTS THAT
TELL ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.
FOR THE DIGITAL MEDIA IN PUBLIC
HISTORY THESE ARE GET CONFUSED
BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY ARE
INTERCHANGEABLE, SOMETIMES THEY
COEXIST ON THE SAME PROJECT.
NOT INTERCHANGE BUT COEXIST.
DIGITAL HUMANITIES GETS AT THE
QUESTION, HOW.
THIS IS USUALLY ANSWERED BY
INCORPORATING DIGITAL TOOLS INTO
THE METHODOLOGY, THE PROCESS OF
RESEARCH AND COLLECTING DATA AND
SOMETIMES EVEN THE PRESENTATION
OF THAT DATA.
BY CONTRAST, PUBLIC HISTORY
SEEKS TO ANSWER A DIFFERENT
QUESTION, REALLY ASKING FOR
WHOM.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, SHARING AND
DISSEMINATING RESEARCH WITH A
PARTICULAR AUDIENCE IS THE KEY
DRIVING FORCE OF THE PROJECT.
IN THE CASE OF MANY COVID-19
ARCHIVES, 6,000 WE KNOW OF,
DIGITAL HUMANITIES AND PUBLIC
HISTORY INTERSECT IN THE SAME
PROJECT.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS A
CONTAGIOUS AND DEADLY PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS NECESSITATED
PROJECTS SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
DIGITAL TOOLS AND EVEN THE
COLLECTION OF DIGITAL OBJECTS
FACILITATED REMOTE COLLECTION
PROJECTS THAT WERE CAST WIDELY
ACROSS THE WEB 2.0, PUBLIC
HISTORIANS CALL THE SOCIAL WEB.
THE SOCIAL WEB DRAWS ON THE
INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA
NETWORKS TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT THE
PUBLIC AND ENCOURAGE
PARTICIPATION.
DIGITAL CROWDSOURCING AS
METHODOLOGY SEEMS TO ALLOW THE
GENERAL PUBLIC TO CONTRIBUTE
EXPERIENCES AND EXPERTISE.
THEREFORE IDEALLY MORE PEOPLE
PARTICIPATE IN THE PRESERVATION
OF AND PRODUCTION OF HISTORY.
THE DIGITAL ARCHIVE SOLVES SOME,
DIGITAL LITERACY, ABILITY TO
NAVIGATE THROUGH A PROJECT
WEBSITE MOVING THROUGH A
SUBMISSION PAGE WITH EASE.
INTERNET ACCESS AND DEVICES THAT
CAN NAVIGATE WEB 2.0 ARE FAR
FROM UNIVERSAL, IN THE U.S.
ALONE THE SEC ESTIMATES SOME 19
MILLION AMERICANS DO NOT HAVE
FIXED BROADBAND SERVICE AT
THRESHOLD SPEEDS.
ANOTHER 100 MILLION PEOPLE DON'T
SUBSCRIBE TO ANY INTERNET
SERVICE.
IN PERU 65.3% OF THE POPULATION
HAS INTERNET ACCESS.
WHICH MEANS THAT OVER ONE-THIRD
OF THE POPULATION WAS OFFLINE AT
THE BEGINNING OF 2022.
THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS.
IMMEDIATELY, THERE ARE
DIFFERENCES IN HOW PEOPLE ACCESS
AND USE THE INTERNET.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT
OF THE POPULATION ONLINE, A
SIGNIFICANT PORTION MAY ONLY BE
ACCESSING THROUGH MOBILE PHONES.
IN PERU YOU MAY ALSO HAVE
LIMITED DATA PLANS, SO
LIKELIHOOD SOMEONE IS GOING TO
BE SITTING ON THE MOBILE PHONE
USING PART OF THE MONTHLY
MINUTES OR DATA ALLOTMENT TO
CONTRIBUTE TO AN ARCHIVE
DIMINISHES.
THEREFORE IMMEDIATELY FROM THE
GET-GO WE KNOW THERE'S A HUGE
DIGITAL DRIVEN SILENCE IN ANY
CROWD SOURCE THE ARCHIVE.
WE CAN STILL MAKE SENSE OF THE
MATERIALS THAT DO GET SUBMITTED
AND COLLECT GROUPS OF PEOPLE
LIKE CHILDREN, OLDER ADULTS,
ECONOMICALLY IMPOVERISHED,
HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
PANDEMIC MEANS TO DISTINCT
GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
THIS FILLS LITERATURE, WHETHER
NATURAL OR MAN-MADE, DISASTERS
MAKE MORE SENSE OVER SPACE AND
TIME.
DISASTERS OPERATE AS ROUNDS OF
SENSE MAKING, CONFLICT, MEMORY,
CULTURAL PRACTICE, IMAGINATION,
THAT DEFINE AND BIND SOCIETIES
OVER LONG STRETCHES OF TIME.
SO HAVING LIVED THROUGH THE
PANDEMIC SOME RINGS TRUE.
THE SHORTAGE OF HEALTH CARE
WORKERS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES IN
THE U.S. DID NOT REVEAL A NEW
PROBLEM.
FOR YEARS THE HEALTH CARE
INDUSTRY HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY
SHORT STAFFED, COVID MADE
CHALLENGES MORE APPARENT AND
MORE URGENT TO RESOLVE.
IN PERU IT REVEALED STRAINS ON
THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS.
IT COMPRISES GOVERNMENT AND
NON-GOVERNMENT COVERAGE,
ADMINISTRATIVE HEALTH, A
SEPARATE SEGMENT FOR ARMED
FORCES, NATIONAL POLICE, AND
THEN ONE THAT COVERS A PRIVATE
SECTOR.
GENERALLY INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT
PRIVATE INSURANCE ARE FIRST TO
GO TO PUBLIC HOSPITALS FOR
MEDICAL ATTENTION, FACILITIES
UNDEREQUIPPED, OVERCROWDED.
NOT TO MENTION IN BOTH THE
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS,
PATIENTS ARE OFTEN EXPECTED TO
PAY FOR MEDICATIONS ON DEMAND,
SO THIS MEANS IF SOMEONE BECOMES
ILL OR IF YOU BECOME ILL, THE
BURDEN IS PLACED ON YOU, OR A
LOVED ONE, TO ACQUIRE MEDICAL
NECESSITIES AND BRING THEM TO
THE HEALTH CARE FACILITY WHERE
THEY ARE NEEDED.
ALL OF THIS IS TO SAY THAT THE
SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT.
IT HAS ITS CHALLENGES.
MANY OF WHICH RECOGNIZED DURING
THE EARLY WAVES OF THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
NOW LET'S THINK ABOUT SENSE
MAKING, MAKING SENSE OF THE
PANDEMIC IN PERU AND HOW HAVE
PERUVIANS MADE SENSE. .
THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION OF THE
PLAGUE YEAR, JOPY'S COLLECTION,
ITS HAD MANY COLLECTIONS, ONE
AREA SOUGHT TO COLLECT A RANGE
OF MATERIALS, LOCAL AND
INTERNATIONAL NEWS, SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS, MEMES.
SAN MARCOS COLLECTED VIDEO
TESTIMONY AND SOCIAL MEDIA
MATERIALS RELATED TO THE
INTERSECTION BETWEEN SOCIETY AND
THE STATE, WITH STATED GOAL OF
OFFERING THE PUBLIC NARRATIVES
ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.
THE SAN MARCOS ARCHIVE IS BROKEN
DOWN INTO THREE MAIN SECTIONS.
TESTIMONIES, IMAGES, SAN MARCOS
STUDENTS AND STAFF ASSOCIATED
WITH THE UNIVERSITY.
MANY ITEMS YOU MIGHT FIND IN A
COVID ARCHIVE, SUCH AS PHOTOS
AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
THERE ARE TWO TRENDS THAT EMBODY
AN ARCHITECTURE.
THE ARCHIVE HOUSE AS SECTION
DEDICATED TO VIOLENCE.
ANOTHER, OFF THE TERM WATERGATE,
PUBLICLY PUBLISHED THE NAMES OF
WELL KNOWN PERUVIANS OFTEN
POLITICIANS WHO RECEIVED
EXPEDITED VACCINES, THANKS TO
POLITICAL CONNECTIONS.
SAN MARCOS STATES ONE OBJECTIVE
IS TO REGISTER HOW DURING THE
PERIOD OF FEAR OF COVID-19
AUTHORITIES REACTED VIOLENTLY
TOWARDS CITIZENS.
AND THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES
VIOLENCE AGAINST THE BODY,
VIOLENCE AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH,
VIOLENCE AGAINST THE AMAZONS,
ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE.
THIS MAY STRIKE US AS A STRANGE
CATEGORY.
PART IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE
CONTEXT, SO LIMA, THE CAPITAL,
HAS A HISTORY OF RECENT
VIOLENCE, FOR OVER A DECADE
BEGINNING IN THE LATE 1980s A
TERRORIST ORGANIZATION WORKS TO
OVERTHROW THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT AND CONCENTRATED ITS
ATTACKS ON THE CAPITAL CITY.
THIS INCLUDED RANDOM CAR
BOMBINGS, OVER 25,000
FATALITIES.
LIMA ENTERED A STATE OF
EMERGENCY, PUTTING 7 MILLION
RESIDENTS AT THE TIME UNDER
CURFEW, MEANING PEOPLE WERE NOT
ALLOWED TO GO IN THE STREETS
BETWEEN 10 P.M. AND 5 A.M.
IN ADDITION, THERE WERE PERIODS
WHERE POLICE AND TANKS ACTIVELY
PATROLLED ENFORCING CURFEW AND
PUBLIC ORDER.
THE RETURN OF PATROLS TO LIMA'S
STREETS TRIGGERED MEMORIES OF
THE VIOLENCE OF THE 1980s, AN
AUTHOR DISCUSSING THE PANDEMIC,
CAPTURES THIS MEMORY.
HE WRITES, QUOTE, "PERHAPS THE
MOST CONCERNING PART TO PROCESS
MENTALLY IS ACCEPTING THE ARMED
FORCES IN THE STREETS, WHOO
TRANSPORTED MANY TO REMEMBER THE
MOST DIFFICULT AND PAINFUL
SITUATIONS OF VIOLENCE AND
TERROR THAT REIGNED IN OUR
COUNTRY FROM 1980 TO 1996".
FOR THE GENERATION OF PERUVIANS
WHO LIVED IN LIMA THEN, NATIONAL
POLICE JUST FROM THEIR PRESENCE
AND CONTROL OF FOOT AND MOTOR
TRAFFIC REMATERIALIZES A
GENERATIONAL TRAUMA.
THIS EXTENDS BEYOND PUBLIC
SPACES, THE STATE'S HANDLING OF
THE AMAZON REGION AMOUNTED TO
GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED VIOLENCE.
IT'S A RICHLY BIODIVERSE
REGIONING SPANNING SEVERAL
COUNTRIES, OF RAINFOREST. .
TO GO FURTHER THAN THE LAST CITY
REQUIRES TAKING A BOAT, SOME SO
REMOTE IT CAN TAKE THREE OR FOUR
DAYS TO GET THERE BY BOAT, A
REGION WITH ISOLATED AREAS WITH
MINIMAL CONNECTIONS TO THE
OUTSIDE WORLD.
SOME COMMUNITIES WERE UNAWARE OF
THE VIRUS UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF
VACCINE DISTRIBUTORS IN NOVEMBER
2021.
ISOLATION WAS NOT THE CASE FOR
ALL AMAZONIAN COMMUNITIES.
SUCH AS THOSE ALONG THE RIVERS.
THESE AREAS LACKED SANITATION
AND HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE
NEEDED TO STAVE OFF DISASTER.
THESE COMMUNITIES ARE REMOTE,
NEVERTHELESS LARGE, HOME TO
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE,
AND COMPRISE NEARLY 1,000
COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE
PERUVIAN AMAZON.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE LARGEST CITY
HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 500,000
PEOPLE.
470 COMMUNITIES WERE SURVEYED,
TWO BIGGEST OUTBREAKS OCCURRED
IN APRIL TO JUNE, IN AUGUST,
2020.
MOREOVER AS THESE ARE OCCURRING,
THERE'S A LARGE SURGE IN DEMAND
FOR BASIC ITEMS LIKE MASKS,
SANITIZERS, SOAP, AND OTHER
MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
BECAUSE THESE ITEMS WERE
IMPORTED FROM CITIES WHERE THE
ITEMS ARE ALSO IN DEMAND, THE
PRICE BECAME MUCH MORE
EXPENSIVE, SOMETIMES
PROHIBITIVELY SO.
INACTION BECOMES AN ACT OF
EXTREME NEGLECT, NEGLECT SO
HORRENDOUS IT MANIFESTS AS
VIOLENCE.
IN PARTICULAR, THE ARCHIVE HAD
44 AMAZONIAN COMMUNITIES WHOSE
VULNERABILITY INTENSIFIED DUE TO
LIMITED ACCESS TO MEDICAL
ATTENTION AND SANITATION.
THE STATE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND
THE GRAVITY AND URGENCY OF
PROBLEMS AND NOW MORE SO THAT
IT'S SUFFERING ELEVATED RATE OF
INFECTION AND DEATH DUE TO
VIRUS.
MATERIALS HOUSED IN THIS SECTION
OF VIOLENCE ARE WITNESS TO THE
SITUATION.
A HISTORY WAS RECORDED,
HUMANIZING THE ABANDONMENT.
SHE WAS IN A COMMUNITY WITH
OTHERS SURVIVING DAY TO DAY,
DETAILING HOW THE WATER PUMP,
EVERYONE LINES UP EVERY DAY TO
FILL THEIR CONTAINERS WITH
WATER.
SHE MENTIONED UNCERTAINTY OF
STANDING IN LINE WITH A BUNCH OF
PEOPLE, NOT KNOWING IF SOMEONE
WAS ASYMPTOMATIC, SHE RECALLS
THAT WHEN PUBLIC HEALTH
PROPAGANDA, IN HER WORDS,
REACHED THEM AND TOLD PEOPLE TO
WASH THEIR HANDS EVERY 20
MINUTES, THE MANDATE FELT
UNREASONABLE, IN HER WORDS,
QUOTE, WHERE THERE IS NO WATER
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE THAT WE COULD
HAVE COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THIS,
END QUOTE.
WITHOUT SUFFICIENT WATER
SUPPLIES AND MOUNTING COST OF
NECESSITIES, THEY NEEDED STATE
INTERVENTION TO ADEQUATELY
COMBAT COVID-19 SPREAD.
HOWEVER, THE FACTS THAT
ARCHIVISTS AND PEOPLE LIVING IN
THE AMAZON AND EXPRESSED
DISCONTENT HIGHLIGHTS JUST HOW
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED THE WAY
HUMANS EXPERIENCE PANDEMICS, AND
THE WAYS PUBLIC HISTORIANS HAVE
CHANGED THE WAY THEY DOCUMENT
THEM.
WITH THIS VIRUS IN PARTICULAR,
SOCIAL MEDIA AMPLIFIED PUBLIC
OUTCRY AND PROVIDED A CHANNEL TO
HOLD POLITICIANS AND PUBLIC
HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS
ACCOUNTABLE.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ARCHIVED
BY SAN MARCOS CALL OUT MANY
INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING MINISTER
OF HEALTH, PERUVIAN AGENCIES,
EVEN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
SUCH AS CIDH, THE INTERAMERICAN
COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
ONE IMAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM
MARCH 2021 STATES THE SECOND
WAVE OF COVID-19 CONTINUES IN
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE POST IT CALLS
VIEWERS TO ACTION, ASKING FOR
HELP, URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION.
THE SAME USER DEMANDED THE STATE
SEND MEDICAL PROTECTION
EQUIPMENT AND HELP STABILIZING
THE OUTBREAK IN ISOLATED
VILLAGES.
IN APRIL 2020, INTERNATIONAL
ATTENTION WAS GRABBED FOR
COLLAPSE OF HOSPITAL WOULD THE
SUPPLIES TO PRESERVE THE DEAD
PROPERLY, HOSPITAL STAFF
RESORTED TO TAPE, MAKING IT
DIFFICULT FOR FAMILIES TO
IDENTIFY THEIR LOVED ONES.
I'M ABOUT TO SHARE VIDEO SOMEONE
SHARED THAT CAPTURES WHAT THIS
COLLAPSE LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DISTURBING TO
WATCH.
PLEASE AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU
ARE SENSITIVE TO LOSS AND
MOURNING AND WHAT IT MAY LOOK
LIKE WHEN IT'S NOT FUNCTIONING
PROPERLY.
THIS JUST 30 SECONDS.
REPORTEDLY, IN THIS STAGE IN
APRIL, THERE WERE 80% OF
FATALITIES CAUSED DUE TO LACKS
OF OXYGEN TANKS, LOCAL CHURCH
LEADERS SEIZED ON THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAL FOR
DONATIONS TO BUILD AN OXYGEN
PLANT THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF
INTERNATIONAL DONATIONS THAT
CAME IN, WITHIN 18 MONTHS TWO
NEW PLANTS WERE BUILT IN THE
AMAZON REDUCING DEPENDENCY ON
OUTSIDE SUPPLIERS.
THE PERUVIAN AMAZON BATTLED AND
EPIDEMIC ILL EQUIPPED TO FACE.
SHORTAGE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE
SUPPLIES AND PROTECTIVE MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT UNDERSCORES A LARGE
DISPARITY IN HEALTH CARE ACCESS
IN REMOTE RURAL AREAS.
VERY FEW PEOPLE LIVE IN THIS
REGION, THEY FELT ABANDON
WATCHING LOVED ONES DIE.
OVERLOOKING ANOTHER DISTRICT
SUBSET OF VIOLENCE IN THE
ARCHIVE, IF I FAILED TO MENTION
INTERSECTION BETWEEN SOCIAL
MEDIA AND VIOLENCE AGAINST THE
BODY.
THIS SECTION CAPTURES THE
WILLFUL NEGLECT OR DISREGARD FOR
PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY PROTOCOLS
AND ELIMINATES HOW SOCIAL MEDIA
FED INTO A SYSTEM OF CITIZEN
SURVEILLANCE.
NOTABLY, USERS WHOSE STORIES END
UP HERE DO NOT USE THE TERM
VIOLENCE.
BUT THEY ARE EXPRESSING A SHARED
CRITIQUE AND OFTEN PUBLIC
SHAMING OF ACTORS WHO FAILED TO
WEAR MASKS, SHAMED TO NEWS
OUTLETS.
THE CROWDS AT A SOCCER EVENT
HERE THROUGH NATIONAL NEWS
OUTLETS, CRITIQUED CITY
OFFICIALS FOR VIOLATING
BIOSECURITY MEASURES DURING
COVID-19.
THAT SAME MONTH
SHOWN HERE PHOTOGRAPHED
DRINKING, DANCING, CHATTING UP
GUESTS AT INDOOR PARTY WHEN
INDOOR BANS ON INDOOR GATHERINGS
WERE STILL IN PLACE, THIS PARTY
SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN TAKEN PLACE,
HERE IS THE PARTY, IMAGE
CIRCULATED IN PERU'S NEWSPAPERS.
THE HEADLINE READS ASKED TO SET
AN EXAMPLE AFTER BEING SPOTTED
AT A PARTY.
SURVEILLANCE REACHED INTO LOCAL
NEIGHBORHOODS.
ONE MORE CONTENTIOUS ACTIVITY
WAS COVID PARTIES.
THESE IN THE U.S. WERE
INTENTIONALLY THROWN TO CATCH
COVID.
IN PERU COVID PARTIES IS A TERM
USED TO REFER TO PARTIES THAT
WERE ILLEGALLY HELD BECAUSE OF
THE BAN AND MANDATES AGAINST
INDOOR GATHERINGS.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER REPORTED A
STORY WHERE POLICE BUSTED MORE
THAN 30 INDIVIDUALS AT A
CLANDESTINE HALLOWEEN PARTY.
ANOTHER INCIDENT CRITIQUES
ILLEGAL PARTY HELD AT THE HOUSE
OF A STUDENT WHO WAS CURRENTLY
ENROLLED IN THE POLICE ACADEMY.
THE PARTY BEGAN AT 8 P.M., SHUT
DOWN BY POLICE AT 3 A.M.
ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WHO GAVE
HIS OWN TAKE SAID, QUOTE, MY
ENTIRE FAMILY COULD NOT SLEEP,
DUE TO THE SCANDAL THEY WERE
MAKING IN THAT HOUSE.
THE POLICE ARRIVED JUST IN TIME.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE DURING A
PANDEMIC AND WITH THE VERY REAL
POSSIBILITY OF SPREADING
CONTAGION THEY ARE HAVING
PARTIES?
ADDING TO THIS EMPHASIS OF
VIOLENCE BY THE STATE AGAINST
ITS PEOPLE, AND CITIZENS AGAINST
NEIGHBORS, I'D LIKE TO ADD A
THIRD CATEGORY, VIOLENCE AGAINST
THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE PANDEMIC ACCELERATED
CONSUMPTION AND DISPOSAL OF
PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT,
HYGIENE PRODUCTS, ONE-USE
PACKAGING FOR FOOD, MEDICAL
TEST, VACCINES.
HANDS IN HAND WITH THIS RELIANCE
ON DISPOSABLE RESOURCES WAS
INCREASE IN PLASTIC POLLUTION,
IN PARTICULAR SEVERAL POLYMERS
ARE COMMON COMPONENTS OF
AFFORDABLE PPE.
HOWEVER, WHEN THEY ARE
MISMANAGED, AS IN NOT PROPERLY
DISPOSED OF, CAPTURED IN WASTE
REMOVAL SYSTEMS, IT MEANS THEY
WILL REMAIN IN THE LANDSCAPE OR
REACH THE OCEAN.
IN A STUDY IN LIMA, RESEARCHERS
TRACKED PPE LEFT AT 11 COASTAL
SITES, SHOWN HERE.
TRACKED FROM SEPTEMBER TO
DECEMBER 2020, FOUND MOST OF THE
TRASH WASN'T WASHING UP FROM THE
OCEAN, BUT RATHER THE MASKS AND
OTHER PPE WERE WASHED BY
VISITORS AT RECREATIONAL
BEACHES.
THERE ARE A SERIES OF PHOTOS
THAT COMPRISE THE MASK TRASH
SERIES, PHOTOS THAT COVER PLACES
IN THE U.S. AND PERU AND SIMPLY
DOCUMENT HOW FABRIC AND
DISPOSABLE MASKS CLUTTER THE
LANDSCAPE.
THEIR ARE THREE TAKEN FROM PERU.
PEOPLE WILL ADJUST TO WEAR MASKS
IN PUBLIC AND THEY WERE
NECESSARY TO SLOW THE RATE OF
TRANSMISSION, THEY CAME WITH
ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS.
THESE PHOTOS CAPTURE CONTINUOUS
CYCLE OF PEDESTRIANS DROPPING
MASKS, LEAVING THEM BEHIND, THE
ACTUAL PHYSICAL REMOVAL OF THAT
OBJECT LEFT IN QUESTION.
WHO IS GOING TO PICK UP THIS
MASK?
IF YOU DROP A MASK AT THE
UNIVERSITY IT WON'T BE THERE
MORE THAN TWO HOURS BECAUSE
THERE'S A TEAM OF LANDSCAPING
PEOPLE WHO WILL COME THROUGH AND
MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS LOOKING
INITIAL. -- NICE, NOT TRUE IN
ALL AREAS.
PHYSICAL REMOVAL AND POTENTIALLY
TOXIC INGREDIENTS IN URBAN
SPACES LIKE HERE IS LEFT UP TO
BYSTANDERS, OR MUNICIPAL
SANITATION WORKERS.
PHOTOS ATTEMPT TO PIN DOWN MORE
EPHEMERAL STORIES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLENCE.
NOW I WANT TO PIVOT FROM THE
HEAVIER TOPIC OF VIOLENCE TO
LIGHTER SUBJECT OF HUMOR.
ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE
ARCHIVE IT RECOGNIZED MEMES WERE
VALUABLE SOURCES OF PANDEMIC
HISTORY.
I'M A TRAINED LATIN AMERICAN
HISTORIAN, RESEARCH LOOKS AT
ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH, 1*6th
CENTURY, BUT THIS TRAINING
PROVIDED CERTAIN ADVANTAGES,
WHEN WORKING ON A DIGITAL
PROJECT DOCUMENTING A CURRENT
EVENT.
WE'RE OFTEN LIMITED NOT BY
QUESTIONS WE WANT TO ASK ABOUT
THE PAST BUT THE SOURCES, DO THE
SOURCES EXIST?
IF THEY DO EXIST, CAN WE ASK
THEM?
OFTEN THE ANSWER IS YOU CAN ASK
THE QUESTION BUT YOU MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO ANSWER.
THE SOURCE MAY NOT BE THERE,
MAYBE BE BEHIND PRESERVATION
SYSTEM, NOT IN CIRCULATION, OR
SOME WHERE ELSE, NOT EVEN KNOWN
OF YET.
I WANTED TO CAPTURE STORIES I
WISH I HAD FROM THE 16th
CENTURY, ONE AREA IS HUMOR.
YOU CAN GET A SENSE OF WHAT
PEOPLE LAUGH AT, MAYBE FROM
LITERATURE, NOVELS, BUT NOT SURE
OF THE JOKE.
SOCIAL MEDIA PROVIDES CLUES INTO
HOW PEOPLE FELT ABOUT A JOKE.
WHEN DOCUMENTING HUMAN I TRIED
TO FOLLOW MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA
ACCOUNTS, AND ONE IMPORTANT
ASPECT WAS TO DOCUMENT HOW
PEOPLE REACTED.
SO, WHAT WERE THE COMMENTS, WHAT
DID PEOPLE SAY, WHO WAS IT
SHARED BY AND HOW IS THIS MEME
USED OVER TIME, HOW DOES MEANING
CHANGE, WHEN SHARED ACROSS
PLATFORMS?
WE ALSO ASKED CONTRIBUTORS TO
TELL US WHY THEIR STORY MATTERS.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT
DISTINCTION.
FOR JAPY WE ASKED TELL US A
STORY AND WE GET MORE
INFORMATION THAN JUST THE OBJECT
ITSELF.
WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE
MAY GET THE JOKE TODAY, SOMEONE
VISITING THIS ARCHIVE 50 OR 100
YEARS FROM NOW MAY NOT GET IT.
THEY ARE CONTEXTUALIZING HUMAN
WITH METADATA, TO ORGANIZE
MATERIALS, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE
THESE ITEMS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO
THE PUBLIC AND RESEARCHERS.
MUTATION IS A CLEAR SIGNAL THEY
SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS
PANDEMIC OBJECTS.
THIS WAS POSTED BY THE BEING
PERUVIAN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT.
THE MEME STATES THE ONLY BESO I
WANT.
A BESO IS A KISS.
A BESA DE MOZA TRANSLATES AS
KISS OF A YOUNG GIRL, IT'S A
CANDY, COVERED WITH CHOCOLATE,
NICE, SWEET TREAT.
THE JOKE HERE IS THE DOUBLE
ENTENDRE.
IT'S CUSTOMARY TO GREET PEOPLE
WITH A KISS ON THE CHEEK IN
PERU.
THE JOKE IS MAKING LIGHT OF WHAT
IS OTHERWISE A PRETTY DISRUPTIVE
SHIFT IN SOCIAL NORMS.
ANOTHER MEME MAKES LIGHT OF SOME
OF PERU'S AUTHORITARIAN SOCIAL
CONTROLS.
PERU HAD SOME OF THE STRICT'S
LOCKDOWN REGULATIONS.
HOW STRICT?
JUST TO GIVE A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT
IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE FIRST
TOTAL LOCKDOWN, FROM MARCH TO
MAY OF 2020, CHILDREN WERE NOT
ALLOW TO GO OUTSIDE.
PEOPLE WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO
LEAVE HOME ON CERTAIN DAYS TO
PURCHASE FOOD AND OTHER
NECESSARY ITEMS.
IF YOU NEEDED FOR SOME REASON TO
TAKE A BUS OR TAXI, YOU HAD TO
HAVE A SPECIAL PERMIT, ALLOWING
YOU TO USE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.
USING TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC,
MEANT IN SOME CASES YOU HAD TO
WEAR A MASK, AT OTHER STAGES A
MASK AND FACE SHIELD, SO EXTRA
LAYERS OF PROTECTION, WHEN
MOVING AROUND THE CITY.
THERE WAS A BAN ON INDOOR
GATHERINGS.
AND MOST URBAN SPACES ARE A
NIGHTTIME CURFEW.
SO, ONE SOCIAL CONTROL STRATEGY,
THIS WAS JUST A WAY TO CUT DOWN
THE PEOPLE, NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN
PUBLIC, WAS TO ALTERNATE DAYS
THAT MEN AND WOMEN COULD GO
OUTSIDE.
IMMEDIATELY, JUST BASED ON
GENDER, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN
THE STREETS SHOULD BE ABOUT HALF
THE POPULATION.
I'LL SHOW A VIDEO SUBMITTED FROM
A PERSON TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY
ARE SEEING.
I'LL PLAY A FEW SECONDS AND TELL
WHAT YOU SHE'S SAYING.
[SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE]
>>SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE
IMMENSE LINE.
IT'S SATURDAY, THE DAY ONLY
WOMEN ARE ALLOWED TO GO OUT, ALL
THE WOMEN ARE LINED UP OUTSIDE
OF A BRAND OF SUPER MARKET, SO
THEY ARE ALL SNAKING THROUGH THE
PARKING LOT, WAITING TO GET IN.
SHE ESTIMATES A THOUSAND PEOPLE
IN LINE WAITING TO SHOP.
NOW, COMPARE THIS, THIS WAS A
REGULATION PUT IN PLACE, HOW IT
PLAYED OUT ON THE GROUND, BUT
THAT DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE DIDN'T
MAKE FUN OF IT WHICH THE NEXT
MEME WILL SHOW.
SO, THIS IS A MEME POSTED BY THE
INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT THAT SAYS,
SHOPPING ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAY,
FRIDAYS.
SHOWS A BUNCH OF MEN RETURNING
FROM THE STORE CARRYING RED
CASES, I'LL TELL WHAT YOU THEY
ARE.
THEY ARE CASES OF BEER.
IN PERU, YOU GO TO THE CORNER
STORE, BUY A CASE, THE BEER
COMES IN GLASS BOTTLES, YOU
DRINK, AND RETURN THEM TO THE
STORE TO GET RECYCLED.
THE JOKE HERE IS ONE MAKING FUN
OF SOCIAL CONTROLS, ALSO MAKING
FUN OF GIVING MEN THREE DAYS A
WEEK TO SHOP SUGGESTING THAT
THEY MIGHT USE THIS TIME PERHAPS
TO JUST BUY BEER AND GO HOME.
ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR
TO THE ARCHIVE WAS THE POLITICAL
CARTOONIST WHO IS A CARTOONIST
FOR THE LIMA NEWSPAPER, HE HAS
SEVERAL CARTOONS, PANDEMIC
DIARIES, THAT TOUCH ON DIFFERENT
ASPECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
SOMETIMES HE'S DOCUMENTING THE
INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT SUCH AS
THIS IMAGE HERE, WHICH SHOWS THE
RACE TO CREATE VACCINES, YOU CAN
SEE VACCINES HURLED AT A TARGET.
AND DIFFERENT FLAGS OF COUNTRIES
TRYING TO REACH THAT GOAL.
HERE HE'S MAKING LIGHT OF THE
DELIVERY, SO THE UPTAKE IN
HAVING FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES,
SO HE HAS THE TITLE FOR THE
HANSEL AND GRETEL IN COVID
TIMES, THEY CAN'T GET IN BECAUSE
THE WITCH IS SAYING ONLY
DELIVERY.
THEY CAN'T GET INTO THE HOUSE,
CONSEQUENTLY MAYBE IT'S A BETTER
OUTCOME FOR HANSEL AN GRETEL,
THANKS TO COVID TIMES.
SOME OF THE IMAGES DOCUMENT REAL
EVENTS HAPPENING, SO EVENTS
SPECIFIC TO PERU.
THIS ONE DOCUMENTS EVENTS OF MAY
15, 2020, WHEN CHILDREN WERE
FINALLY ALLOWED TO GO OUT FOR
THE FIRST TIME SINCE LOCKDOWN
BEGAN.
YOU CAN SEE DAD LETTING KID GO
OUT, CHASING HIM.
AND THEN RESTING AFTER THAT.
THE CAPTION IS SOMETHING LIKE
FIRST DAY KIDS ARE ALLOWED
OUTSIDE, FIRST DAY OF EXERCISE,
COINCIDENCE?
OTHER CARTOONS HE MADE SHOW A
DARKER SIDE OF HUMOR THAT HINT
AT LARGER HEALTH INEQUITIES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IMAGE
READS, THE OXYGEN WILL ARRIVE
ONLY, ONLY IF YOU HAVE A TON OF
MONEY.
YOU CAN SEE YOU'VE GOT A BLACK
MARKET SALESMAN HERE.
TELLING THE OLD MAN, YOU GOT A
TONE OF MONEY?
I CAN HELP YOU.
IF NOT, I CAN'T.
SO THIS IMAGE IS NOT FAR OFF
FROM REALITY.
THE PRICE OF OXYGEN TANKS
SKYROCKETED BECAUSE OF AN OXYGEN
SHORTAGE AND PART OF THIS
RELATES TO IT'S DIFFERENT HOW WE
GET OXYGEN FOR HOSPITALS IN THE
U.S. VERSUS PRODUCED IN PERU,
CRE CREATING A SHORTAGE, THE
BLACK MARKET PRICE TRIPLED,
PEOPLE SAYING 1,000% MARKUP ON
BLACK MARKET OXYGEN TANKS.
I'LL SHARE ANOTHER QUICK VIDEO
THAT HELPS EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW
THIS INCREASE IN PRICE IS
AFFECTING FAMILIES TRYING TO
PURCHASE MEDICAL ITEMS FOR THEIR
LOVED ONES.
>>DEMAND FOR OXYGEN IN PERU
EXCEEDED SUPPLY.
HOSPITALS RUNNING OUT DURING THE
COUNTRY'S PUNISHING SECOND COVID
WAVE, FAMILIES HAVE TO BUY THEIR
OWN.
A SINGLE CYLINDER CAN COST UP TO
$400 ON THE BLACK MARKET.
LACK OF OXYGEN HELPS MAKE PERU
THE COUNTRY WITH THE WORLD'S
HIGHEST DEATH RATE PER CAPITA
FROM COVID-19.
THOUSANDS HAVE DIED IN LIMA IN
RECENT MONTHS.
AND THIS IS WHERE MANY OF THEM
END UP, A CEMETERY.
HE SPENT MORE THAN $6,000 ON
OXYGEN TO HELP HIS MOTHER BEFORE
SHE DIED FROM COVID.
>>WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
WHY IS MEDICAL OXYGEN SO
EXPENSIVE?
WE MET HIM STANDING IN LINE TO
GET OXYGEN FOR HIS MOTHER ONE
DAY BEFORE SHE DIED.
SHE HAD BEEN WAITING SINCE 4
A.M.
THIS PLANT ON THE SOUTHERN
OUTSKIRTS OFFERS FREE MEDICAL
OXYGEN TO THOSE WITH A
PRESCRIPTION, WAIT IS 12 TO 15
HOURS.
PEOPLE EAT AND SLEEP IN LINE,
UNTIL IT'S THEIR TURN.
THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO FILL
ONE 10 CUBIC METER CYLINDER
EVERY 48 HOURS.
THAT WON'T DO FOR HIS FAMILY.
THE PATIENT WITH SEVERE COVID-19
NEEDS UP TO THREE CYLINDERS A
DAY.
HIS THREE SISTERS HAVE COVID
TOO, HE'S HAD TO SPEND THOUSANDS
ON ADDITIONAL CYLINDERS WHEREVER
HE CAN FIND THEM.
HE SELLS FURNITURE AND EARNS
$650 A MONTH, RELYING ON THE
LAST OF HIS SAVINGS.
[SPEAKING SPANISH].
>>HE'S SAYING THEY HAVE TAKEN
ADVANTAGE OF THE HEALTH SECTORS,
BLACK MARKET VENDORS ACTIVITY
GOING TO PLACES WHERE THE COVID
OUTBREAK WASN'T AS EXTREME,
BUYING TANKS, TAKING THEM TO
AREAS WHERE THE COVID-19
OUTBREAK WAS MORE INTENSE,
SELLING THOSE TO PEOPLE WHO
NEEDED THEM.
AS YOU SAW, ONE OXYGEN TANK A
DAY IS NOT GOING TO BE
SUFFICIENT, ONE TANK FOR 48
HOURS, HAD YOU TO RESORT TO
OTHER METHODS OF PURCHASING
NECESSARY MEDICAL SUPPLY IN
EVENT OF SEVERE COVID.
I I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT PHYSICAL,
EMOTIONAL, ECONOMIC TOMORROW OF
BEING RESPONSIBLE TO ACQUIRE
MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND HOW IT PUT
PEOPLE LIKE THIS IN A DESPERATE
AND UNSUSTAINABLE POSITION.
WHAT DID LIFE LOOK LIKE IN PERU?
SOME OF THE STRICT SOCIAL
MANDATES REMAINED IN PLACE.
THIS IMAGE FROM JUNE 2022 SHOWS
ENTRANCE TO A MALL, AND THE
SECURITY CHECK HAPPENING AS YOU
ENTER THE MALL, SECURITY CHECKS
ARE COMMON AT SUPERMARKETS,
BANKS, PLACES OF PUBLIC
BUSINESS.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS
EVERYONE ENTERING THE MALL NEEDS
TO DEMONSTRATE VERIFICATION THAT
THEY HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, SO
YOU HAVE TO SHOW YOUR ID,
VACCINE CARD, AND THE VACCINE
CARD HAS TO HAVE MORE THAN JUST
THE TWO DOSES, IT HAS TO HAVE
REQUIRED BOOSTERS.
AT THIS POINT, 2022, WINTER FOR
THEM, YOU HAD TO HAVE THE THIRD
BOOSTER, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE
TO HAVE AN N N95 MASK, OR DOUBLE
MASK, THE SECURITY GUARD IS
CHECKING FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS
BEFORE YOU CAN GO INTO THE MALL
AND YOU KEEP YOUR MASK ON
INSIDE.
THESE TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL
EFFORTS ARE BEING UPHELD.
BUT DESPITE THESE CONTROLS, PERU
DID NOT FARE VERY WELL DURING
THE PANDEMIC, ONE OF THE HIGHEST
DEATH TOLLS PER CAPITA FROM
COVID-19, BLAMING FOUR FACTORS
FOR THE FAILURE.
ONE IS LACK OF TESTS.
TWO, IRREGULARITY OF QUARANTINE.
THREE, CROWDED MARKETS AND
BANKS.
FOUR, OVERCROWDED HOUSING.
CONCERNING THE LATTER THREE IT'S
MORE THAN TO KNOW THAT THE
ECONOMY DEPENDS ON INFORMAL
LABOR FORCE, ACCOUNTS FOR 70% OF
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
THIS MEANS THAT OVER HALF THE
POPULATION IS SUBSISTING ON AN
ECONOMY THAT FUNCTIONS DAY TO
DAY.
MANY PEOPLE FELT PRESSURED OR
EVEN OBLIGATED TO DISREGARD
PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS AND
GUIDELINES BECAUSE IT FELT MORE
IMPORTANT TO SUBSIST
ECONOMICALLY.
IF YOU WILL RECALL THE
DISCUSSION OF THE AMAZONS EARLY,
YOU MAY IMAGINE SOME FACTORINGS
THAT CONTRIBUTED TO SUCH A
DEVASTATING LOSS.
TOTAL DEATHS, PERU HAD ENORMOUS
LOSS, AND THIS MEANS THAT THE
MAJORITY OF PERUVIANS LOST
SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM, WHETHER A
FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER.
THIS HAD HUGE IMPACTS ON HOW
FUNERALS WERE PRACTICED AND
OBSERVED, HOW PEOPLE GRIEVED AND
COPED WITH THE LOSS OF LOVED
ONES.
SUSPENDED FUNERALS DEVASTATED
FAMILIES.
FOR A COUNTRY THAT'S CATHOLIC,
FUNERAL PRACTICES AND TRADITION
OF MOURNING AND WAKES ARE
IMPORTANT, SO THE IDEA OF NOT
BEING ABLE TO BURY OR PROPERLY
MOURN A LOVED ONE IS ESSENTIALLY
UNHEARD OF.
LIMA'S CHURCH LEADERS TOOK THE
OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE WHAT
MOURNING TRADITIONS COULD LOOK
LIKE WITH COVID-19.
I'M GOING TO SHOW ONE FROM THE
CATHEDRAL OF LIMA IN JUNE OF
2020, WHERE THEY HAD MORE THAN
5,000 PARISHIONERS IN THE SPACE.
ALL THE PHOTOS, I MENTIONED
5,000 PARISHIONERS, DECEASED
PARISHIONERS KNOWN WHOSE IMAGES
WERE PRINTED TO BE PART OF THE
FUNERAL SERVICE, MASS FILMED,
CIRCULATING ONLINE, SYMBOLIZING
A PATH FORWARD FOR GRIEF AND
MOURNING AND WAYS PEOPLE AND
COMMUNITY COULD ADAPT.
PERUVIANS CAME AROUND TO THE
IDEA OF VIRTUAL FUNERALS, AND
USED SPACES LIKE FACEBOOK AND
WHATSAPP TO CREATE DIGITAL
WAKES.
LOSS OF LIFE WAS ENORMOUS AND
FOR SURVIVORS HAS CHANGED THE
WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY MEMBERS
MOVING FORWARD.
IN THE WORDS, AFTER SO MUCH
LOSS, I FEEL SO MUCH JOY TO SEE
MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, THESE
MOMENTS TOGETHER HAVE BECOME
MUCH MORE PRECIOUS AND VALUABLE
TO ME.
FINALLY, UNEQUAL ACCESS TO
HEALTH CARE AND HYGIENE
RESOURCES LIKE RUNNING WATER OR
SOAP, FACE MASKS, HIGHLIGHT VAST
HEALTH INEQUITIES.
THIS EXISTS IN THE AMAZONS AND
URBAN CENTERS LIKE LIMA WHERE
THERE ARE CLASS DIVISIONS
BETWEEN WEALTHY AND IMPOVERISHED
SECTORS.
WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS, SHOWN
HERE, THE EDGE OF THE OCEAN,
RESIDENTS LIVE MORE COMFORTABLY,
DON'T WORRY ABOUT RUNNING WATER,
THEY HAVE HAND SANITIZER, STEADY
INCOME PROVIDED NORMALLY BY WORK
FROM HOME ARRANGEMENTS.
IN THE EXTREMES OF THE CITY
THERE ARE MASKS, POPULATIONS
HOUSED IN INFORMAL HOUSING,
OFTEN WITHOUT SEWER SYSTEM,
SOMETIMES ELECTRICITY, USUALLY
WATER IS NOT GUARANTEED TO EVERY
RESIDENT, MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO
NAVIGATE THROUGH A PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISIS.
RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE NORTHERN
AND SOUTHERN COLUMN TESTIFY THEY
DIDN'T HAVE RUNNING WATER OR
SOME WERE SCRUBBING HANDS WITH
LAUNDRY DETERGENT, MANY LOST
INCOME AND FACED FOOD SCARCITY.
ONE TREND THAT HAS CONTINUED
BECAUSE OF INFLATION IS COOKING
MEALS IN THE COMMUNE, COMMON
POT.
THIS IS A PRACTICE POPULAR IN
THE 1980s, WHERE NEIGHBORS ADD
TO THE POT, MAKING A SEMBLANCE
OF THE STEW EVERYONE CAN EAT.
SO WHILE THERE ARE MANY SEG
SEGUES, I WANT TO CONCLUDE,
INSPIRING RICH PUBLIC HISTORY
PROJECTS WORLDWIDE.
DATA COLLECTION THOUGHTS VARIED.
IN THE CASE OF JAPY WE BUILT
COLLECTIONS AROUND THE CONGRESS
GLOM-- CONGLOMERATE.
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, HISTORIANS
NEEDED TO USE DIGITAL HUMANITIES
TO CAPTURE THE WIDER HISTORICAL
AND CULTURAL MOMENT.
THANK YOU.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE
GREAT PRESENTATION.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY?
EXCELLENT.
WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
IT WAS A THOUGHT PROVOKING
PRESENTATION WITH THE DIGITAL
ASSETS YOU SHOWED US.
THANK YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO Q&A.
I'LL REMIND THOSE WATCHING TO
LOOK FOR THE "LIVE FEEDBACK"
BUTTON AND USE THAT TO SEND
QUESTIONS TO ME, WHICH I'LL HAVE
THE PRIVILEGE OF ASKING THIS
AFTERNOON.
A COUPLE QUESTIONS HAVE COME IN,
QUITE SIMILAR, I CONSOLIDATED A
FEW OF THEM.
THEY SPEAK TO YOUR SOURCE
MATERIAL, HOW YOU USE THAT
MATERIAL IN BIG PICTURE THINKING
ABOUT THE FUTURE, ACTUALLY.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS YOU SPOKE
ABOUT HOW HISTORIANS ARE
LIMITED, NOT BY THE QUESTIONS
THEY ASK BUT BY THE SOURCES THEY
CAN CONSULT.
HOW WILL HISTORIANS OF THE
FUTURE SORT THROUGH THE VAST
VOLUME OF SOURCE MATERIAL
ASSOCIATED WITH THE COVID
PANDEMIC LIKE THE MATERIAL YOU
SHARED?
A RELATED QUESTION, HOW WILL
THIS MATERIAL BE PRESERVED FOR
FUTURE HISTORIANS TO STUDY, OR
INDIVIDUALS OF OTHER
DISCIPLINES?
>>YEAH, THOSE ARE TWO GREAT
QUESTIONS.
IN TERMS OF MAKING SENSE OF
SOURCE MATERIAL IT DEPENDS ON
WHEN DO YOU ARCHIVAL RESEARCH,
RESEARCH DEPENDS ON THE
ARCHIVIST AND HOW MUCH WORK THE
ARCHIVIST PUT INTO CATEGORIZING
AND ORGANIZING THE MATERIALS
THEY HAVE.
IF NOT IN TUNE TO YOUR RESEARCH
QUESTION THEY HAVE STUCK
EVERYTHING IN A FOLDER, THAT CAN
BE TRUE WITH DIGITAL FOLDERS AS
WELL.
WITH JAPY WE HAVE A RICH SYSTEM
OF METADATA THAT BUILDS ON WHAT
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS USES AND
GETS MORE AND MORE SPECIFIC.
SO WE FIRST BROAD PICTURE
CATEGORIZE THINGS LIKE
NEIGHBORHOODS, NATIONAL NEWS, SO
THAT'S A STARTING POINT.
BUT THEN WE HAVE TAGS AND
CONTRIBUTORS TAGS THAT ZOOM IN
ON ISSUES, SO FOR WHOEVER
CONTRIBUTES THE ITEM WAS ALLOWED
TO SUGGEST THEIR OWN TAGS, MIGHT
HAVE SUGGESTED SANITIZER,
INEQUITY, INDIGENOUS, WHATEVER
THAT WAS, WE KEEP THAT TAG AND
THAT TAG IS LINKED TO ANY OTHER
STORY WITH THOSE TAGS.
THAT'S ONE WAY TO GET
SPECIFICALLY BY TERM TO THE
STORY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THE CURATORS, LARGELY
UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE
STUDENT AT ASU, ALSO AROUND THE
WORLD, WOULD ALSO COME THROUGH
AND TAG WITH THINGS THEY FOUND
IMPORTANT, WHETHER IT'S VACCINE,
MASK, WHATEVER RELATES TO THE
STORY.
METADATA IN A WAY BECOMES HUGELY
IMPORTANT, CREATING THE PATH
INTO THE ARCHIVE.
WITHOUT IT, THERE'S NO WAY TO
MAKE SENSE OF WHAT'S IN THE
ARCHIVE.
AND THE WAY WE ORGANIZE IT IS
DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY SAN
MARCOS FROM THEIR ARCHIVE WHICH
HAS THREE CATEGORIES, AND THEN
WITHIN THAT FOCUS ON VIOLENCE
AND FOCUS ON SOME OTHER ASPECTS
SUCH AS PEOPLE AND STUDENTS
ASSOCIATED WITH UNIVERSITY
ITSELF.
IT DEPENDS ON THE RESEARCH, GOOD
PRACTICE TO UNDERSTAND THE
LIMITATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION
SYSTEM YOU'RE WORKING WITH AND
TRY TO GET AROUND IT, NEVER
ASSUME JUST BECAUSE YOU --
WHETHER IT'S PHYSICALLY OR
DIGITALLY, IF YOU TYPE IN USUAL
KEY WORDS AND NOTHING POPS UP
THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT
THERE, IT MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATELY
VISIBLE.
IN TERMS OF PRESERVATION, THIS
IS A HUGE CONCERNING, A HUGE
PROBLEM WITH DIGITAL HUMANITIES
PROJECT, THERE ARE OVER 6,000
CROWD SOURCED COVID ARCHIVES
THAT GOT OFF THE GROUND, HOW
MANY WILL BE AROUND IN FIVE TO
TEN TO FIFTY YEARS DEPENDS ON
THAT TEAM AND THE STEPS THEY
TAKE NOW TO PRESERVE THE
PROJECT.
IN THE CASE OF JAPY WE'RE
WORKING TO ARCHIVE WITH ASU TO
BE AROUND.
WHEN I'M WORKING WITH ARCHIVES
SUCH AS ARCHIVE IN PERU I'M
SCREEN SHOTTING EVERYTHING I
FIND IMPORTANT FOR MYSELF
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO EVER BE
IN A POSITION WHERE I'M COMING
BACK TO THE ARCHIVE AND
SOMETHING'S HAPPENED, IT'S NOT
THERE, IT'S BEEN ERASE THE FROM
THE DIGITAL SPACE, IMPORTANT TO
KNOW THAT DIGITAL MATERIALS CAN
BE EPHEMERAL AND DISAPPEAR SO WE
HAVE TO TREAT THEM CAREFULLY AS
WELL.
>>THANK YOU.
I'LL ADD TO THAT, AS THE
INTERVIEW WE DID WITH YOU ON OUR
BLOG CIRCULATING NOW MENTIONED
AT ITS CONCLUSION, YOUR
COLLECTING INITIATIVE IS AMONG
MANY USING THE INTERNET ARCHIVE
TOOL, RECENTLY LAUNCHED A
COVID-19 WEB ARCHIVE WHICH BY
EXTENSION YOUR PROJECT IS A
PART.
PERHAPS ALSO REDUNDANCY THAT'S
AT PLAY, REALLY THE
COLLABORATION AMONG AND BETWEEN
ORGANIZATIONS WILL PRESERVE
THESE RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE
ALONG THE LINES YOU RIGHTLY
DESCRIBE AS WELL.
ARE THESE ARCHIVES USED BY THE
COMMUNITIES WHOSE STORIES ARE
BEING TOLD?
IS THERE A GENERATIONAL
DIMENSION?
DO PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WANT
TO TELL STORIES FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS?
AND WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS FROM
COVID TO PREPARE US FOR THE NEXT
PANDEMIC?
>>SO, I THINK WE HAVEN'T
SEEN -- WE'VE SEEN SOME K-12
CLASSROOMS USING THE MATERIALS
FOR LIMITED TEACHING SEGMENTS
BUT I THINK IT WILL TAKE TIME
FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO RETURN TO
THIS AS A MOMENT TO LEARN FROM.
ESPECIALLY IN THE U.S. CASE,
WE'RE STILL IN STAGE OF PANDEMIC
FATIGUE SO WE'RE NOT INTERESTED
IN TALKING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC,
LEARNING LESSONS, WE'RE
INTERESTED IN MOVING ON, GOING
BACK TO WHATEVER SEMBLANCE OF
LIFE IS AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE.
WITH OLDER ADULTS, THOSE AGED
OVER 60, THERE'S A DIGITAL
DIFFERENT, WE DIDN'T SEE AS MANY
OLDER ADULTS CONTRIBUTING TO
JAPY, AND THE INITIATIVE SOME
STUDENTS WORKING ON THE ARCHIVE
ADDRESSED OR CLASSES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE ARCHIVE CREATED SPECIAL
ORAL HISTORY PROJECTS TO
INTERVIEW PEOPLE AND CAPTURE
STORIES.
I THINK ONE CHALLENGE WITH THAT
MANY PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED ORAL
HISTORYS DIDN'T THINK THEIR
HISTORY WAS WORTH PRESERVING,
JUST AS TRUE WITH OLDER ADULTS.
WE HAVE A MOTHERHOOD COLLECTION,
WOMEN SAID HOW IS THIS MORNING,
THERE'S A PANDEMIC, WHY IS MY
EXPERIENCE AT HOME WITH MY KIDS
IMPORTANT AND WHY DOES THAT NEED
TO BE PRESERVED?
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYDAY
STORIES FROM PEOPLE GIVE US A
BETTER REPRESENTATION OF WHAT
LIFE WAS LIKE, JUST AS GREAT TO
SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT NATIONAL
LEVEL WE WANT TO SEE WHAT'S
HAPPENING ON THE GROUND TOO.
THIS LED TO ORGANIC AND
INTERESTING COLLECTIONS IN THE
ARCHIVE SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH
COLLECTION, WHICH AFTER I WOULD
SAY FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THE
PANDEMIC WE SAW MANY MORE
CONTRIBUTIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE
ACKNOWLEDGING AND WANTING TO
TALK ABOUT ANXIETY AND THE
STRUGGLE THAT THE PANDEMIC WAS
CAUSING IN THEIR LIVES.
THERE WAS ONE MORE PART TO THE
QUESTION.
WHAT WAS IT?
>>DO PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS
WANT TO TELL STORIES FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS?
PERHAPS YOU COULD UNPACK.
DID YOU FIND THERE ARE
INTERGENERATIONAL STORIES,
INTERGENERATIONAL INTERACTIONS
IN THE ARCHIVE?
>>SO, WE HAD SOME TRACING OF
WHO IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE
ARCHIVE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE AN ABLE
TO IDENTIFY MUST BE PEOPLE FROM
FAMILY CONTRIBUTING, A
FASCINATING PROJECT TO TRAP.
IN TERMS OF GRANDPARENTS,
WANTING TO CONTRIBUTE, I THINK
THEY WERE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE
IN ORAL HISTORIES.
I DON'T THINK WE HAD ORGANICALLY
AS MEAN PEOPLE OVER 60 COMING,
IT WAS A STUDENT AFFILIATED
ASKING THEM TO PARTICIPATE,
SAYING WE NEED TO PRESERVE THIS
EXPERIENCE FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS.
>>THANK YOU.
SOMEONE'S WRITTEN IN TO REMIND
ME THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES OF
COURSE ARE -- REPRESENT A
METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS THAT CAN
IN FACT AND DO PRESERVE STORIES
THAT WOULD OTHERWISE NOT BE
RECORDED OR NOT REALLY
ACCESSIBLE THROUGH TRADITIONAL
ANALOG VIDEO SO OF COURSE THAT'S
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF
THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES.
I APPRECIATE THE PERSON
REMINDING ME OF THAT.
SOMEONE ELSE WROTE THANK YOU FOR
THE FASCINATING PRESENTATION, I
LEARNED A LOT ABOUT LIFE IN PERU
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
ARE OTHER SCHOLARS OF LATIN
AMERICA LOOKING AT NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES IN SIMILAR WAYS, THAT
IS, THROUGH DIGITAL RESOURCES OR
THROUGH YOUR ARCHIVE, IS THIS
LOOKING AT DIGITAL SOURCE ALSO A
COMMON PRACTICE AMONG LATIN
AMERICAN SCHOLARS OR WAS IT
PREVALENT BEFORE COVID AND HOW
DID COVID ACCELERATE IT, IF
THAT'S THE CASE.
>>YEAH, BOTH.
THERE ARE ALREADY EXISTING
STRONG HUBS ASSOCIATED LARGELY
WITH UNIVERSITIES AND MUSEUMS,
DOING DIGITAL HISTORY WORK AND
PRIORITIZING THIS TYPE OF WORK.
THERE'S A GREAT CONFERENCE IN
MEXICO CITY EVERY YEAR, THAT'S
FOCUSED ON DIGITAL HUMANITIES,
THERE ARE UNIVERSITIES THERE
WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTIVELY TUNED
TO THINKING ABOUT DIGITAL
PROJECTS.
AND COVID ARCHIVES, OF COURSE
THAT POPPED UP IN MEXICO.
COLOMBIA IS A GREAT HUB,
STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS WORKING ON
DIGITAL HUMANITIES.
AGAIN, CHILE HAD A GREAT CORPUS
OF PEOPLE WORKING ON IT.
IN THE JAPY ARCHIVE THE OTHER
FROM CENTRAL AMERICA WAS COSTA
RICA, IT'S FASCINATING, A SERIES
OF LONGITUDINAL ORAL HISTORIES
CONDUCTED, INTERVIEWED 12
PEOPLE, THREE TIMES, AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, 2021,
HAS GONE BACK IN 2022, TO FOLLOW
UP AND SEE HOW THE EXPERIENCE
HAS CHANGED.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSE
REPRESENTATION, BUT IT WOULD
ALSO TAKE SOME MORE CRAWLING OF
THE WEB TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED
SINCE COVID STARTED AND WHAT
PROJECTS PEOPLE CREATED.
>>THANK YOU.
YOU JUST MENTIONED MUSEUMS.
THERE'S A QUESTION THAT'S COME
IN ABOUT MUSEUMS.
DO YOU SEE MUSEUMS WORKING TO
INCLUDE THESE SOURCES IN CURRENT
OR FUTURE EXHIBITIONS?
>>GREAT QUESTION.
SO, HERE AT JAPY AT ASU WE
CREATED A TRAVELING EXHIBIT, ONE
FOCUSED ON ARIZONA PANDEMIC
STORIES, THAT WENT TO THE
ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
WE ALSO CREATED A LARGER EXHIBIT
THAT TOUCHED ON VARIOUS THEMES
THAT WE SAW IN THE ARCHIVE AS A
WHOLE, NOT ANY ONE SPECIFIC
COLLECTION, AND THAT EXHIBIT HAS
GONE TO LOS ANGELES, AND WE'RE
HOPING TO LET IT GO AND TOUR
WITH SOME PARTNER INSTITUTIONS,
INCLUDING MUSEUMS, BUT, YEAH, I
THINK MUSEUMS AT A CERTAIN POINT
WANT TO INCLUDE COVID AS PART OF
AN EXHIBIT, THINKING ABOUT
HEALTH AND HISTORY AND HOW TO
PRENT -- PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC,
A GREAT SOURCE OF STORIES TO
SHARE.
>>THANK YOU.
THAT'S GREAT.
SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT EXHIBITION.
ANOTHER QUESTION CAME IN.
CAN YOU DISCUSS DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE USE OF THE DIGITAL
RESOURCES BY PUBLIC HISTORIANS,
VERSUS MORE ACADEMIC HISTORIANS,
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW
SOURCES ARE BEING USED?
>>ONE THING THAT'S CHALLENGING
IS HOW RECENT THIS MATERIAL IS.
TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC HISTORIANS
WILL LOOK AT SOURCES FROM 2020,
2021, 2022, AND JUST SAY, THAT'S
NOT HISTORY.
HISTORY IS WHAT HAPPENED AT
LEAST TEN YEARS AGO, WHATEVER
THE CLEAN THRESHOLD IS.
WE NEED TIME AND SPACE TO THINK
AND REFLECT AND REALLY MAKE
SENSE OF THE PAST, BECAUSE SPACE
DOES GIVE US AN ADVANTAGE OUT
VIEWPOINT.
PUBLIC HISTORIAN, THE GOAL IS WE
WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW WE'RE
USING AND THINKING ABOUT THE
MATERIALS SUBMITTED, AND VALUE
OF THEIR STORIES AND THAT WE ARE
KIND OF TRYING TO GET THESE
MATERIALS BACK INTO THE PUBLIC,
SO ONE WAY OF DOING THAT IS
THROUGH THE MUSEUM EXHIBIT,
THROUGH THIS TALK, MY CHALLENGE
TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET AN
AUDIENCE IN PERU, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR STORIES, HERE IS A PRODUCT
THAT'S TANGIBLE THAT YOU CAN
SEE, NOT JUST AN ARTICLE BUT
SOMETHING PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE WITH
AND THINK ABOUT AND LEARN FROM
IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
I WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING,
THAT'S WHAT PUBLIC HISTORIANS
WORKO SOMETHING THE PUBLIC WANTS
TO ENGAGE WITH, NOT AN ARTICLE,
IT'S GOT TO BE SOME OTHER
FORMAT.
>>THANK YOU.
IT WILL BE YOUR POINT ABOUT THAT
LINE, IS IT FIVE YEARS AGO, IS
IT TEN YEARS AGO?
FOR MOST HISTORIANS, AS YOU
RIGHTLY SAID, TOO SOON.
HOWEVER, THE QUESTION REMAINS
THAT THE SHEER VOLUME OF THE
MATERIAL THAT THE DIGITAL AGE IS
PRESENTING WILL INEVITABLY, THAT
WILL BE THE SOURCE FOR FUTURE
HISTORIANS, HOW FUTURE
HISTORIANS WILL GRAPPLE WITH THE
ACCESS TO THE MATERIAL THAT'S
PRESERVED, IS A VERY COMPLEX
QUESTION WHICH YOU ADDRESSED
EARLIER OF COURSE.
ANOTHER QUESTION HAS COME COME
IN ABOUT CHALLENGES OF RECORDING
HISTORY WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW THE
OUTCOME.
HISTORY IN PROGRESS.
IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN A HISTORIC
MOMENT THAT IS PROGRESSING AND
MOVING FORWARD RAPIDLY.
THE PLAGUE YEAR BECOMES PLAGUE
YEARS, SPEAK TO THE CURRENCY OF
THE HISTORY YOU'RE CAPTURING SAY
MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S
FASCINATING.
>>ONE THING WE STRUGGLED WITH
WERE SILENCES, KNOWING WE'RE
ACTIVELY COLLECTING AROUND AN
IMPORTANT HISTORICAL MOMENT, AND
THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE 20,000
ITEMS AND COLLECTED SO MANY
DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES, THERE'S
STILL GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
LARGELY LEFT OUT FROM THE
ARCHIVE.
INITIALLY, I WANTED I THINK TO
FILL ALL THE SILENCES, NOT
UNDERSTANDING THAT'S AN
IMPOSSIBLE TASK.
THE BEST THING IN OUR APPROACH
TO THE PROJECT WAS FOR EVERYONE
TO BRING THEIR STRENGTHS AND
PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT THEY WANTED
TO FOCUS ON.
FOR ME I THOUGHT OF COLLECTING
AN ELECTRIC GRID, EVERYTHING IS
INTERSECTED AND COLLECTING BUT
GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
SO HUMOR WAS AN AREA TO FOCUS
ON, HEALTH INEQUITIES, AND THEN
I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE I
GOT ORAL HISTORIES TO TRY AND
GET PEOPLE TO TELL ME ABOUT WHAT
THE PANDEMIC WAS LIKE FOR THEM.
SO IT MEANS THAT IT WAS EVEN
EXCITING TO GO THROUGH THE SAN
MARCOS ARCHIVE TO SEE WHAT THEY
COLLECTED, HOW THEY -- DIFFERENT
ITEMS THEY PICKED UP, THAT I HAD
NEVER SEEN BEFORE, SO IT'S
USEFUL IN THAT WAY TO SEE THERE
ARE SO MANY WAYS TO THINK ABOUT
MATERIALS, FOR JAPY AND I'M SURE
OTHER PROJECTS WE THOUGHT IT WAS
GOING TO BE A SEMESTER-LONG
PROJECT.
WE, LIKE MANY, THOUGHT LOCKDOWN
WAS GOING TO DO ITS JOB, AND WE
WOULD BE BACK TO NORMAL MUCH
MORE QUICKLY.
SO JOURNAL THE PLAGUE YEARS,
IT'S EVOLVED FROM WHAT WAS ONCE
A RAPID RESPONSE ARCHIVE
DOCUMENTING A FINITE MOMENT TO
SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO MOVE
ALONG SO WE CALL OURSELVES A
ROLLING ARCHIVE NOW.
WE'RE NOT RAPID.
WE'RE ROLLING WITH THE CHANGES.
WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW HOW THE
PANDEMIC STORY SHIFTS, AND THAT
SHIFTS THE WAY WE COLLECT.
IT'S ALSO REFLECTING PEOPLE ON
THE TEAM THAT THINK SOME OF THE
MOST INTERESTING PANDEMIC
STORIES ARE WHAT HAPPENS NOW.
SO NOW WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THE
MOST PERHAPS DEVASTATING PART OF
COVID, WHAT DOES LOOK LIFE, HOW
ARE PEOPLE'S LIVES IMPACTED, TEN
YEARS WHERE WILL PEOPLE BE.
WE'RE HOPING TO KEEP A
LONGITUDINAL FOCUS, SEEING WHERE
PEOPLE ARE NOW AND HOW THINGS
HAVE CHANGED FOR THEM.
>>YOU HAVE MENTIONED EARLIER
THE FEELING NOW, UNDERSTANDABLE,
ABOUT MOVING ON, MOVING FORWARD,
REMEMBERING PERHAPS ALSO
FORGETTING AND JUST MOVING ON.
OF COURSE, THAT'S THE CONTOURS
OF THAT ARE QUITE SIMILAR.
WE SEE IN HISTORIES, 1918,
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC.
CAN YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
COMPARISONS WITH PREVIOUS
PANDEMICS OR HOW YOU'RE THINKING
ABOUT THE WORK YOU DID WAS
INFORMED BY WHAT WE KNOW OR
DON'T KNOW, THE SILENCES OF
OTHER PANDEMICS.
>>YEAH, THE 1918 PANDEMIC IS
THE FIRST ONE THAT COMES TO
MIND.
ONE, SEEN WITH SOCIAL MEDIA,
THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW PEOPLE
RESPOND TO THINGS.
SO, I WAS LOOKING AT MATERIALS
FOR 1918 INFLUENZA AND
NEWSPAPERS A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND
THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF REMEDIES
AND CONCOCTIONS YOU COULD TRY.
THIS IS A SEGMENT I DIDN'T GET
TO IN THIS TALK, HOME REMEDIES
PEOPLE TRY OUT TO STAVE OFF
COVID, ANOTHER BIG TEAM IN THE
ARCHIVE.
THERE WAS A NEWSPAPER CLIPPING
RECOMMENDING THINGS, ONE WAS TO
TAKE ALCOHOL AND DAB IT ON EACH
SIDE OF YOUR NOSE.
AND YOU READ THIS IN THE
NEWSPAPER AND I'M JUST DYING TO
KNOW LIKE WHAT DID PEOPLE THINK
WHEN THEY READ THAT, DID THEY
THINK THIS WAS SOUND ADVICE OR
NOT?
SO WITH THE DIGITAL CROWD SOURCE
COLLECTING YOU CAN SEE MORE OF
THE RESPONSE, PEOPLE THINK IT'S
HOCUS-POCUS OR IF THEY THINK
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING TO THIS.
IN TERMS OF SILENCES, ONE HUGE
DIFFERENCE IS WE WERE ABLE TO
COLLECT AROUND CHILDREN, FOR
1918 INFLUENZA YOU DON'T HAVE
GOOD DATA WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR
CHILDREN, WHAT CHILDREN FELT,
WE'VE GOT A TON OF ORAL
HISTORIES, EVEN JUST SUBMISSIONS
FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN,
INSTRUCTORS MADE IT A PART OF
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT TO SUBMIT A
PLAGUE JOURNAL, TELLING WHAT YOU
THEY ARE FEELING.
RICHNESS OF THOSE SOURCES
VARIES, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST
SARCASTIC SENTENCE, SOMETIMES
SOMEONE HAS MORE TO SAY.
HAVING THESE PERSPECTIVES, EVEN
THOSE OF MOTHERS, ARE DIFFERENT
WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT WHO
ARCHIVES ARE FOR AND WHO THEY
REPRESENT.
>>SO THESE ARE QUESTIONS
EMANATING FROM ME.
ONE OF THE MANY PECULIAR ASPECTS
OF THE 1918 PANDEMIC HISTORY IS
TRYING TO IDENTIFY AND SURFACE
WHERE CONTEMPORARIES EXPRESS
THEIR AWARENESS THEY WERE GOING
THROUGH HISTORIC EVENT, DURING
ANOTHER HISTORIC TIME WHICH OF
COURSE WAS WORLD WAR I.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW YOU SAW IN
THE SOURCE MATERIALS THAT YOU
COLLECTED ANY AWARENESS OF THE
HISTORIC NATURE OF THE EVENTS,
WHETHER IT'S PROFOUNDLY
HISTORIC, FROM A LOCAL
PERSPECTIVE AND FAMILY
PERSPECTIVE OR FROM A LARGER
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, AND THEN
THE OTHER ASPECT IS TO WHAT
EXTENT DOES THE MATERIAL SPEAK
DIRECTLY TO MEMORIALIZATION,
THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THIS
ERA, NEED TO REMEMBER WHAT'S
HAPPENED TO OUR FAMILY, OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR COMMUNITY, AND
I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION MINDFUL
OF WHAT YOU SAID SO VERY WELL
THAT MANY PEOPLE SAY WHY DOES MY
STORY MATTER, SO I DON'T WANT TO
PROJECT TOO MUCH HERE BUT I'M
CURIOUS ABOUT ASPECTS OF
MEMORIALIZATION IN THE MATERIAL
THAT YOU COLLECTED, WHETHER IT
WAS EXPLICIT OR IMPLICIT,
BECAUSE AS YOU WELL KNOW AS A
FELLOW HISTORIAN WE THINK ABOUT
THESE SUBJECTS IN SO MANY WAYS.
WE ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW THOSE
WHO LIVED THROUGH THEM WERE
AWARE OF WHAT THEY WERE LIVING
THROUGH AND HOW THEY PERHAPS
ATTEMPTED TO MEMORIALIZE THOSE
MOMENTS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
OR JUST TO COPE WITH THEM AS
THEY WERE UNFOLDING.
>>YEAH.
SO A LOT TO THINK ABOUT.
>>YES.
>>IN TERMS OF COGNIZANCE OF
BEING IN AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL
MOMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST
SUBMISSIONS TO THE ARCHIVE
THERE'S ALARM, AWARENESS.
YOU ALL PROBABLY REMEMBER
HOARDING AT SUPERMARKETS, A LOT
OF EARLY SUBMISSIONS ARE PHOTOS
OF EMPTY SUPERMARKET SHELVES,
AND EMPTY CITIES, SO ONCE
BUSTLING PLACES, AN EMPTY CITY
STREET IN LIMA, UNUSUAL.
PEOPLE'S REACTION TO THIS
FEELING OF SILENCE, GOING IN
PUBLIC SPACES, SO MUCH QUIETER.
FEWER AIRPLANES FLYING OVERHEAD,
LESS TRAFFIC, JUST REFLECTION OF
THE WAY THAT FEAR WAS DRIVING
DIFFERENT WAYS PEOPLE CONSUMED
BUT ALSO THINGS WERE QUIETER AND
SLOWER.
SHUTDOWNS, LOCKDOWN, HAVING TO
WORK FROM HOME, SCHOOL ONLINE,
ANOTHER MOMENT PEOPLE THOUGHT
THIS WAS DIFFERENT, BEING IN
MARCH 2020, THERE ARE SO MANY
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WHO WENT
HOME FOR SPRING BREAK AND NEVER
CAME BACK.
THEY NEVER SAW THEIR CLASSROOM
AGAIN.
THAT'S REALLY JARRING FOR
PEOPLE.
INITIAL SUBMISSIONS ARE HOPEFUL
ZOOM CLASSROOMS WOULD GO AWAY
BUT THEY HANG IN AND LAST LONGER
THAN EXPECTED.
SO THESE CHANGES AND THE FATIGUE
WITH ZOOM CLASSROOMS ARE THEMES
IN THE ARCHIVE.
MEMORIALIZATION, WE DID END UP
CREATING A WHOLE COLLECTION TO
TAG AND SEPARATE STORIES DEALING
WITH MOURNING AND MOTT JUST
F ROM -- NOT JUST FROM COVID,
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LOSING SOMEONE
TO COVID BUT THERE ARE ALSO
STORIES WHO TALK ABOUT OTHER
COSTS OF COVID, THE OTHER HEALTH
COST, WHICH IS THOSE PEOPLE WHO
COULDN'T GET THE REGULAR MEDICAL
ATTENTION THEY WANTED OR NEEDED
NOT COSMETIC BUT NEEDED MEDICAL
ATTENTION, WHATEVER THAT WAS,
THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
LOSS OF LIFE IN 2020.
SO THERE WERE STORIES, I COUNT
AS COVID LOSS.
IF NOT FOR THE PANDEMIC THINGS
MIGHT HAVE WORKED OUT BETTER
BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE HAD
THEIR REGULAR CARE OR
MEDICATIONS THEY NEEDED WOULDN'T
HAVE BEEN SO EXPENSIVE OR
WHATEVER CHANGED.
SO, IT IS A QUESTION I THINK IN
THE U.S. AND WITH THE ARCHIVE,
WHEN DO WE MOURN AND ALLOW
OURSELVES TO FEEL THE TOLL OF
LOSS AND ADMIT THAT THIS IS A
REALLY BIG DEAL.
IT'S NOT JUST ABSTRACT NUMBERS.
THESE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SMALL MOURNING
PROJECTS BUT I THINK AS AN
ARCHIVE, EVEN AS COUNTRY, WE
HAVEN'T SAID -- IT'S A GREAT
QUESTION FOR PUBLIC HUMANITIES,
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO
MEMORIALIZE THIS MOMENT, TO
HONOR PEOPLE WE'VE LOST AND
LEARN AND WHAT ARE THOSE LESSONS
WE NEED TO TAKE FROM IT.
1918 INFLUENZA, HEALTH NORMS,
FUN FACTS, SPITTING IN PUBLIC
GOES AWAY BECAUSE IT CAN CARRY
GERMS, SO NOT GOOD.
YOU USED TO FILL UP A CUP AT A
DRINKING FOUNTAIN, THAT GOES
AWAY.
IT'S INTERESTING EXERCISE TO
THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE
WAY PEOPLE STAY.
PEOPLE ARE STILL WEARING MASKS,
NOT ALL CASES, INTERESTING TO
THINK ABOUT HAVE ANY OF THESE
NORMS OR DISRUPTIONS WE'VE
IMPLEMENTED AS NORMAL PRACTICE,
WHICH STICK AROUND AND BECOME
PART OF AMERICAN CULTURE.
>>ONE MORE QUESTION AND WE'LL
CONCLUDE.
HOW HAS LIVING THROUGH COVID
CHANGED THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT
BEING A HISTORIAN AND BEING
HISTORIAN OF MEDICINE, WE
ADDRESSED THIS BUT IS THERE
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY?
YOUR PROJECT IS JUST SO COMPLEX
AND MULTI-ASPECT.
IT IS A HISTORY OF RECENT YEARS
THAT ARE STILL HAPPENING AND IS
GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE RESOURCE
FOR FUTURE HISTORIANS.
HOW HAS COVID CHANGED THE WAY
YOU THINK ABOUT HISTORY AND
BEING HISTORIAN?
>>MARCH 2020 WAS A SENSE OF
URGENCY.
NOW THINKING ABOUT LONG TERM,
IT'S ACCESS, HOW WILL I MAKE
SURE MATERIALS ARE ACCESSIBLE,
THAT PEOPLE CAN GET TO THESE
ITEMS.
PERUVIAN COLLECTION, WE'VE
WORKED ON MAKING SOME ITEMS
BILINGUAL SO THEY ARE MORE
ACCESSIBLE BUT NOT ALL.
HAVING THEM SYSTEMATIC SO THAT'S
AN AREA THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS
ON, BECAUSE MY MISSION IS THAT
THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES ARE
ACCESSIBLE TO ENGLISH AND
SPANISH SPEAKING AUDIENCES.
THOSE ARE LANGUAGES I HAVE AND I
CAN SHARE THIS WITH.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
HAPPENS.
IT ALSO ESPECIALLY WITH -- IT'S
HARD, IN LOOKING AT THE HOME AND
NATURAL REMEDIES, CREATING
SOMETHING INTERESTING, CURIOSITY
INSIDE OF ME, WHAT ARE THESE
HOME REMEDIES, WHICH ONES ARE
COMPLETELY BOGUS, BUT WHICH
MIGHT HAVE VALIDITY, WHAT IS
TRADITION OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE
PASSED DOWN, MAYBE FROM A PAST
PANDEMIC, AS WE KNOW, WHEN
EUROPEANS ARRIVED IN PERU THERE
WERE PANDEMICS AND MAJOR, SOME
ROOTED IN LARGER MEDICAL
HISTORY, THINKING ABOUT THAT
TRAJECTORY IS FUN AS A HISTORIAN
EVER MEDICINE, WORKING THROUGH
THAT IS DIFFICULT, CAN'T DRAW A
STRAIGHT LINE FROM 1550 TO 2020,
BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE
PERSISTENCE OF DOMESTIC AND WHAT
IS THE BEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT
HOME MEDICINE.
WE'RE ALL HEALERS IN OUR OWN
WAY.
PARENTS HEAL CHILDREN, PETS,
YOU'RE THE FIRST LINE OF HOPE
FOR YOUR ANIMAL, RIGHT, IF THEY
ARE SICK.
WE'VE ALL OPERATED WITH A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MEDICAL
KNOWLEDGE, WE PASS TO THE NEXT
GENERATION, AN INTERESTING
QUESTION THAT I WANT TO GET AT
MORE WITH THIS PROJECT.
>>WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT
PRESERVATION AND ACCESS.
MY WAY OF THANKING YOU FOR YOUR
TIME DEDICATED TO PUTTING THIS
PRESENTATION TOGETHER, I'M
REMIND THOSE WATCHING THAT THE
PRESENTATION WILL BE PERMANENTLY
AVAILABLE IN THE NIH VIDEOCAST
ARCHIVE, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT BEING
THERE.
YOUR REFLECTIONS ON HISTORIC
YEARS WILL BE PART OF AN ARCHIVE
THAT FUTURE INDIVIDUALS CAN
CONSULT AS THEY REFLECT, SO IT'S
A WONDERFUL CIRCULAR MOMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE
PRESENTATION.
BEST TO YOU.