Fabián Muenala begins the first session with an overview of his background and life as an indigenous Kichwa Otavalo living in the Bronx. This includes a description of the indigenous movement since the late 1970s, linguistic considerations, and his work with Department of Education at Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE). He discusses the Kichwa Otavalo community in the Br onx and connections with other indigenous and Latinx groups. He describes his experience with COVID-19 early in the pandemic: symptoms, experience at the emergency room, experimental medication, use of oxygen, and health insurance. He speaks about religious and cultural influences in great detail.
In the second session Muenala discusses long-term health impacts of his COVID infection, communal cultural celebrations on Zoom (including Inti Raymi), community loss, and ancestral medicine. He discusses aspects of politics in the South America and the United States, dimensions of indigenous and national identity, and running the family store
Retail trade--Employees; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; COVID-19 (Disease)--Social Aspects; Epidemics--Social Aspects; COVID-19 (Disease)--Health aspects; Hospitals--Emergency services--United States; Quechua language; Ecuadorians--New York (State); New York (N.Y.) Emigration and immigration; Bronx (New York, N.Y.); Muenala, Fabián, 1960-
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
86 pages
Note (Biographical)
Fabián Muenala is an indigenous Kichwa Otavalo from a small village in Ecuador called Peguche. Muenala lives in the Bronx and has a store with his family that sells indigenous handicrafts from North America, Central America, and South America
Note
Interviewed by Fernanda Espinosa on May 15 and October 31, 2020
Note (Provenance)
Fabián Muenala, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023