Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Series
Title
Oral history interview with Belise Nishimwe
Date(s)
- 2019-06-10 (Creation)
Extent
36.9 megabytes; 1 online resource (1 audio file (1 hr., 17 min., 25 sec.)) MPEG-4
Name of creator
Biographical history
Belise Nishimwe was born to Burundian parents in the Mutabira refugee camp in Tanzania around 2002. When she was 5 years old, her family was granted asylum in the United States and they were resettled in Portland, Oregon, where she attended St. Mary's Academy. In 2019, she was named the Oregon Poetry Out Loud champion.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This oral history interview with Belise Nishimwe was conducted by Elanya Yussen on June 10, 2019. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. Erin Weisensee was also present and occasionally contributed to the interview.
In this interview, Nishimwe discusses her early life in Portland, Oregon, including her education, her love of reading, and making friends. She also talks about how her parents have adjusted to life in the United States, particularly their experience with the language barrier. She speaks about her cultural and ethnic identity, including her family background in Burundi, foods she grew up with, and languages she speaks. She talks about racism she experienced and how she internalized it at a young age. She revisits the topic of her education; talks about how her sister inspires her; and describes the cultural significance of her family's names. She speaks at length about her love of poetry, publicly performing her poems, and her participation in the Oregon Poetry Out Loud competition. She then describes her trip to Washington, D.C., in 2019, to participate in the national Poetry Out Loud competition. She closes the interview by talking about her accomplishments and her plans for the future, and by sharing advice for other young people and immigrants.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and The Immigrant Story. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Gift of The Immigrant Story, February 2021 (Lib. Acc. RL2021-009).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Publication notes
An article about Belise Nishimwe, "Speaking Out: From Poetry to Politics" by Elanya Yussen, was based on this interview and published on The Immigrant Story website at https://theimmigrantstory.org/speaking-out/.
Notes element
General note
Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Belise Nishimwe, by Elanya Yussen, SR 12296, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.
Sources used
Archivist's note
Sarah Stroman
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Yussen, Elanya (Contributor)
- Poetry Out Loud (Contest) (Subject)