Willians Silva interview, 2020-08-13
Scope and Contents
D.C. Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) is a citywide initiative to train community members in oral history skills, fund new and ongoing oral history projects, connect volunteers with oral history projects, and publicize existing oral history collections. DCOHC is a project of DC Public Library, HumanitiesDC, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. This collection contains oral history interviews, transcripts, and indexes produced by DCOHC grantees.
Dates
- Creation: 2020-08-13
Creator
- Silva, Willians, 1952- (Person)
- Griffiths, Javier (Person)
Language of Materials
Spanish
Biographical / Historical
Born in 1952 in Peru, Willians Silva immigrated to the Washington area in 1986. As a teenager and young adult in Peru Silva was active directing youth groups and participated in theater groups. After he immigrated to the United States, he worked cutting grass and cooking until he finally landed a housekeeping job at the Grand Hotel in Washington, D.C. in the 1980’s. After leading a fight to form a union at this hotel, Mr. Silva was fired. He later found work at a union hotel: the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C.. When the Watergate Hotel closed, Silva found jobs at other D.C. hotels, including the Jefferson and the Washington Court. As of 2020 Silva works at the Embassy Suites Convention Center Hotel in Washington D.C.. As an active union leader at his hotel that is a member of Local 25, Silva has been very active in union activities and union bargaining efforts. Silva lives with his wife, daughter and grandson in Arlington, Virginia.
Extent
From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes
Abstract
The interview is in Spanish. Willians Silva talks about his early years in Peru before he immigrated to the Washington metro area. He talks about his first job in housekeeping at the Grand Hotel in Washington D.C.. He talks about being fired for trying to organize a union at that hotel. He talks about the difficulties of union organizing. But despite his despair at being fired, Silva met Arturo Griffiths who was an Organizer with Local 25. That friendship led to Silva's participation in the 1989 - 1990 Latino Festivals. Silva first participated selling homemade Peruvian food at the 1988 and 1989 Latino Festivals. Silva describes that in 1990 Griffiths asked Silva to be Director of the Parade of Nations on Constitution Avenue. Silva talks about organizing the Parade and why the Festival moved downtown to the Mall. Silva describes working with 25 countries who presented their floats and dance groups and the importance of making a good impression. Silva talks about the importance of leadership and the role of a volunteer Festival committee where everybody was trusted and worked together for months to produce the Latino Festival - Fiesta D.C. Silva talks about the impact the Festival experience had on his life: he has worked on many other cultural events in Arlington. In 1992 Silva founded a Latino tenant organization in the Buckingham neighborhood of Arlington Virginia. Silva helped the tenant organization (BU - GATA) start a local annual neighborhood festival that has been going strong for over 20 years. Silva talks about the importance of volunteer work and giving back to the community. Silva talks about delegating to others and teaching youth to fight for their rights. Silva describes a scholarship program that BU - GATA developed for young people, many of whom are immigrants and first generation college students. Building leaders, celebrating cultural traditions and heritage, exposing Americans to Latino culture and fighting to secure one's rights are major themes of this interview.
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository