Image source: Flor de la Cruz

This Friday, November 23rd is the 5th annual National Day of Listening — a relatively new holiday created by StoryCorps.

What is it?

The National Day of Listening is a day to honor a loved one through listening – and your opportunity to capture the precious stories of your familia for your hijos, nietos and future generations.

How does it work?

You can have a chat with your mother, your abuelos, a great aunt, sister, tío, your esposo’s step-father, a second primo twice removed – anyone you choose. The conversation can be in English, Spanish o lo que sea! Preserve the story by recording the interview and then it can be uploaded to share with the world.

StoryCorps has teamed up with SoundCloud to create the “Wall of Listening“, where you’ll be able to upload the recording and then easily share it.

How do I record the conversation? Do you have any tips on how to do this?

Answers to all those great questions can be found on the StoryCorps website, in their Do-it-Yourself Instruction Guide, and in their FAQ. Just know that you don’t need fancy recording equipment. While computer programs such as Windows Sound Recorder or apps on your phone will work great, the easiest way to share stories is by using the in-browser recording option. After you click the “Share your story” button and sign up, you’ll be able to choose the “Record” option which will enable you to record directly from your browser.

We hope you’ll share the link to your loved one’s story!

If you participate, we would love for you to share with us by cutting and pasting the link of your recording into a comment on this post!

Happy listening!

Before I share “Facundo the Great” with you, let me tell you a little about StoryCorps – because what they do is pretty amazing. StoryCorps is an independent non-profit and since 2003 they have been collecting true stories, oral histories, from Americans of all backgrounds. The stories are recorded during interviews, and each participant (80,000 so far!) receives a free CD to keep and pass down to future generations. Each of these stories is also preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and many are broadcast on NPR’s Morning Edition.

What is the point of recording these stories? StoryCorps explains, “We do this to remind one another of our shared humanity, strengthen and build the connections between people, teach the value of listening, and weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that every life matters. At the same time, we will create an invaluable archive of American voices and wisdom for future generations.”

I’ve known about this project for a few years and really love it. When I listen to the stories, I have a tendency to become completely absorbed in them because the recordings are so intimate and special each in their own way.

This one I’m going to share with you was animated and while it talks about the very serious topic of how Latinos were once forced to Anglicize their names here in the United States, it turns out to be really humorous as well. The story is about Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez who was “raised in a small farming community in southern California in the 1950s. As was common practice at that time, teachers at his local elementary school Anglicized the Mexican American students’ names. Here, Chunky remembers a new classmate who proved to be the exception to the rule.”

StoryCorps is looking to create their first full-length animation special for TV – If you want to help make that happen, you can check out their Kickstarter page.

In the meantime, you can find many more stories on StoryCorps.org, or perhaps you or a family member have a story to tell? (Maybe your parents or your abuela?) Find out how you can be a part of the project.

What story would you tell?