Armed with a tape recorder, Kansas City librarian Irene Ruiz cataloged the evolving history of the Westside and made the library a more welcoming place for the Mexican immigrants and Latinos who lived there. Today, the Westside branch of the Kansas City Public Library — featuring the robust Spanish language collection that Ruiz began — is named in her honor. Mackenzie Martin traces how Ruiz brought her activism and sense of community across all the chapters of her life.
Web: https://www.kcur.org/a-peoples-history-of-kansas-city
Show Insta: https://www.instagram.com/kcpeopleshistory/
My personal Insta: https://www.instagram.com/_macmartin/
Digital story: https://www.kcur.org/history/2024-09-11/kansas-city-westside-library-irene-ruiz-latino-immigrants
