Scope and Contents The Aime Wichtendahl oral history collection consists of the recording and transcript of one oral history interview conducted with Wichtendahl by Kate Orazem in 2023. The collection also contains a business card and a button representing Wichtendahl's campaign promotional materials.In her oral history interview, Wichtendahl discusses the development of her political beliefs, campaigns, and her experiences as a city councilor for Hiawatha, Iowa. Municipal topics covered in the interview include the passage of a higher minimum wage for Linn County in 2017, zoning and housing development, and strategies Wichtendahl used to lower property taxes while maintaining service levels in her community. Wichtendahl also narrates her personal biography, including reflections on growing up trans in an Iowa Christian family, memories of political awakening, her coming-out process, her divorce, and parenthood. She provides her analysis of anti-trans legislation in Iowa in the 2020s and...

Scope and Contents The V Fixmer-Oraiz papers date from 2002 to 2024 and measure 5.5 linear inches and 1.68 gigabytes in one box. The papers are arranged in three series: Oral history interview, Drag career, and Johnson County Board of Supervisors.The oral history interview series contains an audio recording and transcript from an interview conducted by Kate Orazem on September 8, 2023. In the interview, Fixmer-Oraiz recalls their childhood, including growing up in a military family, living in Panama in 1989 during the US invasion, and coming out as gay in high school and the role played in their life by a supportive coach and teacher. The interview covers Fixmer-Oraiz’s educational path, including their experiences researching in the Philippines as a Fulbright scholar and a biracial Filipino American person. They discuss their urban planning career, with reference to Iowa water quality issues and the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm project. Fixmer-Oraiz also describes their campaign and...