By Clara Muñoz
My name is Clara Muñoz, I’m from Argentina and I’m of Lithuanian descent. My great-grandparents came from Šiauliai to Argentina in 1920, and thanks to the Bring Together Lithuania program, I was finally able to visit my ancestors homeland. This program aims to give the Lithuanian diaspora around the world the opportunity to reconnect with Lithuania, get to know it, and also work in their professional field.
I’m a librarian and currently studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Library and Information Science. When I applied to the program, I specifically requested to do my internship at the National Library of Lithuania. For me, working in such an institution was a dream come true.
During my internship, I worked in the Documentary Heritage Research Department. At the Statehood Centre, I was assigned research tasks involving Spanish-language texts on the Sąjūdis movement (the Lithuanian Reform Movement), the declaration of independence on March 11, 1990, and the events of January 1991. For the Judaica Research Centre, I conducted searches in the Argentine press on Jewish migration and its connection to cultural institutions such as YIVO, which had a presence in both Vilnius and Buenos Aires. I also collaborated with the Lithuanian Studies Unit, working with Spanish-language publications on general culture, the humanities, social sciences, and the history of Lithuania and its diaspora.
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