Photo/Anthony Victoria
Frank Acosta, Dr. Tom Rivera, and Henry Vasquez, also with the help of CSUSB Dean of Library Cesar Caballero have compiled interviews for the Oral History Project of South Colton that depicts the lives of Mexican Americans in the early part of the Twentieth Century.
Cal State San Bernardino (CSUSB) dean emeritus Dr. Tom Rivera and company just received a substantial boost for their academic history project.
Cal Humanities, a non-profit organization that promotes and funds humanities research in California, has awarded the university a $10,000 grant to support the oral history project called, “Growing up in Colton: An Oral History of Mexican Americans in South Colton, 1890-1960.”
CSUSB’s award was part of a comprehensive grant totaling $180,000 distributed among a variety of humanities projects throughout the state. The grant will be utilized to buy equipment, such as video cameras, recorders, and other items to help document the interviews.
“We’re delighted to have been awarded the grant from Cal Humanities,” CSUSB Pfau Library
dean Cesar Caballero said. “Its mission is to connect Californians to our shared heritage and diverse cultures, which nicely complements both CSUSB’s commitment to diversity and the goals of our South Colton History Project.”
Caballero, Rivera, and Historians Frank Acosta and Henry Vasquez designed the Oral/Public History project to document and preserve South Colton’s Mexican American community.
Since November of 2013, the three men have had the task of interviewing individuals who lived in South Colton during the 1920’s to 1960’s, or whose parents and relatives did so.
“Like all researchers, our work builds on the work of others. For example, we read monographs by other Colton residents. The work of Dr. Rudy Serrano and his members gave us background knowledge. His committee included Joe Lucero, Joe Nuñez, Rudy Oliva, Frank Sanchez, and Bobby Vasquez.”
Similar to the southern cities and states of the United States–where de-facto segregation created a racial, social, and economic divide among African-Americans–the same occurred in Colton. In response to the poverty, racism, and exclusion from the social and political institutions of the city, the Mexican community that resided below the Southern Pacific railroad embraced their “barrio” of South Colton and embraced a rich Mexican self-sustaining culture.
Topics that were thoroughly identified throughout the 50 interviews that they have conducted are education, religion, politics, cultural events, music bands, employment, and recreational activities.
“The early years in South Colton, because you weren’t apart of the majority culture, you identified very strongly with the Mexican culture and history,” said Acosta. “There was a fierce pride in being Mexican.”
Several of the interviews demonstrate the rich pride Mexican residents had in identifying with their cultural ties.
The story of Sal and Francis Ayala provides colorful commentary on a young, small boy falling in love with a girl as a teenager. Sal, a Navy Seamen during the Second World War, wrote to Francis during his time overseas. When he returned, they got married, but unfortunately social and racial barriers prevented him from buying a home in suburban-anglicized North Colton and struggled to find employment with the post office. In contrast, Ralph Cervantes, another veteran of the Second World War fought against housing discrimination and was able to win a lawsuit that allowed him to purchase a house in North Colton.
Other notable interviews include an interview with Rudy Contreras, who told him the story of legendary Juan Caldera. Caldera was a local entrepreneur who owned a grocery store and several other businesses. He used some of his money to help building a swimming pool in 1929, as well as a baseball field and a bull ring.
“I’ve enjoyed the interviews because it has shed light on issues and events people do not know about,” said Rivera. “These things are not featured in history courses.”
The South Colton Oral/Public History project is on-going video interviews will be compiled and made available to the public through the Pfau Library at CSUSB. Rivera said the group hopes to have the project completed by next summer.
For more information on the project contact Dr. Tom Rivera. (909) 213-0515
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