Browse Items (11 total)

Hortense Zander and her parents were early Jewish residents of El Rio. She discusses her life in New Jerusalem (El Rio), the Jewish community, her father Simon Cohn, and other communities living in El Rio. She also mentions the Zander Building…

Paul Varela, Executive Director of the Chumash Interpretive Center in Thousand Oaks is interviewed about Chumash culture. He discusses cultural assimilation and erasure, his own heritage as a descendant of basket maker Candelaria, the importance of…

Vincent Tumamait discusses memories of growing up in Ventura County and his Chumash heritage. He talks about the history of Chumash in the Saticoy area, music and dancing, tools, tomol building, and other aspects of Chumash culture. He recalls…

Julie Tumamait-Stenslie discusses her Chumash ancestry, touching on history, material culture, and beliefs. She talks about the importance of preserving Chumash culture for future generations. Also discussed is the role of museums, specifically the…

Bill Soo Hoo describes life for the Chinese American community in early Oxnard. He discusses his culture, beliefs, friends, neighbors, and the types of discriminations faced, including housing discrimination. He continues by discussing changes he saw…

Mabel Owen was a community activist living in the Avenue area of Ventura. She was known as "Queen of the Avenue." She discusses various projects and causes, including environmental conditions, the Avenue Senior Citizens Center, racial discrimination,…

Mary was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. After her mother's death she came to live with her maternal grandmother in Oxnard. She recalls her childhood in the Colonia Barrio, Catholic School, World War II, her love of music. She also discusses various…

Manuel "Manny" Lopez grew up in El Rio and the Colonia barrio of Oxnard. He was an optometrist and the first Latino mayor of Oxnard. He describes many aspects of his life and the social conditions of the barrio. He recalls agricultural labor strikes,…

Robert was a teacher and policeman in Oxnard. He lived in China Alley and the Colonia area of Oxnard. Robert reviews how social attitudes, segregation and prejudice changed over his lifetime.

Content Warning: The following oral history may contain…

Beatrice and sister Ramona Ramirez-Medrano tell about life in Ventura County from 1916 on. They lived in El Rio and Ventura and remember schools, picking apricots, the war years and working hard as children.

Content Warning: The following oral…

Bertha Tumamait Blanco and Luisa McLean discuss their Chumash ancestry and culture. They share information on basket weaver Candelaria, Chumash traditions, and family history. They also discuss Chumash medicine and botany.

Content Warning: The…