Greetings, Oral Historians! Please do consider joining us for our conference in Tempe, AZ from April 27-29 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. This year’s theme is Looking Forward: Bridging Past, Present, and Future through Oral History. The early bird conference rates are available until April 13, 2017 via Eventbrite. We also encourage you to book your rooms by going to, https://goo.gl/L7OiBZ, before April 6th to receive the conference group rate. Visit www.southwestoralhistory.org for more details.
On the Line with Rosie: Our Long Beach Stories Thursday, March 30, 2017, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. HSLB (Gallery), 4260 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, California 90807
Longtime Long Beach feminist activist and former councilwoman Hon. Gerrie Schipske presents an evening of stories about local women workers and their role in World War II. Schipske is the author of Rosie the Riveter in Long Beach, which will be available for purchase. The discussion will be moderated by retired professor of history at LBCC and CSULB, Dr. Craig Hendricks. The discussion expands upon an Historical Society of Long Beach exhibition, Long Beach Remembers Pearl Harbor. The program is free to the public and ADA accessible. Visit http://hslb.org/visit/programs for more details.
Spring 2017 Hansen Lecture:
Featuring Keir Pearson
When: Wednesday, April 5th at 5:30PM
Where: Titan Student Union, Theatre, CSUF
Free and Open to the Public
Students can participate in a meet and greet with
Mr. Keir Pearson from 4pm – 5pm in PLS 360!
Pearson, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Hotel Rwanda,” will speak on “History and Hollywood: The Power of Storytelling Through Film” April 5 as part of the Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History’s annual Hansen Lecture.
Pearson, also the executive producer and screenwriter of “Chavez,” has worked extensively on historical biopics usually with sociopolitical undercurrents. He’s worked for Warner Bros., Paramount, HBO, Fox TV and History Channel.
The Hansen Lectureship was created by the Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History in honor of Arthur A. Hansen, CSUF professor emeritus of history and retired center director. The lectureship also funds an annual fellowship for a CSUF student pursuing a master’s degree in history with an emphasis on oral and public history.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Titan Student Union’s Titan Theatre. It is free and open to the public. Students can participate in a meet and greet with Pearson from 4 to 5 p.m. in Room 360 of Pollak Library.
This collection contains a wide variety of interviewees over many years. Interviewees include Arizona pioneers and prominent citizens. As well, histories include narrations by pioneers themselves and discuss how families came to live in certain parts of Arizona. The collection is organized alphabetically by interviewee. It comprised a wide variety of topics and subject matter. A brief overview of subject matter discussed in the oral histories is provided with the individuals name.
Since the 1800’s, American popular culture has been filled with romanticized depictions about the West and the US Mexican border. These stereotypes became conventions in Western novels which typically include plots that portray conflicts between “law abiding” Americans and “blood thirsty” Indians who are typically regarded “savages” and treated as “other”. The Mexican border is typically portrayed as “lawless,” and Mexicans are usually described as dirty “bandidos”. Only American law and justice can bring peace in these works. Hollywood has also perpetuated these myths as evidenced in the abundance of Western films produced throughout the 20th Century the majority of which include stereotyped portrayals of Indians and Mexicans.
Tourism was an important enterprise in the first half of the twentieth century Southwest which also perpetuated a number of myths about the West and the border. In order to attract visitors to places like Tucson, groups such as the Tucson Sunshine Climate Club created promotional materials showing lots of open space, people enjoying the sunshine by a cool, clean swimming pool, and lots of fun “cowboy” like activities, such as horseback riding and cattle drives. Dude ranches, where “real” cowboys worked, were also in abundance and owners and promoters of these businesses, typically portrayed the region as having a mild, sunny climate, with lots of opportunities to engage in a variety of outdoor activities.
Visions of the Borderlands: Myths and Realities is an exhibition inspired by two works published by the University of Arizona Press, Celluloid Pueblo by Jennifer L. Jenkins and Postcards from the Sonora Border by Daniel D. Arreola. There is a reality and a myth of the U.S.–Mexico borderlands, propagated through multiple lenses. Featuring material depicting both reality and myth through photography, posters, pamphlets, and written documentation, this exhibit centers on important areas of enterprise for the Southwest such as photography and film; copper mining; tourism; and cattle ranching. It also expresses issues of discord such as the Mexican Revolution, mining strikes, and immigrant exclusionary legislation of the time.
CSU, Fullerton graduate students Natalie Navar, Kevin Cabrera, and Carie Rael showcased their oral histories in a performance at the 2015 SOHA Conference in California. These narrators voices were echoed in the Del Mar Powerhouse Community Center with this powerful Closing Performance. This research was conducted on behalf of the Center for Oral and Public History at CSUF. Attend the 2017 conference to learn more about this performance technique! Visit southwestoralhistory.org to register.
Today’s Throwback Thursday is from the 2015 Del Mar Conference. Featured here are Henderson Historical Society’s Fredric Watson and Anne Marie Hamilton-Brehm with SOHA Past President & Treasurer, Caryll Dziedziak. Make plans to join us in Tempe, AZ for our 2017 conference April 27-29. This year year’s theme is “Looking Forward: Bridging Past, Present, and Future through Oral History.” Visit southwestoralhistory.org for more details.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017, 9AM-12:30 PM: ORAL HISTORY WORKSHOP
This introductory workshop for budding oral historians will discuss the importance of oral history and how to do it, how to select recording equipment, how to use SDHC archival resources, and how to transcribe and preserve interviews.
Taught by SDHC Oral Historian Amanda Tewes and Archivist Jane Kenealy, this workshop is perfect for those interested in starting family, community, and academic oral history projects. Includes 30-minute coffee break.
San Diego History Center, Thornton Theater Saturday, March 25, 2017, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tickets: $15 Members / $25 Non-Members
A University of California, Irvine undergraduate student curated exhibition under the faculty advisement of Dr. Ana Elizabeth Rosas.
Duration: March 17, 2017 – April 7, 2017, Viewpoint Gallery, Student Center
This exhibition is co-sponsored by the Departments of Chicano-Latino Studies and History, School of Social Sciences, UCI Special Collections and Archives, Illuminations, Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture & Inclusion.
At SOHA, we are dedicated to helping oral historians in the American Southwest however we can. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at soha@unlv.edu or 702-895-5011.
Thank you all for the amazing work that you do. We look forward to seeing you all in Tempe!
Southwest Oral History Association 