A People’s History of the Inland Empire Digital Archive

Ramona Arranda Genamaras Oral History

2024.006.007

Sound

In her oral history interview, Ramona Arranda Genamaras shares the story of how her parents immigrated to the United States due to the expanding railroad in Southern California and job opportunities it presented. Ramona is the first born of her siblings, born in San Bernardino, CA, where they lived a few years before moving to South Colton. She recalls growing up in South Colton, attending segregated primary and elementary schools. While she spoke Spanish and English at home, she was expected to only speak English at school, something she remembers understanding without needing to be told. Throughout her years in school, some of her happiest years she recalls, she was very involved in activities and was often asked by her teachers to speak or perform at school events. She remained active in her children’s lives by joining the PTA and organizing the first Halloween carnival, where she sewed costumes for her children. Ramona worked in the garment industry for 15 years as a seamstress, a skill she picked up from her mother who sewed all of her and her siblings’ clothes. This was a practice Ramona herself continued with her own four daughters and one son. Ramona shares the lives of her parents, children, her love for baseball, celebrating her 99th birthday, and community life in South Colton, CA.

Pancho Villa

Mexican Revolution

Immigration

School Segregation

Garment Industry

Community Life

Childhood

Baseball

Mexican American History

Colton (Calif.)

San Bernardino (Calif.)

Leon, Guanajuato Mexico

1923-2023

Audrey Maier

Ramona Arranda Genamaras

2023-06-06

A People's History of the I.E.

.mp3

English

1:46:27