A People’s History of the Inland Empire Digital Archive

Oscar Colunga Oral History

2024.006.008

Sound

Oscar Colunga shares his life story, starting from his birth during an unexpected snowstorm in San Bernardino, California in 1949. He delves into his family history, especially his parents’ life after the Second World War and their emigration to South Colton. He describes his childhood in a Mexican American neighborhood and the culture and society of the 1950s and 1960s. He reflects on his school days, recreational activities, and integration, especially during high school, and his participation in different activities outside school. He addresses aspects of his relatives work in the Colton Cement Plant (California Portland), the explosions at the mines he could hear and see from his house, and the ways the dust got into everything and worsened the air quality. Colunga makes keen points about the ways the dust caused health problems among family members, and the respiratory issues they faced. Colunga also talks about the progression of his career, resulting in his decision to move to Solvang, CA. Looking back at the changes in the decades he has been away, he explains how he wants to retire back to his hometown.

Mexican American History

Education

Social Participation

School Segregation

World War II

Mexican Immigration

Mexican American Families

Neighborhood Development

Local Businesses

Inland Empire AIDS Project (IAP)

Colton (Calif.)

San Bernardino (Calif.)

Solvang (Calif.)

Redlands (Calif.)

Riverside (Calif.)

1940's-2024

Audrey Maier

Oscar Colunga

2024-02-10

A People's History of the I.E.

.mp3

English

03:33:05