A People’s History of the Inland Empire Digital Archive

Rita Richardson Radeleff Interview

2019.003.046

Sound

1997 interview with Rita Richardson Radeleff about her Mexican and Scottish family background. From Antonio Vasquez' interview preface: ""Her family story provided insights into the depth and diversity of Mexican settlement in Redlands. Up to the time Rita and I spoke, all of my interviews included people primarily of Mexican descent, most of whom lived, worked, or spent some point of their life in the barrio of north Redlands. With her interview, my efforts to gather stories and history widened in scope and geography to include information about 19th and early 20 th century settlement in south Redlands by working class Mexicans and people of European descent like her father, Palmer Leland Richardson, a chauffeur and a small business owner. Rita’s story as well as that of her mother Tomasita, whose strength and determination first as a young widow, then in an interracial marriage, and finally as a working single mother are fascinating to read. They also contribute to an emerging multi-faceted historical portrait of Mexican women in and out of their homes, a subject this series only begins to touch upon. I had several conversations with Rita about her family and her experiences and in this interview, she reads sections from her self-authored family history."

Mexican American History

Interracial Marriage

Citrus Fruit Industry

Local Business

Redlands (Calif.)

1890s-1950s

Antonio Vasquez

June 14, 1997

Radeleff, Rita Richardson

Audio Cassette

English

Side A1: 31:14
Side A2: 30:24
Side B1: 07:00
Side B2: 30:22