Ruiz, Jennie. Interview transcript April 7, 2023
California State University San Marcos. Cross-Cultural Center
Education, Higher
Human rights
Student success
Oral history interview of Jennie Ruiz for the Cross-Cultural Center Oral History Project on April 7, 2023. Biographical information about Jennie, how she started working for California State University San Marcos, her leadership and networking skills. Jennie’s friendship with Sara Sheikh-Arvizu and its impact on her. Her experience running the Cross-Cultural Center, and her thoughts about its role at CSU San Marcos. This oral history interview was generously funded through the Instructionally Related Activities Fund at California State University San Marcos.
Jennie Ruiz
California State University San Marcos University Library
Seth Stanley
In copyright
English
San Marcos (Calif.)
Saldivar, Diana. Interview transcript April 14th 2023.
California State University San Marcos. Associated Students Incorporated
California State University San Marcos. Kamalayan Alliance
California State University. Multicultural Programs
Filipino Americans
San Diego State University
Diana Saldivar is a California State University San Marcos alumna. She graduated with her degree in Communications, Sociology and Ethnic Studies. Saldivar worked at the Cross-Cultural Center from 2004-2007 and was also involved in the Asian Pacific Islander Student Society, Kamalayan Alliance, and with Associated Students Incorporated (student government). In her interview, Saldivar discusses how the Cross-Cultural Center provided her with a sense of belonging on campus and served as a second home. Saldivar explains how the center provided her with lifelong friendships, skills and connections that has helped her become the person she is today. Saldivar recounts how the CCC provided a safe space, allowing for conversations with others that are often deemed controversial, and how the center encouraged those to constantly seek knowledge. This oral history was created in collaboration with the Cross-Cultural Center and was generously funded through the Instructionally Related Activities Fund at California State University San Marcos.
Diana Saldivar
Madeleine Meyer
Geneva Martinot
Serrano, Lilian. Interview transcript. April 6, 2022.
California State University San Marcos
Community organization
Undocumented immigrants -- San Diego County (Calif.)
Lilian Serrano is a California State San Marcos alum. She graduated with a degree in Human Development. Lilian worked with the National Latino Research Center (NLRC) at Cal State San Marcos before moving on to work with Alianza Comunitaria and Universidad Popular. In this interview, Lilian discusses family life and growing up in Tijuana and Oxnard, her experiences as a student activist at CSUSM, and her work as an advocate for immigrant rights in North County.
Lilian Serrano
California State University San Marcos University Library Special Collections
Robert Sheehan
Kevin Vigil
https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
Oxnard (Calif.)
San Diego County (Calif.)
Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico)
Sheikh-Arvizu, Sara. Interview transcript March 30, 2023.
Chapman University
Civil rights
LGBTQ+ activism
LGBTQ+ life
Orange County Human Relations Commission (Orange County, Calif.)
Sara Sheikh-Arvizu was Assistant Director of the Cross-Cultural Center at California State University San Marcos from 2008 to 2011. In this interview, Sara discusses her roles at CSUSM and the various programs she initiated or facilitated. Sara also briefly discusses her current work with Orange County Human Relations. This oral history was made possible in collaboration with the Cross-Cultural Center and with generous funding from the Instructionally Related Activities fund.
Sara Sheikh-Arvizu
Michael De Maria
Aaron Williams
Orange County (Calif.)
Aguilar, John. Interview transcript, May 21, 2013
Afghan War, 2001-2021
Iraq War, 2003-2011
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (U.S.)
United States. Marine Corps
United States. Marine Corps -- Recruiting and enlistment
Veterans -- Health aspects -- United States
Veterans -- United States
Veterans' spouses
John Aguilar, Jr. is a Marine Corps veteran who served from 2001-2005. In his interview, Aguilar recounts his motivations for enlisting with the Marine Corps and his experiences at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, California. Aguilar also offers his thoughts and experiences regarding the trauma and changes wrought by combat deployments on veterans and their families, his work in information technology in the Marine Corps, and his perspective on the Iraq and Afghan wars, media manipulation, anti-Arab racism and societal glorification of and prejudice towards veterans. This interview was conducted as part of the CSUSM Veterans Voices project, a collaboration of the California State University San Marcos History Department and CSUSM Student Veterans Center (now the Epstein Family Veterans Center), from 2012-2013. Veterans Voices (originally called War at Home and Abroad) documents, preserves, and makes accessible the experiences of CSUSM's student veterans. This interview was conducted with a "self-interviewing" protocol, a process drawn from a technique known as Digital Storytelling, which invites the narrator to self-author the interview, telling their story from their perspective, in their own words, and in their own manner. Narrators were provided a list of topics and interview guidelines emphasizing that they could use all, some, or none of the topics as they fashioned their stories about military service and related experiences, thus allowing each narrator to decide what they deemed to be historically important.
John Aguilar, Jr.
Twentynine Palms (Calif.)
Cole, Kevin. Interview transcript, November 28, 2012
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001
USS Cole Bombing Incident, Aden, Yemen, 2000
Transcript of oral history interview with Kevin Cole. Cole served with the Marine Corps as a Rifleman from 1998 - 2007. In his interview, Cole recounts his personal motivations for enlisting with the Marines and for enlisting as a Rifleman, as well as his family's civic-minded nature. Cole also discusses his bootcamp and on-the-job training with the Marine Corps, as well as the two-year cycle of Marine life: training, joining a larger joint unit, deployment, and downtime. Cole recounts two deployments, ship life aboard his deployments on Naval vessels, the bombing of the USS Cole, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and how attitudes towards Marines and the armed services shifted in the wake of those attacks. Cole ends his interview by relaying his reasons for reenlistment after 9/11. This interview was conducted as part of the CSUSM Veterans Voices project, a collaboration of the California State University San Marcos History Department and CSUSM Student Veterans Center (now the Epstein Family Veterans Center), from 2012-2013. Veterans Voices (originally called War at Home and Abroad) documents, preserves, and makes accessible the experiences of CSUSM's student veterans. This interview was conducted with a "self-interviewing" protocol, a process drawn from a technique known as Digital Storytelling, which invites the narrator to self-author the interview, telling their story from their perspective, in their own words, and in their own manner. Narrators were provided a list of topics and interview guidelines emphasizing that they could use all, some, or none of the topics as they fashioned their stories about military service and related experiences, thus allowing each narrator to decide what they deemed to be historically important.
Kevin Cole
Lynn (Mass.)
Galyean, Thomas. Interview Transcript, November 12, 2024.
United States. Army—Veterans
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
chicken farm
U.S. Forest Service
El Cariso Hot Shots
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
San Marcos High School (Calif.)
University of California, Los Angeles (Calif.)
helitack
Loop Fire (Calif.)
flight school
Fort Wolters (Texas)
Fort Knox (Kentucky)
The Personal Experience - Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam
We Were Soldiers
hunter-killer team
Bell AH-1 Cobra
Pleiku (Vietnam)
Phan Rang (Vietnam)
Bearcat (Vietnam)
napalm
Fort Rucker (Alabama)
Fort Hood (Texas)
1968 Democratic National Convention
Gray Air Force Base (Texas)
Ground-Controlled Approach
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
7-17th CAV
University of Virginia
Qui Nhon (Vietnam)
My Lai (Vietnam)
free-fire zone
return fire
law school
attorney
Fort Polk (Louisiana)
Thomas Earl Galyean was a Captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He served with the 7-17th CAV as commanding officer of the aero rifle platoon, securing landing zones for aircraft. Galyean then served as an Assistant S3 for the operations section of headquarters, ensuring that aircraft received their assignments. Raised on his family’s chicken hatchery in San Marcos, California, Galyean narrates his family history, his decision to join the U.S. Army, and his interest in helicopter flight. Galyean describes his experience in flight school, including reflections on media representations of military training and the Vietnam War. Galyean describes his unique role while serving stateside, forming a military response team to suppress riots in the wake of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Galyean meditates on the impact of controversial topics, such as the My Lai massacre, civilian casualties, and the rules of engagement. Galyean reflects on religion, comradery, family, and how the military changed his life.
Thomas Galyean
Jason Beyer
Adel Bautista
Justin Gans
San Diego (Calif.)
Texas
California
Kentucky
Vietnam
Central Highlands (Vietnam)
Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam)
South Vietnam
Laos
Cambodia
Chicago (Ill.)
Brownsville (Tex.)
Brawley (Calif.)
Escondido (Calif.)
Imperial County (Calif.)
Sacramento (Calif.)
Louisiana
Alabama
Arkansas
Rafael, Joel. Interview transcript, October 21, 2025.
Songwriters -- United States
Folk music
Guthrie, Woody, 1912-1967
Folk music — United States — The Joel Rafael Band
Folk music festivals—United States
Music festivals—Oklahoma
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
Baez, Joan, 1941–
Communism—United States
United States Merchant Marine
Lynching—United States
Joel Rafael is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician from San Diego County, California. Joel has been making music with his band and solo for over fifty years. He is well known for his writing and performance in the style of Woody Guthrie. In this part three interview, Rafael discusses the activities and dissolution of the Joel Rafael Band and his twenty-seven years performing at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.
Joel Rafael
Jennifer Fabbi
Salinas (Calif.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Austin (Tex.)
Santa Monica (Calif.)
Okemah (Okla.)
Boley (Okla.)
New York (N.Y.)
Toro, Albert. Interview Transcript, November 15, 2024
Veterans—United States—Chile
United States. Army—Noncommissioned officers
Fort Ord (Calif.)
Travis Air Force Base (Calif.)
Albert F. Toro is a Chilean American who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, reaching his highest rank of E5 Sergeant. Toro described being drafted and deployed to Vietnam. As a Supply Noncommissioned Officer (NCO), Toro provided artillery units in combat zones with ammunition and food. Toro shared his life story as both an immigrant and veteran, including the ostracization and shame many veterans experienced upon their return from Vietnam. This oral history interview explores topice such as comradery, independence, military training, mentorship, college, recreation, fear, immigration, and veteran recognition.
Albert F. Toro
Marilyn Huerta
Chile
United States
Santiago (Chile)
Monterey Peninsula (Calif.)
Tan Son Nhut (Vietnam)
Saigon (Vietnam)
Củ Chi (Vietnam)
Cần Thơ (Vietnam)
Mekong Delta (Vietnam)
South America
San Francisco (Calif.)
Torrance (Calif.)
Carr, Jim. Interview transcript, September 26, 2017.
Barcoding
Distribution Services
Fixed asset tracking
Sustainability
Jim Carr spent 24 years at California State University San Marcos working for the Distribution Services team and was instrumental in implementing the first barcoded inventory tracking system for the University. Jim discusses his time working for CSUSM as part of Distribution Services and how his education and background led to him this job.
Jim Carr
Judith Downie