16 10 196 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Description An account of the resource Video and audio oral histories can be viewed here. Histories are listed alphabetically by last name. Individual histories are indexed and transcribed and can be searched. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <p>Rights to oral histories vary depending on the history. The library owns the copyright to some histories, and has license to reproduce for nonprofit purposes for others. Please contact CSUSM University Library Special Collections at <a href="mailto:%20archives@csusm.edu">archives@csusm.edu</a> with any questions about use.</p> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Alexa Clausen Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Daniel Flores Rios OHMS Object This field contains the OHMS Hyperlink (link to the XML file within the OHMS Viewer) https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-05-09.xml Interview Keyword This filed adds keywords to the Omeka Oral History item type. Keywords are included in the OHMS XML, this field in Omeka will allow for full data migration between OHMS XML and the Omeka Record. This field does not impact the OHMS / Omeka integration and is optional if you do not need to map the "keywords" field in the OHMS XML to the corresponding Omeka record. Times-Advocate newspaper;North County Times newspaper;North County, San Diego;Wild Animal Park;San Diego Zoo Safari Park;Photography;Black and white negatives;color negatives;dark room;color theory;color separation;digital camera;digital cameras;Rollieflex;Yashica;Nikon;Photoshop;Chromega;Rancho Bernardo, CA;Penasquitos, CA;Fallbrook, CA;San Diego, CA;Escondido, CA;Wildfire;Advertising;marketing OHMS Object Text This field contains the OHMS Index and / or Transcript and is what makes the contents of the OHMS object searchable in Omeka 6.0 Rios, Dan. Interview May 9th, 2017 SC003-03 00:39:31 SC003 Dan Rios papers CSUSM csusm Escondido (Calif.) ; Fallbrook (Calif.) ; Penasquitos (Calif.) ; Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.) ; Photojournalists ; Digital cameras ; Photographic chemicals ; Mexican Americans Times-Advocate newspaper ; North County Times newspaper ; North County, San Diego ; Wild Animal Park ; San Diego Zoo Safari Park ; Photography ; Black and white negatives ; color negatives ; dark room ; color theory ; color separation ; digital camera ; digital cameras ; Rollieflex ; Yashica ; Nikon ; Photoshop ; Chromega ; Rancho Bernardo, CA ; Penasquitos, CA ; Fallbrook, CA ; San Diego, CA ; Escondido, CA ; Wildfire ; Advertising ; marketing Daniel Flores Rios Alexa Clausen .wav RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-05-09.wav 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/1c3ee8d55ddb0829d191f2f592e8217e.wav Other audio English Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. This interview recounts Rios's career working for the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times.&#13 ; &#13 ; As the Chief Photographer, Rios was instrumental in transitioning the North County Times from publishing images in black and white, to publishing in color. He recounts how photographers were initially required to buy and maintain their own equipment and how he was able to create a deal with the newspaper to compensate photographers fairly for their equipment. NOTE TRANSCRIPTION BEGIN 00:00:03.000 --> 00:01:11.000 Ok, good morning, we are now recording. Uh, this is Alexa Clausen with Dan Rios on our third session interviewing regarding his career, the Times Advocate and North County Times. It’s May 9th, 2017, and, uh, just by way of introduction, today we are going to focus a little bit more on the technical aspects that Dan had encountered and worked with. Based on what he said that during his interview as a young man as a photographer, he was hired because he had a specialty and knowledge of color. And he had brought his portfolio, and the bosses said “Yeah, we’re moving in this direction and you’re the guy. So, maybe from that starting point in the status of the color for this newspaper and where they were going and your involvement, if we could start there? 00:01:11.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Yeah, ok. Yeah, uh, I was hired, May of 1968 and that was one of the questions asked me was whether I knew how to do color and I had specialized in color my last year, semester, in college. And I shared my portfolio and the day after that I was hired. Uh, I started working the dark room as their first full-time photographer. They had had a part time photographer, and they had a reporter/photographer named Mary Jane Morgan who would take pictures, process the film, and print things on what was called a Photo-rite machine. It was basically a large Polaroid. The paper had the emulsion built in. You exposed the paper, feed it through this machine and it would come out in print. Umm, it was never fixed or finished. It was just air dried as an instant print, and it would be used for the reproduction. They had gone off-set, and they would, the uh, production department, would screen it- what was called 'screening' these pictures. And read them in the paper. Well, I started and uh, thought this was not the, the right way to go, so I installed regular processing chemicals and paper. But we did use the Photo-rite machine to proof everything, make contact prints instantly so the reporters and advertising could select the photos, and I would print them. Uh, during this time, uh, Keith Seals was the production manager and asked me if I knew how to do color separations. And I had, uh, played with this in college and I told him I would do research, and I’d get back to him, and I did. And I came up with this process of using color film with color filters, with the enlarger, and using panchromatic paper-it, which is, uh, registered all colors of the spectrum. As opposed to orthochromatic paper which only registers, uh, blue light. Red light doesn't register, hence the red light in the dark room. You can work in the dark room without damaging the papers cause, it would not be sensitive to red light. Well, panchromatic paper is sensitive to all colors of the spectrum. So, I would have to work in total darkness. And I would expose, and I played around with this, and I would expose these different papers. Four papers. The black, the cyan, the yellow and the magenta- in different sheets of paper and process them and come with different images using the enlarger and different filters. Colored filters. And then giving them four sets of prints. And, I had to use this home-made device to register. I would punch the papers and then I would align them with the punches on the, on the surface of the enlarger. Um, I would hand these papers over to black and white prints to the production department. They would screen them all, uh, because they were all different. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:33.000 Yeah 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:42.000 Using the filters and come up with the separations. Uh, prior to that, we would send color transparencies to Monrovia. The newspaper in Monrovia, 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.000 Ok 00:04:43.000 --> 00:05:12.000 And they would separate there at 133 lines per inch. But they would take two-three weeks to come back. So, we had to plan there was no instant color in the paper. We had to plan for Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, stuff like that. Very sporadic. I remember Keith Seals telling me once that his dream was to be able produce, reproduce half column color mug shots every day in the paper. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:13.000 Wow. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:16.000 Eventually, we got to the point where we did that. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:43.000 Well, we did this color separation system of mine, uh, for a year, year and a half. And maybe even longer. Uh, we got better equipment in the, uh, in the production department to scan my, uh, my separations. And I remember when the Wild Animal Park cause I was taking pictures there from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.000 Oh, sure! 00:05:44.000 --> 00:06:46.000 And, in fact I had shot the color, the cover in 4” x 5” color transparency. And we did send that out to be scanned and separated. But we had a collection of all these color negatives. And when grand opening of Wild Animal Park, I spent maybe 30 hours straight in the dark room separating each negative from Friday afternoon till Sunday about noon. Came home a couple times, had supper, took a shower and went back. At the end of my session there on Sunday afternoon I couldn't feel the floor. I was hallucinating. I had been in the dark so long, working so many hours. So, Monday when the crew came in, they started separating. And that was a special section that we put out for the Wild Animal Park. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.000 Now, how, uh, was the color technology going forward elsewhere? 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:51.000 Yes, uh, yes. 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:58.000 And, and were you able to merge your color separation system with what was coming forward? 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:18.000 No, no. Eventually the company did research and there was a man in Escondido who would do color separations for us, for color slides, color positives. And we quit my separation, thank God. Cause it was, it was a, ah. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.000 It was too labor intensive. 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:20.000 Yeah, it really, really was. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:22.000 Plus, you’re exposed to all that, the chemicals. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:33.000 Yeah, the chemicals never bothered me, they were harmless, unless you drank them, I suppose. But eventually they bought a machine to do color separation in the Production Department. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:36.000 When do you think this was? What year? 00:07:36.000 --> 00:08:10.000 Hmm, mid-70's, late 70's. Yeah. Um, but when I started there, um, I brought my own equipment in and I had 4” x 5” cameras, and 2” and a quarter cameras, and 35 mm cameras, and strobe lights, and light stands, and lighting equipment. Uh, when I got there, I think the paper had three Rolleiflex cameras that, uh, everybody used. Um, they were continuously being broken. Man handled and uh... 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:11.000 Yep, that’s the problem… 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:46.000 So, I went to Ron Kinney, and I said to him. Oh, to back up. Eloise Perkins was going on vacation, and she wanted her own camera. So, I did a little research and found out that there was a Japanese company Yashica that was making a twin lens reflex camera for about 70 dollars, 78 dollars I think, I got her one. Whereas the Rolleis were costing 500 to 700 dollars apiece. This is 1968, 70, 71. I don't know how much it would be in today's dollars. But it would be massively expensive. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.000 Oh, it would be $10,000… 00:08:50.000 --> 00:09:03.000 Yeah, so she started using her own camera and bringing the film in. And my god, I couldn't believe the negatives were as sharp or sharper than the Rolleiflexes, from a 70-dollar camera. 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.000 But you continued to use your own equipment? 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:42.000 Yes, right. And I was using their Rolleiflex. Till I got one for myself and, uh, I bought some new strobe lights because the one they had was not adequate. But finding out how sharp, just, just a fine piece of camera the Yashica was, I went to Ron Kinney and I asked him: We are spending all this money repairing these three Rolleiflexs that we have, why don't we just buy a Rollei… a Yashica for each of the reporters as their own camera? 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:43.000 Right, the cost of… 00:09:43.000 --> 00:10:32.000 The repair bills went down to nothing because they would take care of their own cameras. And we supplied the film, the processing, the printing all they did was take... And some reporters refused to take pictures. If they, if they were forced to, I remember one columnist, overexposed the film so badly that you could see the sun through them. Because he did not want to take pictures, this was his way of rebelling. He says, “I'm not a photographer, I'm a writer, I'm a columnist.” And, then the company would make the reporters take their own pictures when they went on assignment if I wasn't available. But this one reporter, absolutely refused. And he came from San Diego. I think he started in the (19)20's or (19)30's- the San Diego Sun or the Union, the Tribune. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:36.000 AC: So he was of the school that you send a photographer with the person. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:11:09.000 Yeah, right, yeah. He was not going to mix the professions. The other reporters, they didn't care. Some reporters were pretty good. Bill Kane was pretty good, Eloise was good at taking pictures of monuments, and Kenny Russell was pretty good. There were some reporters that were pretty good photographers. Mary Jane Morgan was pretty good. But when I got them each their own camera the repair bills went down to nothing. And then we had the three Rollies, the two Rollies stayed in the shop for emergencies, back-ups. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:16.000 Now, at any point with the color, now they would take black and white or would they take rolls of… how did that work? 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:19.000 No. No color, it was all black and white. All 2 and a quarter inch negatives. All black and white. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:30.000 Ok, ok, ok. But were you and some of the other photographers the only ones who were allowed to, uh… was there ever color film introduced? 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:34.000 Oh yeah! We had color film when I first started. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:38.000 Right, right. But when… who was allowed to go use color. If there was a special project. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.000 Just me. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:50.000 Because it was expensive. So, if they knew there was a special edition, then you’d take the color? 00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:47.000 Yes, right. Uh, eventually after we hired the dark room technician, Lowell Thorp and then we hired Jim Baird, super photographer. Personality, eh. Then the regime had changed, it was changing at the time. So, we started shooting, eh, we shot, Jim Baird shot strictly 35 mm. And, the film had improved considerably at that point and our chemicals, cause we had experimented with different chemicals to get the finer grain and the negatives sharper images. I eventually went to 35mm also. And, uh, but we also, we shot the color at the 2 and a quarter inch because it was better for reproduction. By then we had our own reproduction and color separation system in the production department. 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:50.000 What years were you migrating to the 35 mm? 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:54.000 I think it was the mid… mid (19)70s. Mid (19)70s yeah 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:58.000 And then what about the percentage of color being added to the paper? 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:07.000 Oh, it was, it was 5% at the most. It was just special sections, special assignments, uh, special events in town… that we would plan. 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:12.000 And then when did all that start changing? 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:54.000 Probably the mid to late (19)70s and the beginning of the (19)80s. Because as I had said, Keith Seals dream was to run half column color mug shots. That, to him, seemed like a total waste of effort and time, but that was one of his dreams. And eventually we did that in the (19)80s, mid-(19)80s, type thing. And then we got pretty prolific. And then the, uh, the Ocean Blade, the Blade-Tribune started running color. And their color was better than ours. The reproduction bolder, brighter. And by then the San Diego Union started running color also. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:57.000 So, they had better equipment, or they had better processing? 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:38.000 Uh, better processing. So, Keith Seals would attend these conventions and come back with new techniques and new machinery. He would bring back a representative from different organizations for better processors and better color separation machines and stuff. So eventually we improved considerably. But then we started adding more photographers and eventually, uh, we started shooting primarily color negative film because then we could run that in black and white and color. We had an option. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.000 When do you think that was? 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:48.000 I think the mid-(19)80s, late (19)80s. AC: [00:14:43}Ok, so you used the color film, but if you wanted it to be black and white… 00:14:48.000 --> 00:15:53.000 Yeah, the scanning could convert it to black and white. Uh, then we started shooting…we had been shooting color negative and then eventually we turned to color positive slides. And we did that for quite a number of years. Up until the 90's, I think. And then I believe that’s, and I’m not sure, but one… that’s about the mid-(19)90s, the late (19)90s we went to digital, and it was all color. It was a combination of a Nikon camera, an AP got some manufacturer [to] come up with these digital backs. And I think the memory cards were about 250 megabytes. And you couldn’t erase selectively, you had to erase the last image, then you had to reboot. Each photographer was given two cards. So, we had to be very careful what we took pictures of, we couldn't just machine gun because you were very limited. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:58.000 Right! Your memory was limited, oh that must have been frustrating. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:12.000 It really was! And we would have to come in, and this is what I was trying to learn. And I really didn't want to learn computers. I had no knowledge of computers. I didn’t want to learn computers. I just wanted to finish my career with film. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:15.000 In those days, to my memory, it wasn't as easy as it is now. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.000 Oh god no. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:21.000 To do the downloading and all...This was not… Just… 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:28.000 For someone who knew computers, it was probably… I had to write out a list of steps, I think there were twenty steps 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:29.000 That’s the way it was. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:17:13.000 From, from putting the card in the reader, to finding, and I had no idea the folders, and files and clouds and… Oh my God, it was so frustrating. I would go in my shift, from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM – 3 o clock or 7 to 2:30- 3 o clock. Depending on when I took lunch breaks… But I would go in at 5 o'clock in the morning just to play with the computer. And one of the young kids in the computer department gave me a piece of advice, he said, “whatever you do, you’ll never break the machine. Just shut it down, turn it off and restart it. You're back to square one.' It was such a relief in my mind because I was so nervous, touching buttons, pressing anything. 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:31.000 To my memory, when it was new to me that if you got stuck in loop, to back out was murder. So did they have a day, that all of a sudden, they’re like, “OK, all of your old cameras that took traditional film, you're done. Starting Monday, we're all going to digital?” 00:17:31.000 --> 00:18:35.000 Yes, and at that point, um, when there were six or seven photographers in the pool, we were told that we would have to buy our own equipment. And I went to the owners at that point, I think it was Tom Nolan, I think, and I said, ‘This is unjust,’ because the reporters had computers. And I said, “The computers, they’re not buying their computers, why do we have to buy equipment?” So, we rather, got a compromise, where they would rent our equipment, we would buy the equipment, and they would rent it. They would insure it, and they would repair it, but we would have to buy our own equipment. And it worked out pretty well. Because I would buy gray market, which is not officially imported by the franchise, and they were cheaper. But if the company is gonna pay for the repairs, what did I care if the company, err, manufacturers would not stand behind... You'd have to ship it back to Japan to... 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.000 So, what were you using? Did you stay with Yash… 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.000 Nikon. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.000 Because you had mentioned the Yashica camera. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:19:46.000 Yeah, and uh, eventually, uh, the reporters had the Yashicas. And, then we had the 2 and a quarter Rollies and they were pretty limited. I had a Coma 6 which was a single lens 2 and a quarter. It wasn't as good as the cameras I wanted, it wasn't as sharp as I needed. So, I went to the Production Manager and asked if I can come up with a proposal to buy, I think, four sets of Hasselblad cameras which are 2 and a quarter, single lens reflex. And, he said, 'yea, let me talk to the powers to be and write up a proposal.' And I did. I think I had four sets of them. The camera, a couple bodies, three lenses, filters, other little do-dads that went with it. So, he presented it to the Company, and they agreed. I think they probably spent $20,000. dollars. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.000 And they were all for digital? 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:50.000 No, no no. These are still film. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:52.000 This is your Nikon with film? When you went to Nikon. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:20:25.000 These are the Hasselbald, yeah. Hasselblad. I wanted to go to Hasselbald to have the interchangeable lenses. The wide angle, the telephotos that type of thing. And we stayed with those and then when we went to 35mm. That's when we had to buy our own equipment. There was one photographer, John Nelson[RS1], I remember who must have had 5,000 dollars’ worth of equipment stolen from him, from his car. [He] came in, no equipment, no job. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:28.000 Sounds like an inside job. Someone knew to follow him. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:48.000 Yes, somebody just robbed his car and stole everything. Someone just took it out of his car. So, we all loaned him spare pieces until he had the money to buy his own, type of thing. And really, he wasn't insured at the time. So, he struggled. Because of that equipment, no job. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:54.000 Now when they moved to using digital cameras, they stayed with Nikon? 00:20:54.000 --> 00:21:45.000 Yes. It was a monster of a camera. It was a Nikon camera with Nikon lenses and stuff. But it had a huge back. It looked almost as big as a 4 x 5 camera. And that’s the one they had. I think it had 250 megabytes of memory in each card. We got two cards each. I believe each camera, each setup cost $20,000. And this is the mid-90's, late 90's. I remember one photographer was taking picture by a pool and he fell in the pool with the camera. David, uh, David… I forget his name. And it ruined the camera. The camera was worthless after that. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:53.000 Well, ya. But they didn't send you for training. They didn’t say to you like “There’s a conference for photographers and journalists.”? 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:10.000 No. Gave us the cameras. I don't even remember if a representative came in and told us how to run those. I think we learned by ourselves. I don't remember any training at all. At all. We were doing the digital and the 35 and learning. There’s a period of learning. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:13.000 Migrating over. 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:35.000 Yea and I hated it. But I knew it was the future. So, I would come in two hours extra and play because we had the Photoshop. We had the earlier version of Photoshop, and I'd play around with that trying to learn the buttons. And, uh, I've got it in my computer now. But I never have learned the whole system. It's so massive. I just learned enough to... 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:42.000 Well, every time I see one of those adult education classes they’ve got, you know, an Intro to Photoshop blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:44.000 And it’s just so massive… 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:46.000 Yeah, yeah. It’s its own specialty. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:50.000 Yeah. You can get a Ph.D. just learning what it has in it. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:56.000 So, there was really, seemingly, no concern to bring you along immediately into this. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:09.000 No, it was gradual. Gradual from 35mm color. At that point we were shooting color negatives again because they could be transformed to black and white and color. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:14.000 So, who was the last person standing who had their old traditional camera? 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:50.000 Oh, I know, uh… oh god… what is his name? A photographer who used to cuss. Because there's no latitude in the digital, there was no latitude. There were no grays. There was darks, colors, or no color. And, God, he would get so frustrated. I would feel so sorry for him because he would try to manipulate the images the way we did in the dark room. There just was no latitude. No latitude in the digital. And it was just so frustrating. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:53.000 Yeah. You are right. When you start to Photoshop that stuff, it is time consuming. 00:23:53.000 --> 00:25:10.000 Oh, God, yeah. You could spend hours. And if they were… I could go in the dark room and print 25-30 color 8x10's in an hour. And manipulate them, and burn them, and dodge them, and color correct them. And, we had this automatic color processing machine. At one point during the mid-80's they remodeled the dark room, and they put five color enlargers. Each of the photographers wanted their own enlarger, and it was a Leitz, a very expensive 35mm enlarger. I said no, I want a 4 x 5 enlarger. I want a Chromega, and a color analyzer, and digital timer. And I got it and put it in the back of the dark room and that was my enlarger. And nobody fooled with my enlarger. I had it zeroed in where I could print 25-30, 8x10 color prints in an hour. It was just bang, bang, bang. I would read them, analyze them, expose them, put them in the processor, and go do another one, go do another one, another one in an hour. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.000 You were like a little copier machine. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:22.000 Oh yeah! And by the end of the hour, I had 25-30 color prints. Beautifully printed, stabilized, dried, color corrected. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:33.000 Now these are when they planned, they had… this is in the time they were planning… when the color… which weekend magazine or whatever would have color? 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:42.000 Yeah, right. Well, no, actually we were doing this in the dark room, we were doing color every day. We were running color every day. Everybody was shooting color. Everybody was printing color. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:46.000 So, when do you think they did everyday color? By the 90's? 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:50.000 Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:53.000 I was just thinking of when we came to Escondido. 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:55.000 It was all color. 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:59.000 You know, I’d be three. But it seems like there was a lot of… 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:03.000 Right, yeah. I think if we ran black and white, it was unusual. Mostly the AP stuff. 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:06.000 But it was new to a lot of people. 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:07.000 Oh, yeah! 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:11.000 It was kind of exciting that your newspaper had color. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:30.000 Oh yea. And it was offset. Then at that point they started using recycled paper. Which was gray dull, and the color didn't pop anymore. Prior to that we were using virgin stock. And it was pure white paper, and the color just shot out, it just shouted at you. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:27:01.000 Now when you were assigned just black and white or color. I was going to ask you, when you’d be assigned. You know how the paper had a Rancho Bernardo edition, and it had a…you know, for sections of town. And, then those would be divided up according to, uh, who… which photos and who got the photos and who went where. Was it all done out of Escondido for these various editions? 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:03.000 Yes. 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:15.000 So, if someone was going to cover Penasquitos or Rancho Bernardo then that… the photographer would be assigned there by assignment or that was kind of their territory? 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:46.000 Uh, there were reporters assigned to Rancho Bernardo, Penasquitos, the coast, Fallbrook, San Diego. And they would make their own assignments. They would hand it in to the uh… Because we had a drawer, where the reporter would just put in their assignments. And, then we would just select the assignments which photographer would go where and do what. And that was all shot in color, at that point, color negative. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:52.000 But it wasn’t necessarily on your part that you knew who, what assignment was going to come up, right? 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:57.000 No, no, no. Every day we would go to this drawer and all the assignments were in there. 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:03.000 Because for a few years, you got a lot more work from an Eloise [Perkins]. But as the paper went forward, and things changed and got bigger there was a whole different… 00:28:03.000 --> 00:29:01.000 Oh yeah, we had more and more photographers and we split the pot among the five or six photographers. Each photographer had two assignments, three assignments a day. Whereas when I started, I would be doing seven, eight, nine assignments a day and processing. At this point, we had purchased…because we were doing color positive, color negatives also, but mostly color negatives and we had a machine, had an automatic color processing machine. Prior to that Lowell Thorp had commissioned a manufacturer to give us a hot water tank and we would process all our film manually [by] color temperature by running hot water through this tank and keeping the temperature at, I think, it was 100 degrees and we would agitate manually each tank as it went through the process. 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:07.000 Oh, I mean… today that would be considered like you’re using stone tablets. DR: [Shows his wrist with scars] 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:08.000 You got burned? 00:29:08.000 --> 00:30:27.000 No. Carpel tunnel. I developed carpel tunnel by doing that. Because we had these tanks that were holding reels of film in it. And, we would have to do this [twisting motion with wrist] for about a half hour processing - and then wash them and dry them and then proof them. And, uh, eventually when we got Lowell Thorp, he would do all this as the technician, dark room technician. And, uh, he would then print. But some of us would go in there and do our own printing. And this was before we got the new dark room, and Lowell had retired by that point. So, each photographer was in charge of doing his own color processing, film processing and his own color printing. Since I had been doing it forever, I was in charge of teaching the other photographers the color balance, and what it needed. Some prints were too yellow, too cyan, too magenta. I'd tell them what they needed to correct the color. It's what's called color balance. And so, I was basically… and a lot of photographers had knowledge, they could figure it out for themselves most of the time. 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:31.000 And it probably seems archaic now. These old systems? 00:30:31.000 --> 00:32:27.000 Oh God yeah. You see photographers now with their digital cameras. They’ll take a picture and look at the image. Take a picture look at the image. Then you took hundreds and hundreds of shots. And through your experience and past knowledge you knew what was gonna work and what wasn't going to work. So, you went to the dark room. I remember once, and this was taboo. I bought a Nikon camera with an automatic exposure. You just put it on automatic and just shoot your life away. You didn't worry about f-stops, or shutter speeds or anything else. You just click, click, click. It's digital cameras now. And I remember there was a big fire north of Escondido. And, uh, I think there were three or four photographers covering it. And we all came back, and we’re all dirty, and smoky, and smelly. I had even gotten a brush of the fire retardant, which is gooey and thick, orange all over. And this other fellow, Ernie Cowens, taking pictures for television and I saw the plane coming dropping a load and Ernie was facing away from it. And I said, “hey Ernie a load of fire retardant is coming in, you had better hide your camera.” He turned around to see what I had said, and it just covered his camera. His film camera, his movie camera. He had to rush down to San Diego to get it cleaned and fixed. It just landed—and it was heavy, heavy stuff. Anyway, we all came back, and we processed the film, and we were shooting color transparencies then. And I had shot maybe 10 rolls, 12 rolls of film. And each of my frames, the exposure was right-on. Dead-on exposure with the automatic. And I selected some frames that I liked and left it. 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:31.000 Well, that was a new era, it marked a new era. 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:38.000 Yeah, yeah, the automatic. But that was taboo. See? You weren't supposed to do that, you were supposed to be a professional. You were supposed to take a reading. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:40.000 As the fire retardant is coming at you! 00:32:40.000 --> 00:34:35.000 Yeah, yeah exactly. Take a reading and adjust your camera and shoot. That was the professional way to do it. Me, I said, “I want to try this automatic thing.” And the camera was so dead on. The ten rolls of film, I bet the exposure was incorrect maybe in 5 or 10, 15 exposures. And I selected the prints that I wanted and by this point my shift was over. It was 5, 6 o clock and my shift had ended at 2:30. So I came home, took a shower and cleaned clothes and had dinner. The next morning the paper ran, and a bunch of my photographs were on it. A big spread, a color spread. But my boss, Will Corbin asked me into his office, he had all my slides on his desk. 'What did you do that the 'other ones didn't. He had all my strips of transparencies on his desk. He said 'Why are your exposures correct, and the other ones have blotching, over exposed, under exposed, missing…' And I told him. I said, “That shot was automatic, instead of manual.” He said, 'I have to talk to the other photographers, they are wasting a lot of film.' I don't know whether he did or not or if they took his advice or not but, uh. And I shot automatic from there on. I would just… I mean, why… I mean I would set the f-stop, or I would set the shutter speed and then the camera would compensate by... If I needed a huge depth of field, I would knock it down to F - 22 to F-16, if I wanted it to stop motion, I would set it at 4,000 per second. And the let the diaphragm take over. So, you didn't lose total control of the camera. And if I would shoot manual, I would shoot manual. 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.000 And good god, you know, you’re at a wildfire in a Santa Ana. 00:34:39.000 --> 00:35:00.000 Right. You're not fiddling around with f-stops and shutter speed. But I see the photographers now, the professionals. They’ll take a picture and look at the image on the back of the camera. And I just kind of…. They have no idea what photography is. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:17.000 Now we are at 35 minutes and that's generally where my transcribing load stops. But did you have anything else on the color? Now we can always add this in on the other tapes. 00:35:17.000 --> 00:38:21.000 No, the other thing, because I retired in 2000, at one point I kind of got burned out. I had been taking picture for, sheesh… 40 years. And my curiosity run out. My mojo had run out and I think my photography showed it. I was kind of burned out. And I think it was one of the bosses, Rich Peterson came to me and says, “You know, I’ve got…” Rich Peterson was approached by the advertising department. Because we were never allowed to take pictures for advertising. If editorial took pictures, advertising could never use them. If we took pictures of mug shots of politicians, and the politician liked the photo, they couldn't be used in their advertising. So, advertising apparently went to Rich Peterson and says, 'We want to hire one of your photographers to work for the advertising department, primarily - solely. And the photographs belong to us. So Rich Peterson had asked me if I would be interested in that. And at that time, they were changing the regime there and they were trying to mess with my schedule. My schedule had always been 7 to 2 -3 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm an early person. I wake up early, I work early, I function early. Later in the day, I'm wiped out. So, he asked me if I was interested in taking over the position as advertising photographer. He said, 'go talk to the advertising manager', and I did. I found out what the requirements were. They had reps and they would talk to the advertisers, and they would request photography. They would bring me…assign it to me. I worked my own hours. Whatever I wanted. I would call them and set my time. It was a cushy job. And it was a Monday through Friday, sometime Saturdays. I set my own hours. It wasn't what I had started out to do, but I finished my last two or three years doing that. And when I got sick in July of 2000, when I quit. That's what I was doing. And my last day at work, because I still had my equipment there in the dark room/studio/photo office. I went in 5:00 o'clock in the morning, picked up all my equipment and everything I owned, put it in a big box and hauled it out. I wrote a message to all the photographers of the North County Times, 'thank you for your help and friendship, good-bye, Dan Rios.' And I hung it on the door. Never went back to the building. Ever, to this day. 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:22.000 They didn't throw a party? 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:23.000 They wanted to. 00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:24.000 You wouldn't let them. 00:38:24.000 --> 00:39:28.000 No. At that point there were so many people that I didn't know. So many new people in the management. So many people I had been friendly with, and a lot of the people that I had grown with over the years, had retired and left. So, there really was nobody. So, the personnel director, Peggy Chapman, called me and said, 'we are going to give you a party’ I said, 'no I don't want a party.' I felt hypocritical. She said, 'what can we do for you?' I said, 'you can buy me a lap top computer.' Because at that point I had gotten into computers. My stepson had bought me one, and we had bought another one and I thought a laptop might be nice. So, they send me $300 to buy me a laptop computer. This was the 2000s, but then computers then, laptops were 8-900 dollars. But it helped. I bought some other stuff, I didn't buy the laptop. I didn’t buy they laptop till way later. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:29.000 Shall we stop here? 00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:31.000 Yeah, sure. NOTE TRANSCRIPTION END ]]> https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en audio Property rights reside with the university. 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The researcher agrees not to record, reproduce, or disclose any Social Security number or other information of a highly personal nature that may be found. 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-05-09.xml RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-05-09.xml https://archivessearch.csusm.edu/repositories/3/resources/8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Dan. Interview May 9th, 2017 Description An account of the resource Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. As the Chief Photographer, Rios was instrumental in transitioning the North County Times from publishing images in black and white, to publishing in color. This interview recounts Rios's career working for the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times. Rios also recounts how photographers were initially required to buy and maintain their own equipment and how he was able to create a deal with the newspaper to compensate photographers fairly for their equipment. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC003-03 Subject The topic of the resource Digital cameras Escondido Times-Advocate (Escondido, Calif.) Mexican Americans Photographic chemicals Photojournalists Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-05-09 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dan Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alexa Clausen Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Fallbrook (Calif.) Rancho Penasquitos (Calif.) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource in copyright Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. California State University San Marcos Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived SC003: The Dan Rios papers Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Community history Latine experience https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/5b54bf618e85a48ceaf7e13292022191.pdf 58abe16222e0b72af886c11325ebca9f PDF Text Text North County's 'Ubiquitous Photographer' Dan Rios Interview 2 with Alexa Clausen April 15, 2017, Escondido California Rios was Chief Photographer, Escondido Times-Advocate (1968 - 1994); North County Times (1995-2001) Alexa Clausen: This is April 15th, 2017. Session two with Dan Rios regarding his career as Chief Photographer with the (Escondido) Daily Times-Advocate. Now, Dan, we left off (last interview) having you hear about a job in Escondido, not really sure that you’d been to Escondido many times and going to a newsstand and literally picking up the paper. And then you were telling me how impressed you that the paper being so crisp and vivid. And that’s where we left you off. You literally went to a newspaper stand and grabbed a paper. So tell me your steps to getting hired. Dan Rios: Yeah. Well, I saw the paper and I was really amazed at how good it looked. So I was working for Mr. Boyd in Hillcrest, and on Monday I asked him if I could take the morning off to come and apply for the job. And I did. I drove down here. I met with Curt Babcock, who was the City Editor. He introduced me to George Cordry, assistant City Editor, and Ron Kenny, the Managing Editor. They interviewed me, they saw my portfolio, they saw my brag book and one question they kept repeating was, Did I know how to do color? Since I specialized in color the last year at school (Mesa College), I showed them my color brochure, that I had processed all the film, I had processed all the pictures and they seemed to be pleased with that. That was the end of that interview. Later that day they called and said I was hired and for me to come in the following Monday. AC: Could you give me a date on that? DR: That was the week that—that was 1968. I believe it was May, when Robert Kennedy was killed. AC: Oh my gosh. DR: I started working the week Robert Kennedy died. AC: He was assassinated in Los Angeles. DR: Yes. Yes, by Sirhan Sirhan. They asked me if I can come in on Monday and my shift would be from 7:00 o'clock in the morning until whenever. (chuckles) Whenever I was done. The only problem is I had an appointment with the DMV because I had gotten so many driving tickets. I had an appointment with them on that Monday, so I had asked them if I can postpone it for one day. They agreed. I didn't tell them why. The deal he gave me a one-year probationary period. One more ticket and my license was suspended. So, on Tuesday, the following week, I started. 1 �AC: Now let me ask you, were you replacing someone who had retired, or this was a new position for them? DR: They had only hired a part-time photographer. AC: They had a part-DR: And he had left three, four or five months before me coming here. They had a reporter by the name of Mary Jane Morgan who seemed to know the photography, seemed to know the processing, and she was doing some processing plus her reporting duties. She would process the film for the editorial staff. Because every reporter took their own pictures basically. There were pool cameras. And they went assignment, they took their own pictures, they brought the film in. Mary Jane would process it. In Advertising also they had a pool camera and they would do the same. So when I showed up on Tuesday, there was a stack of rolls of film for me to process. And get busy and organize the dark room and see what the supplies were—chemicals and paper and equipment. I got busy organizing it and started right in. I don't think I got my first assignment until about a week later. And I started--my first assignment--I remember my first assignment was at the Escondido Village Mall at the Walker Scot Pavilion there. Mrs. Purer, Edith Purer I think her name was. I think there’s a road by your-AC: Yes. DR: (unintelligible) Purer Road. Named after her family. And it was an art exhibit, art contest. So that was my first photograph. Of that. Subsequently I started doing a lot of dark room work in the morning and then shooting the afternoon assignments in the afternoon. I would shoot anything from mug shots to sports events, to society, to accidents, to trials. Everything except professional sports. I was never really much interested in professional sports. AC: And you'd have to what? You’d have to cover the (San Diego) Chargers? DR: No. AC: Where would they send you fort professional—they didn’t do much of that? DR: No. No. They relied on AP and UPI photos. AC: They bought them. Yeah. DR: Yeah, subscribed to those services and-AC: Had you moved to Escondido? Were you commuting? DR: No, I was commuting. I was getting up at five o' clock in the morning, had a little breakfast, get ready, get dressed. Get out at six and drive a two-lane road to Escondido. I 2 �would arrive at work, seven o'clock, work until I was done. Sometimes at work I would have a three, four hour lay-over because my shift would end, but a sporting event would come in. Or a society event would come in later in the day, in the evening. And I would have to stay for that. AC: Were you hourly or salary? DR: I was hourly. A very, very meager salary actually. Well that was one of the conditions that I accepted at work. I talked to my bosses and I said, “You know, you guys aren't paying me a lot of money, I need to earn more money. Am I going to be permitted to use the dark room for my own purposes, for moonlighting?” They said, Yes, no problem, whatever you want. The darkroom is yours after hours. AC: It's the plight of every artistic person. You know? The job and the labor of love. DR: I was fortunate. I got along with everybody, everybody was fantastic. It was just a great boss--Kirk Babcock, the city editor. He could understand my photography. He knew what I was going after and he would compliment me on that. So, it got to the point that it was all over town. And then one of my assignments, we had something called "The North County." (Times-Advocate North County magazine) Which was a Sunday supplement. A magazine type thing. Tabloid type thing. And I was in charge of providing the photography for the cover. Every week, besides my other assignments. There were days when I would scramble all over town trying to find something. It was mostly artsyfartsy stuff on the cover. Whatever I wanted. They never censored me. They never told me what they wanted. AC: Wow! DR: But it got to a point where I got to know the town. And I would drive a thousand, fifteen-hundred miles a month all over town, and all over the North County, and some assignments in San Diego--not too many. And I would shoot what they called "grab art." Whenever I saw something interesting, I’d take a picture of it. And eventually we had so many of those we couldn't even run them in the paper. And I suggested once that we run a special photo page. No theme, nothing. Just to use the pictures, and on Sunday it was a whole picture. And I came up with the name of "focal reflections." And they were just people, places, events, scenery. Just artsy stuff that I shot that we couldn't use in the paper. And we got a lot, a lot of comments on that. AC: When they were sending you on assignment, were you filling in between what the reporters were doing, or they were there own stories? So were you backing up an assignment of a journalist? DR: Well, most of the time I would go out with a journalist. He would ask questions, I would take pictures. Or if he had gone out and did the story, then they would assign me to go ahead and cover the story (unintelligible). A perfect example of that is--did I ever tell you about Rancho Guajome? AC: No. 3 �DR: Eloise Perkins, a historical writer grabbed a hold of me with both fists around my neck (laughs). And she would send me on assignments that she had problems with. And one day I was sitting around--there was two events she sent me on. One, I was sitting around. She said, “What are you doing?” I said, “I’m waiting for an assignment later this afternoon.” (She) says there is this adobe, an abandoned adobe in Vista. Would you go take pictures of it? She gave me the address and I found it. I walked all over the place taking pictures of it. It was collapsing, the floors were rotted, the walls were crumbling. AC: This was before the County bought it and restored it. DR: Yeah. It was just abandoned, I thought. I walked around. I must have spent an hour, hour and half. I went around the back, on the north end of it, there was a trailer there. This man walks out with a shotgun and asked me what the hell was I doing there? I showed him my credentials. I told him what I was doing. He told me he didn't care. He said, If I didn't get my rear end out of there in a hurry that he would start shooting. AC: Oh my god. Thank you, Eloise. DR: So, I got back to Eloise and Eloise just cracked up laughing. She said, “Did that nut threaten you?” I said, “Yeah!” She says, “He chased me away so many times I can't get through the-AC: So she sends you. DR: And those negatives are in the files. Two and a quarter-inch negatives of all that stuff. AC: You know, you did have—after we shut off the tape, a kind of a get to know Eloise, so I’ll type that up and we can add onto the-DR: Yeah. She did another one, another Eloise trick she did on me, was at Carrillo Ranch before it became anything. The old lady, Delpy I think her name was, was there. At that point I had a little fame going there at the (newspaper). That I could get along with old ladies. Old ladies and I had a rapport. They would offer me coffee, they would offer me tea, drinks—sodas, whatever. So, Eloise again played a trick on me. She says, Go see Mrs. Delpy at Carrillo Ranch. Take some pictures. So I got there, knocked on the door. She ushered me in, sat me down, offered me coffee, cookies. Told her what I wanted, what I do. She opened up these (photo) albums. with her mother, her stepmother, her stepfather, her family, (Leo) Carrillo, the gatherings, the movie stars. And I started taking copy, photographs of it. And I was there maybe two--two and a half hours talking with her. And eventually I went outside. The stables still were—still had the tack from the early days just rotting away in the stables. So, I again I showed up with Eloise and she’s laughing, said “How did you do with the old lady.” I says, “Great. You know, coffee, tea, cookies, conversation, she was fantastic.” She says, “Oh my god I can't believe it.” So I got a little history there with 4 �old ladies. I can handle old ladies, and I got along with them. I got along with everyone. I loved Escondido. The people were just fantastic. I never saw any prejudice on my part. I never experienced it. We had two Hispanic employees in the editorial room. Me and Joe Heredia, who had been there before I was. He subsequently--he had a heart attack and died on the job. AC: Oh my. DR: But--never any problem. I was getting to know people and at that point I had a pretty good memory. I could recognize faces and names. I got to know the city councilmen, most of the Fire Department. And they would call me when things were happening. I got to know the councilmen personally, the mayors, the city attorneys, and had a really good rapport. I loved the city. I loved the population. I loved the society people. They were so gracious. I remember once, they showed me—there was a—can't think of the charity—was a meeting. It was I think in the Fall or toward the Winter. And I showed up. I would pick on one person in a group and semi, lightly make fun of them. To loosen up the room. I wasn't mean, I wasn't vicious. AC: Just teasing. DR: Yeah, just teasing a little bit. So I got to this meeting there early and they were about to have lunch, and they invited me to have lunch. And I said sure. So I had a few snacks here and there and a cup of juice and sat down in front. They got done. And they sat them down and I picked on this one woman. And she was laughing, everyone was laughing. Just to loosen the group up. Then I went to get my IDs, left to right, front to back. And I get back one, the middle one. And her name—by the way the name of the owners (of the Times-Advocate) were Carlton and Applebee. Mrs. Applebee. AC: Now, Lucy (Berk) said—not Applegate? DR: No. Applebee. AC: Like the restaurant. Oh. DR: Applebee. So I got to the middle of the row and this woman. I asked her about her name. To give me her name. Oh god, I can’t remember her first name. An Applebee. And I dropped my pen and my pad of paper and looked at her says, “(and) that’s Mrs. Carlton?” She says, “Mm-hmm.” (Rios and Clausen laugh) AC: Oh they were the owners' wives. DR: Yeah, and I'm jiving with her, I’m teasing her, and I said, Oh god, that's the end of my job. Never brought it up. We became fast friends after that. AC: And this sounds like a style that worked for you to have people relax so you don't have those (stiff) photos. 5 �DR: Oh no no, I wouldn’t permit that. Wouldn’t permit hands in front of their bodies either, hiding their crotch. They had to hug people, put their hands in their hands, put hands on their backs. Couldn’t stand these people, just their hands just hanging down. AC: Now you did kind of refer to someone--was it Mr. Babcock--someone said that they liked your style, they knew what you were doing. DR: Yeah, Curt AC: Would you just expand on that a little bit? I'm assuming it’s like a methodology or an artistic approach. DR: Yes. I try to present a viewpoint. Semi-hidden, maybe not so hidden, but I always tried to present a viewpoint. Either through the angle or the lighting. A lot of the time I would take my own lighting. In fact somebody commented--they wrote me a letter that they liked my photography. It reminded them of the earlier photographers in the Midwest. They use to do that. Take multiple lights and set up a little lighting (unintelligible) they were portable. And that was my own device that I thought about. And Curt came up—in fact I was there about six months, and he came up to me, and slapped my back, he says, “How is my serendipity photographer.” No, no, no. Not serendipity. It was “ubiquitous.” “How is my ubiquitous photographer.” I had no idea what that meant. AC: You ran to the dictionary? DR: (laughs) Oh yes. AC: What did he mean? DR: That I was all over town, like a plague. AC: Oh! But it was a compliment. DR: Oh yeah. Yes, yes. I was covering everything. My photographs, I had four, five, six photographs in the paper daily. I was doing all the sports, society, the mug shots, and the features, and the artistics, and the grab art. As I said, I would work in the darkroom until noon, and the afternoon it was mine to do what I wanted to. I would do the assignments, do my own, do whatever. The following morning, I would come in to process all the film, do all the proof sheets. Start printing pictures for the advertising, and the editorial, and my own stuff. AC: Had they thought of getting you extra help? DR: They did. About a year later. AC: So, about 1970? 6 �DR: Uh-huh, about the middle of 1970. Well people would constantly apply. They would send their resume in. They would send their portfolios, a portion of them. At that point the paper was too small--the salaries were cheap to put it mildly. But I loved the place, and after a year I was planning to go back to San Diego, but I said there was no way I’m going back to San Diego. AC: Oh, you wanted to stay here. DR: Yes, I wanted to stay here. I loved the place, I tolerated the heat. So when they were wanting to hire, I saw this portfolio. Since as a youth, I was never involved in sports, never played sports. Not in school, not extra(curricular), never played sports and I wasn’t that familiar with them. I played softball in grade school, but you know that’s nothing. And then I saw the portfolio of this photographer, Jim Baird and it blew me away. The man was just a phenomenal photographer. And I went to Ron Kenny, I says “I want to hire this guy.” Because he loved sports. Which is something I didn't do and I didn't like! I said he could take that weight off my shoulders. And he could do it with an artistic flair that I could never do. And about that point the Padres had started playing at Petco Park—was called Jack Murphy, or San Diego stadium. AC: Yeah, the old Qualcomm-DR: Yes. And he would assign himself games because he loved it so much. And I was happier than he was for him to do it. And he did that. And eventually he wanted to do a lot of his own darkroom work and printings that was just fine. But it got to the point where I was doing too much darkroom, not enough photography. So, I went to Ron Kenny again, and I asked him if I can hire a lab tech. Then I could do all-day shooting. Between Baird and myself, we would do the assignments. Then the darkroom technician was Lowell Thorp. He was an older man. He was in his fifties I think at the time. So, he interviewed and he said he wanted no part of photography. He had done that at his previous job and he just wanted darkroom work. And the man was super meticulous. He would come in at five o'clock in the morning. And do all the film, all the proofs. People would hand in their proof sheets with their marked photographs and their crop, and he would supply them. He would hand them out, he would keep the inventory. AC: When do you think this was, what year? Because you said you-- (unintelligible) DR: Jim Baird. Yeah. Jim Baird. Maybe a year later. AC: So ‘71 maybe. DR: And he retired there (at the Times-Advocate), he worked I think fifteen years, retired there. At the end of the year he would produce the summary of all film, all the paper, all 7 �the chemicals, everything that was used in the darkroom. The guy was just meticulous, he just loved that place. AC: It was a little bit like his lab? Like his-DR: Oh it was his domain. Oh my god. If you worked there, he allowed you to work there, but you had better have it clean when you left. I remember when one time there was a reporter, I don't want to name his name, he works for the San Diego Union now. He liked to take his own pictures, and he was on the City Beat. He would get off the City Council Beat at ten-eleven o'clock at night, come in and process the film, print it, go home. Probably one-two o'clock in the morning, go home, come back maybe ten o'clock the following day. Well Lowell got in one day when this reporter had made a mess. He called him at 5 o'clock in the morning to get his butt in there, clean the place up because nothing was going to be done that day until he got there and cleaned his mess up. And he just sat until this reporter showed up. And he did clean the mess up and Lowell started working again. AC: How funny. DR: But he was picky, he was meticulous. He didn't care who worked there. Just clean your mess up. AC: It sounds like in a matter of three years, they hired you and then three-four years made an entire grouping of an entire photographic system from nothing. From having part-time photographers. So North County (San Diego) started a little boom at about the same time. DR: Oh yeah. It was flourishing. It was flourishing. AC: So that reflected in their demand for the newspaper. DR: Yeah. I don’t remember what year it was, early in the in the 70's. We won an award for the best layout in a newspaper regardless of size. And we were winning awards left and right. Editorial awards. I was never very competitive. I was never much into (photography) contests, after school. Didn’t interest me. I don’t know if I mentioned Edith Purer and her--I did join those a couple years. Printed some 16 x 20 prints, won first place, second place, third place in those events. After a couple years I stopped participating in that. AC: So that was your own artistic photography? DR: Yes. AC: What was your specialty, what did you like in your own work? DR: Just sceneries, evening shots, sunsets. AC: Color? 8 �DR: Yes, yes. Well no, not all color, some black and white. Would you like some water, I’m sorry-AC: No, thank you. DR: If I could take you to the computer, I’ve got a screen saver-AC: Okay. DR: --with some of my pictures. Thank you, Terry (for water). Some of my pictures that I like, that are put on there. On the—but mostly travel. When I was in school, in fact when I was in school, Mr. Dendle, my teacher asked me if I wanted to work for a traveling company, shooting landscapes for post cards, for different cities. That's all I would do is travel across the country photographing cities. AC: I’ll be darned. That’s how they did those, yeah-DR: Scenery, and cities and whatever-AC: Landmarks, museums, yeah. DR: Yeah. Send it to the company and they would ship it out to the cities in those stands that they had, those rotating stands. I said, no I wasn't interested in that. AC: Yeah, I like postcards. I don’t have a huge amount but I love it. I love it. DR: And I said, no, I didn’t. But I like scenery, sunsets and that kind of stuff. Nature. AC: I think—maybe people know this if you’re artistic but you have a job, finding time to have a life and your art is difficult. You know, writers do this, and other artists. That balancing the job, the family, and all that. So, had you moved to Escondido yet? DR: No. Was it? Well, yes, by that point. Because I--In getting up at five o'clock in the morning and driving to Escondido to be here at seven o'clock, and then working all day and driving back home--I was living in Hillcrest, and I would start dozing off. Two or three times I dozed off and woke up, so, this was not good. Because I was putting in eight, nine, ten hours a day. I’d have a split shift and work late at night and-AC: Did they start constructing I-15 yet? DR: No. I've got pictures of Rancho Bernardo with the cows in the pastures where West Bernardo is now. AC: Yeah. With cattle (unintelligible). DR: Yeah. Got pictures of those. 9 �AC: So, did they promote you, technically, were you-DR: No (Rios laughs), I was always Chief Photographer. It was just assumed I was Chief Photographer. There was no ceremony, there was nothing. When my cards came by, it was “Chief Photographer Dan Rios.” AC: Right. So they were too busy publishing a paper to get all these formalities. (Rios laughs) DR: Yeah. Oh yeah. AC: So once it (the Times-Advocate) grew to have a full shop, meaning, you're on assignments, you’re out of the darkroom, you have a tech guy, you have an assistant doing sports. Was-DR: No he was full time. AC: A full timer. DR: Full time, yeah. AC: So, was-DR: But he loved sports, specialized in sports which was good for me. AC: Was that the largest the staff ever got? DR: No. AC: Okay, so you’re still growing. DR: It continued to grow. After that we had some stringers. There was a man by the name of Mike Franklin who worked in the production department, who decided he wanted to be a photographer and bought a whole lot of equipment. And came in here and just picked our brains. He wanted to know so much while he was working and then on his days off, we’re talking about he would come back in the dark room and he would chat with Jim and myself about photography, lenses, cameras, film, processing, all kinds of stuff. He never had formal training, but his enthusiasm was just so overwhelming. Eventually, he was hired part time and then full time. And he was a great compliment. He was very good, very artistic. Hard working. AC: What was his name? DR: Mike Franklin. Hispanic. He was a hard, hard, hard worker. AC: Is this still 1970's? DR: Yes. Uh-huh. Yeah. 10 �AC: Yeah, okay, so they—the paper’s expanding. DR: Right. Yeah. I will tell you how much it was expanding. Mr. Applebee had us all-everybody in the place--gather in the production department and he told us that he was going to give us a gift. He was starting a profit-sharing plan. Way back when. And he told us, early 70s? Maybe ‘72, ‘73? He told us then that by the time we all retired, if we stayed with the paper long enough, that we would have a lump sum of maybe $100,000 in our retirement fund. AC: And who knew the decline of the paper, huh? DR: Yeah. Soon after, because I think he sold the paper in ‘76, the profit sharing stopped. But those funds were kept up by the Chicago Tribune who bought the paper, and they invested in Chicago Union stock which did diddly forever. But even today I'm still receiving benefits from that retirement fund. A good portion of my retirement fund is Mr. Applebee. AC: Well good for him. It was the right thing to do. They couldn’t keep up a fancy salary, and you were working-DR: It was never fancy. But I made enough money on moonlighting—you were saying about the spouses—I would work all day and then take assignments. One of the editors would find jobs for you. A lot of jobs. But I would get a lot of jobs, people calling, do you do this? Sure, sure, sure, sure. And I would be working until twelve, one o'clock at night. AC: So when Applebee sells in the 70's, and you are now working for Chicago Tribune, did you sense a difference? Was there any-DR: Oh it was an earthquake of a change of a difference! They brought in a new publisher who brought in a new city managing editor, who got rid of 50% of the people in the place. At that point, ‘76 I think it was—myself, Jim, Mike, him, him, him—had six photographers on the staff when the paper sold. AC: And he let go half of them? DR: No. They started leaving by themselves. Jim Baird went to the Union, (San Diego Union Tribune), Mike Franklin went to the Union eventually, Sean Haffy later on who also went to the Union. Mike—not Mike Nelson, there was a Nelson character, also went to the Union. Some of them went to the L.A. Times after that. Another Hispanic, Manuel—Manuel something or other, forget his last name, was working there. AC: How did they backfill those jobs? Or was it back to you working crazy hours? DR: No, at that point the new regime that came in started laying off people left and right. And I was not--l had been a golden haired boy with Ron Kenney, and the old staff, and 11 �the Applebees. When the new staff came in, I was walking on quicksand because they were laying off so many people. I mean, they laid off half the staff for no reason! We had a city (editor) who was just an ass. Want me to name his name? AC: Sure. Well, its up to you. DR: Eh. A total ass. He would scream at people, verbally insulting people to their face because of their writing. He never did that to me. But I never trusted him, I never liked him. So about a year after the Chicago Tribune bought the paper, I was called up to the office to the publisher, John Armstrong. He told me I was no longer needed as the Chief Photographer. I could remain on the staff, same salary, same benefits, same hours. And no excuse. AC: So what was his point? DR: They would just fire people. Left and right. I think they wanted to get their own group. AC: Shake up everyone? DR: And before the city editor—oh, Tom Nolen, was the city editor’s name. He started the firing people after, I mean he was the one who would scream and yelling at people. And he would intimidate them, they would leave on their own. AC: Did these people come from another area? DR: All from the East Coast. AC: They were? DR: All from the East Coast. Chicago would just send them all down. In fact, all the comptrollers, all the business people. AC: So they wanted to move their own people here. DR: Oh yeah. They just moved their whole-AC: And get everyone that wanted out of Chicago to come here and have a job. Oh my. DR: And about that time—because working for the Applebees was a dream, it was a (dream) job come true. When Curt Babcock left—he went to the Albuquerque paper, George Cordry took it (Babcock’s position). And I used to tell my wife, if I ever have a dream job and a dream boss, it would be George Cordry, would be my boss. And a year later, he became my boss. And he was just a fantastic boss. AC: So things settle down? 12 �DR: Well, yeah, Ron Kenny—George Cordry was let go. All the City Editors were let go, they put their own staff in. Ron Kenney who had been Managing Editor, became Assistant Publisher and they gave him an office next to John Armstrong. Second floor, with absolutely nothing to do. No assignments, no writing, nothing. The gave an office, a desk, a phone, a typewriter. He said he read the San Diego Union from page to everything, the LA Times every day. Then he would go to lunch. Come back and sit around with nothing to do. Eventually-AC: So was that their way of letting go people without having benefits? I mean-DR: Well, I don't know what their deal was. When Applebee-AC: Not giving them unemployment? They didn’t want to give them unemployment? DR: I don’t know what the deal was. AC: Or the contract or something? The contract-DR: Maybe it was in the contract with Applebee. But what Applebee did when he sold the paper, I believe he sold it for $15 million dollars. He gave all the managers something like $100,000 each. AC: Bonus? DR: Yeah. And every employee—paid them $100 for every year they worked for the paper. Handed everybody checks before he left. And I don't know whether Ron Kenney, who was Assistant Publisher, what kind of deal he had, but he had his money and eventually he quit and moved to Pennsylvania, bought a little store, and I think he started a little store, hotel or motel. Eventually he came back and went to work for the San Diego Union as editorial writer. A good writer. Ron Kenny’s a good writer. AC: You know, I’m thinking, and you tell me, if this is this a good place to stop, because you know the transcription on 35 minutes—you know I’m going to be doing (unintelligible). But do you—is a good stop the Chicago Tribune years? DR: Sure. They were not fun. Not fun. In fact let me tell you a little story. When they moved in, after a year or so, one of my favorite reporters, Bob MacDonald, a columnist had retired and we would get coffee almost every morning. And I told him about my problems with the Chicago Tribune and with John Armstrong. How I was walking on eggshells. I didn't want to lose my job, my security. I loved the town. I didn't want to move anywhere. At that point I had family here, I had roots here, I didn’t want to go anywhere. So I talked to MacDonald about my problems and he said, “Do you like the job, do you like your work?” “Yeah, but they’re not giving me a whole lot of assignments.” Maybe one or two a day, where I was taking five, six, seven assignments. I was busy—you know, “ubiquitous Rios.” He said, “Tell you what, take their check, cash it, spend it, live it up. Don't worry about that. If they want to fire you, eventually they will. If they don't, they too will get fired some day.” And they did. Tom Nolen got canned. 13 �END SESSION 2 14 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transcripts Description An account of the resource Written oral histories and transcripts are available for researchers that prefer the written word, or to see the whole interview in a document. Transcripts of <a href="https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/collections/show/5">audio and video files</a> are also available as part of those video files. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Dan. Interview transcript, April 15, 2017. Description An account of the resource Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. In this second interview conducted by Alexa Clausen, Dan Rios discusses starting work for the Escondido Times-Advocate and the beginning of his career at newspaper which was then owned by the Applebee and Carlton families. Rios discusses his work days, the paper's staffing, and his enjoyment in working for the Times-Advocate and in living in Escondido. Rios also discusses the selling of the newspaper to the Chicago Tribune Company and the changes that wrought with new editors, staff layoffs, and a much more difficult working environment. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Daniel Flores Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alexa Clausen Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-15 Subject The topic of the resource Chicago Tribune (Firm) Escondido Times-Advocate (Escondido, Calif.) Photojournalists Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In copyright</a> Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. California State University San Marcos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-04-15_transcript Community history Latine experience https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/07b8770dd2114cfaa740faf8656f5574.pdf f26b5b996684fd469ca62ab036f3d5e9 PDF Text Text Dan Rios Interview I -- March 30th, 2017 Escondido California Chief photographer, Times Advocate (1968 - 1994); North County Times (19952001) Interviewer: Alexa Clausen Dan Rios: My name is Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939. Alexa Clausen: We have put together some questions. Tell us a little about your childhood, you had told us about leaving the Fresno area. DR: I was born in the Central Valley. My family were all field workers. They picked all sorts of fruits, cotton, stuff like that. The weather was miserable. The winters were freezing cold, the summers were blistering hot, and I never liked the place. So I convinced my mother and father we should move out of there. And in 1953, we moved to San Diego. Settled in Ocean Beach for a little while. Eventually we bought property in Mission Valley, had a house built. Worked with a company in La Jolla doing landscaping, gardening at the age of 14. I quit school in the middle of 8th grade. Never went back there to finish junior high or never even went to high school. I worked in La Jolla for two years for a gardening and landscaping company. AC: Now when said you—said they came to San Diego, you had other family here? DR: Yes, I had two aunts that lived here. That brought us here. Also had a sister who moved here prior to our moving here. We rented place on the beach, Ocean Beach right on the beach. It's called The Ocean Village, we had a little cabin there. At that point it was my father, my mother, my sister, two brothers and myself. I believe a sister too. The other two sisters had already married and moved out. AC: What did they come to do? What did mom and dad come to do? DR: (laughs) Well they came because I bugged the-AC: Said get me out of this-- (unintelligible, Clausen and Rios talking over each other) DR: I just hated Hanford. AC: Oh I’m sorry-DR: I dreaded--I mean we were poor, we weren't dissident, we owned a car. But it was not a good life, it was a miserable life. And I told my mother once, I said, “I know we are going to be poor the rest of our lives, why do we have to be poor Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 1 �and miserable too.” (laughs) I just hounded her and convinced her that we had to move out of town. And we did in 1953. AC: Right, but they knew there would be work in San Diego? DR: Yes, my brother-in-law had gotten a job with landscaping company in La Jolla and he was pretty sure that both my father and I-AC: There was room to have you join them. DR: Yes. RIght. Yes. AC: Now you know, you’re were still very young here when you’re doing the landscaping. DR: Yes, I was fourteen years old. AC: That’s sure a long cry from getting to be a, you know, quite an wellestablished photographer, and Lucy (Berk, a local historian who met Dan when she worked as the librarian for Times Advocate) told me also an artist, a photographer as an artist-DR: Yes. AC: So, let's fast forward your career a little here. So here you are, a kid, landscaping and thinking to yourself, well what? I want to buy a camera? What do I have to do? DR: (laughs). Oh, no, no, no. I took to gardening and landscaping like a termite to wood. I loved it. I read a lot of books on it. I was very good, I was excellent at it. I had a natural sense of design, I learned thousands of plant names and fertilizers and insecticides. At the age of 16—at the age of 14, I was working three days a week at the La Jolla Art Center. Three days a week. Three full days a week. And I figured after two years of doing that, that I could take over the contract and work only three days a week making as much money as I was working five days a week. So I talked to Dr. Malone who was the director, and asked him if I could take over the job at 16 years old. And he did not laugh me away as most people would have done. He talked to the Board and they agreed. So I worked three 8hour days, and then the other two days of the week I worked other jobs. Eventually, I worked six days a week, and I was getting a lot of contracts, a lot of work at 16, 17 years old. So then I called my father to come and help me and my business and got him away from the landscaping company. We did that for about 15 years. AC: Did you have a business name? DR: Dan Rios Complete Garden Service and Landscaping. Had no license, no insurance. (laughs) Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 2 �AC: But you know that was not a big deal then. DR: No it wasn’t. AC: It was simply not a big deal. Most people didn't care, and-DR: No. Nobody questioned me. I was never stopped by the city, by the police, or anybody. But I was 16 years old, did not have a driver's license. AC: Now that was bad, that was a problem. (laughs) DR: So I went to buy a '55 Chevrolet pickup, I had the financing and everything, but I had no driver's license. So the salesman ordered me to go to National City (California), get a driver's license. AC: Down to the DMV. DR: Yes and got it. I made really, really good money. I remember. between my father and I, say in 1957 - 58 (we were) making $20,000 a year. And I researched and I found out at the time high school teachers were making $5000 a year. AC: Oh yeah you could probably buy a little home for eighteen or seventeen thousand at the time. DR: We bought a piece of land in Mission Valley for $4000. Paid that off and then we had a house built. It was a 2,000 square foot house for $10,000. The payments were $72 a month. I told my mother, “You know in ten years that’s going to be nothing. That’s going to be a drop in the bucket.” AC: And it was true. DR: Yes. Oh yeah. She died living there. She died in 1980. We built the house in '58. AC: So did she work? Did she end up-DR: No, no, she was--not any more. She did in Hanford. She had an amputated leg and even with that she went out in the fields and pick grapes and picked cotton. And did all kinds of field work. AC: Give me your mother's name. DR: Jennie. Jennie Rios. AC: And father's name? Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 3 �DR: Theodore. AC: Theodore. OK. And were they from that Northern California area? DR: No, no, no. They immigrated separately to the United States during the Mexican Revolution about 1915-16. AC: I’ll be darned. DR: I think my mother was six years old. I think my father was nine years old. AC: Yeah. They came as children. DR: They crossed at El Paso. And they worked themselves--my father worked as a water-boy on the railroad tracks coming to California. My mother's father worked for a construction company building a pipeline. I haven't really researched that. She said the pipe was as big as a diameter that a man sitting on a horse could ride into the pipe. It was that huge. Eventually, the contract ended in Hemet (California). But they came through the San Jacinto Mountains. She remembered the Indians there singing and chanting. AC: There’s a number of Reservations or one or two big ones there. DR: Yes, Saboba. AC: So well we are making our way to your camera, right? So we’ve got you owning your own company, you have your father involved in your business, and you’ve got a house. DR: And a brand-new car. AC: And you are working for the La Jolla Art-DR: Center. AC: As one of your clients. DR: Then I expanded and I had clients. I was working seven days a week, 12 hours a day. No vacations, no holidays. But it was a lot of fun, there was a lot of money coming in. And for an uneducated kid-AC: That becomes important. DR: Yes. AC: You could finally enjoy things-- Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 4 �DR: In fact I'll tell you how uneducated I was: I never understood English, I never understood Math. History and other stuff like that, I could understand. When I would do a contract—an estimate, I would do all round numbers, all whole numbers. AC: Okay. DR: At one point I could not subtract 1.99 from 2.00. I had no idea (Clausen and Rios talking over each other) how to move the figures-AC: Well, you know you were a kid that needed to get money and wanted to leave poverty. DR: Yeah, it was field work and I hated the field work. It was miserable. So even when I had my little business going, I decided--I knew a year in advance what I would be doing. I had so many contracts lined up that it became boring. The work just became boring. So I decided in 1962 to go back to night school and get my high school education. Which I did. I did in three years. I went five nights a week plus Saturdays plus TV shows--TV classes. I think I needed 32 credits to graduate, and I think I graduated with 48 credits. The counselor urged me to be class president, I did not have time for that. So then she bothered me so much, eventually I acquiesced to be Salutatorian for the high school class. AC: Oh nice. DR: When I started, I was in the 30-35% percentile. When I graduated, I was 98 percentile. It just came so easy to me. AC: And boy, you sure did the right thing to get more education. DR: More? Some education. I never had it-AC: Well, you missed out on your childhood in a way. DR: I never had a childhood. I never had a teenage life. When we were at home working, picking, we would never start school in September. It was November. Middle of November we started. And then holidays--then Thanksgiving came, you were off two weeks, then two or three weeks, Christmas came. And we’d (not) come back until the middle of January. And then we would leave school in May. I never started school and I never ended school. AC: I had gone to the Latino Film Festival—I go every year with my friend. I can’t sit through too many movies but we saw one (film) that was a--that followed some children and their education, still today, and how the parents do yank them out of school and they’ll go to El Centro or wherever and the kids are constantly in flux. They still—happens to them, they—and then, the teachers have to try and test them and place them and it still goes on. Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 5 �DR: Well that was me, that was our family. We had to survive, we had to put food on the table, clothes on our backs. AC: Yeah, yeah. DR: We owned our own home, we owned our own car. There was no bills there. AC: Well that was, that was more than a lot. DR: That’s a whole lot of story, because this house we’re living in now is part of my mother's wedding present. I can go into that if you want to later on. But I never wanted—and when I had my own little business, big family gatherings at the house, we had a nice house in San Diego. A lot of family gatherings and stuff like that. But I was bored with my job 'cause I would get up 5 o’clock in the morning. Six o’clock I was out the door and I wouldn’t get back until five or six o’clock. When I started Adult School, high school, I would get home at 5 o’clock, 5:30, take a shower, have a little snack, and go to school between 6 and 9. And then get home and study until 1-2 o’clock in the morning. I would do that for-AC: Well see you had the desire, the drive-DR: Yeah. Five, seven days. And then eventually I stopped working Saturday, used to go to Saturday school. So I graduated and then went to college and I was going to study Civil Engineering. Because it seemed to suit me. I was good in Math, I was good in Science, I was good in Chemistry. AC: Did you start at community college? DR: Yeah. Mesa College. AC: Good school. DR: Yeah. I was there a year and a half, and I took—I was taking pretty heavy classes. I went to take an easy class, a Health Ed. class. Taught by a short, stout, female teacher. No term paper, no mid-term, no quizzes, attendance is good, class participation. The only absolute requirement, concrete--you had to have a hobby at the age of 65 and over. She said, “None of my students going out working 30-40 years, retiring and become the wife or your spouse's pain in the ass,” running the house because she has been for 30-40 years. Chauffer, bookkeeper, cook, shopper, maintenance, raising the kids. She said, “My students will not be a burden to their spouses." AC: (laughs) That is so great. DR: (laughs) You will need a hobby. And I had to prove it. And it does not include rock climbing because at 60-70 years old you’re not going to be doing any rock climbing. Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 6 �So in San Diego, at this here store on University where I went to, they had their camera counter right there where you walked in the front door. I’d often stopped and marveled at all these devices. I had heard about 35-millimeter (cameras), had no idea what it was. I had seen this camera with all these numbers on it. And different colored numbers. I often wondered what it all meant. Because growing up in Hanford we had no money for either film or camera or anything else, there were just no--no extras. So I decided to take a adult (continuing education) class at Mid-way Adult High School in photography. I took it for one semester. Now in college I was carrying a 3.54 average. I got involved in photography, it just overwhelmed me. I could not get enough of it. I just started buying second-hand equipment. AC: I don't know if that Adult School is still there. It was there for years. DR: Probably not. At the time I was going out with a woman who I later married. She was taking an art class and I was taking photography on Wednesdays. I got so involved with photography I started buying used equipment, new equipment when I could afford it. I would buy 100-foot rolls of film and shoot that film in one week. I was just drawn into it. AC: Wow. DR: I was just mesmerized. I couldn't get enough of it, it was like an addict. And so I built a dark room in my mother's garage. At that point I had gotten married. Built the dark room in my mother's garage, I would go in at 4-5 o’clock in the morning, process film. Start printing and proofing and looking at my clock, I would have to be at school at 9 o'clock for a class, 10 o’clock at class-AC: I tell young people and my son, go ahead and plan and take your classes but you don’t know what’s going to come your way. Like don’t get so, you know worry, worry, where’s the job, where’s my job going to be. I said “Stop!” It may come to you and I can’t wait to tell him about--’cause I see him tomorrow, but don’t wear yourself down with worry, you don’t know the twist and turns in your life. Look at that! DR: Well, my mother had a saying that most students go to college to study to be a potato and they come out a yam. (both laugh) So my grades plummeted. I would not go to school. I would try to bone up for a test. I would not show up for class. That last semester just was a disaster. Ended up getting I think a D average. 2.0 or 1.5, 2.0 average. Then I switched college, I decided, I told my wife "I think I want to do--” One of the people, while I switched colleges to study commercial photography, and I had the fortunate-AC: You think? Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 7 �DR: I had the pleasure of two teachers, and I talk about it all the time. Civil Engineering is what I really wanted to do but this photography just, as I said, I was just addicted to it. So I enrolled in this college and had Mr. Bill Dendle’s class in photography at City College and Jack Stevens who also taught the upper grades. And I was so fortunate to have Mr. Dendle as a teacher. And he would just--like an addict, just feeding me like poison with the knowledge. Oh god, he was fantastic. My first semester there, I won the Sweepstakes Award and about 30% of the ribbons because we had a photo contest among the students. And the first day of class, about 35-40 people in the class, Mr. Dendle said, “I don't care; sit on the floor, sit wherever you want. By the end of this week there's gonna be half of you and by the of the month just going to be half of (that). At the year there will be maybe five or seven of you left.” And there were only ten of us left that started. AC: Yeah. Yeah. So he knew you had to have the passion to survive. DR: He was, he was--He had a shelf, it must have been twenty feet long by eight feet high full of photo books. And I would go ask him a question, if I had a problem or had a question, he said, “You know that it is a very good question. It's in the books here, why don't you find out. Look for it and find out the answers.” AC: Interesting. DR: And he would do that to me a lot. AC: So he knew that if you would find it for yourself, it would have more value. DR: Oh yeah. AC: And to remembering and keeping-DR: And, one day about noon, I’d finished my work in the darkroom and he came out and says, “Are you busy right now?” I said no. At this point I was twentynine, no twenty-six. I always felt old in class. Kids were 17-18-19 years old. AC: Yeah. Returning students feel-DR: I'm twenty-three, twenty-four, I’m feeling ancient. So I never mingled with students, fellow students. So he came out to lunch and says, “What are you doing?” I say, “I just finished my dark room work.” He says, “Grab a camera and load it Kodalith film and go take a picture of the quad.” I’d never heard of Kodalith film, it's a graphics arts film. Normal speed of film is 100, 400. This was 6 and I had no idea what it was. So I went and got a 4 x 5 camera, loaded it. Thought I was going to take it--I got Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 8 �a light meter, took it to the quad and took a light reading. It was like a five-second exposure, wide-open on the camera. So I had to go back to get a tripod, went and took the picture, five-second exposures. Back in and processed the film. And I showed it to him and says “What do you want me to do with this?” He said, “Nothing, throw it away.” I said “Well what was that all about?” He said, “Some day when you're a professional, you will be called upon to do different assignments. You better be prepared for anything that comes up.” AC: Wow. DR: We had what's called the photographers bible. It was a book, maybe 5 x 7, by maybe three inches thick with every film, every chemical, every processing imaginable. And that became my bible. I would study that thing left and right. Another thing, one year for Christmas vacation he asked me, “What are you doing for vacation?” Said not a whole lot. He says, “I want you--look up this doctor at a biology lab during Christmas vacation. Want you to shoot color slide, color negative, black and white and infrared film. Go to the doctor with it and ask him what he wants. So Christmas vacation I went, found him and he was doing an autopsy on a cadaver with about four or five students. And I had a cold that day. And they are tearing up this body apart-AC: Oh dear god. DR: They’re just carving into him and I am taking pictures all over. And I asked the doctor, “What do you want pictures of?” He said “Dendle said you would just come over, I’ve got no use for you.” (laughs) So I shot all those four types of film. So anyway I learned the man had apparently been an alcoholic. They took out his kidneys and his liver, (unclear) cirrhosis. Little five-foot girl riding her fingers along the tendon from her toes up to his hip and I couldn’t smell anything I had a cold that day. But I found out that your hair grows after you’re dead, because the cadaver's bald and it had quarter-inch fuzz on him. And he mentioned that to the students. Which I didn’t notice. His hair keeps on growing. AC: And you had that-DR: And the fingernails-AC: On the photo. Lucky you! DR: Yeah right. So after Christmas break I took it all to Dendle, all the proof sheets and all the negatives and everything. “Here's the—what do you want me to do with them?” He said, “Throw them away, I don't want ‘em! I don’t even want to see them.” But that was another lesson in that you’re going to be called Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 9 �upon to do—you don't know what you will be called upon to do. And his advice to me was curiosity. Never lose your curiosity. It will take you through-AC: You think about journalism and for newspapers, yeah I mean you could-DR: But I didn't study for newspapers. AC: No, no, I know-DR: I studied for commercial photography. AC: But he had instincts that you—he didn’t know where you ended up. AC: So he wanted to give you like the worst-case scenario. DR: Right. yeah he wanted to prepare me for whatever came. So he came to me second semester, I think. He said, “How would you like a job working in a photo studio? They don't pay much, a dollar and half an hour. But you work any hours you want. Yopu work weekends, nights, whatever. You get the use of all the cameras, all their equipment, all their paper, everything.” Which was at the time photography was the second most expensive class in college. The first expensive class was welding. So I took that job for a photographer named Bob Boyd, who was another teacher, another instructor. The man was a phenomenal photographer. He worked for Reed, Miller and Murphy Advertising Agency. So I did all his processing, all his pictures. I sent out the color stuff to the labs, but everything else I did. I printed all my stuff, I shot all my assignments in the studio. And like I said, I had just got married. Second--the third semester, Mr. Dendle came up to me and says “How would you like a job on a cruise ship?“ I said, “What are you talking about?” He says, “The Director of the Seven Seas College—Seven Seas University? College. They are touring East China, Japan, Vietnam, going down to Australia and up to North Africa for nine months. No pay. Room and Board, but you can take any class you want. Any you're gonna be the ship's photographer. You can take pictures of whatever anyone wants, of anything. You can take classes of anything you want.” AC: Now at this time you had closed down your landscaping (business) or were you still-DR: No. AC: Did you turn it over to your dad? DR: I had. I gave up most of the contracts. I saved some for my dad to work three--four days a week, three days a week at the most. He was getting ready to retire on Social Security. AC: But for your own income? Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 10 �DR: I worked weekends and in the photo lab. AC: So you are still doing both. DR: Yes. So I had just gotten married and I didn't think it was good to leave my new wife. AC: For nine months. DR: And my stepson. He was five years old. For nine months and with no income. No money coming in. So I didn't do that. But my last year, Bob Boyd who used to do filming, used to do commercials in San Diego, plus professional photography, commercial, helped him out a lot--asked me to go up to Hayward, California with him for a week. Now this is toward the end of the semester. To do a job up there, film developer for a week. So I talked to Mr. Dendle, and he said, “Yeah go ahead, no problem. Your year is completed, get out of here.” So I did. And I completed my classes there and I started looking for work. I had my brochure. I had my—what they call a—my book. They had a name for it. With some of my best photography. AC: Like a portfolio? DR: A brag. Called it a brag book. AC: Oh okay. DR: And I had it, put photos back-to-back in a binder – drill holes and put a All of my best photography was in there. My good photos were back to back in a binder—drill holes and put a spiral backing on it. I went all over town looking for work. Commercial studios, portrait studios, advertising agencies, all over town. And they all said the same thing. Your stuff is really, really good, but you don't have any experience. Go out and get a job for a year and come back. So it was at this time that one of the salesman for a commercial photography sales came in. I asked him if he knew of anyone who wanted a photographer, I says I’m looking for a job. He said, “As a matter of fact, I came from Escondido and they are looking for a photographer in the Escondido newspaper.” AC: Perfect. DR: They got a newspaper in Escondido? (laughs) I had no idea, 'cause I was just San Diego. Had the San Diego Union, Evening Tribune. So on Sunday, we drove up here and got a newspaper from the stand. And they (San Diego Union) had gone letter press and they (Escondido Times-Advocate) were still using virgin paper. No recycled stuff. And It was bright white. And the type was just-and the printing was just amazing. I couldn’t believe it. And the photography! The pictures looked like they were actual photographs. Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 11 �AC: You could cut them out and-DR: And I was used to the letter press in San Diego and I couldn’t believe they had the offset press over here. Said, “oh my god!” And the town was little, I think the town (Escondido) was maybe only twenty-thousand at the time, 20-25,000. AC: You know this is a great place to stop, are we good to stop? DR: Oh yeah, sure. Sure, yeah. AC: Wonderful. I’m gonna hit stop. END Interview 03 - 30 -2017 Transcribed by Alexa Clausen 12 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transcripts Description An account of the resource Written oral histories and transcripts are available for researchers that prefer the written word, or to see the whole interview in a document. Transcripts of <a href="https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/collections/show/5">audio and video files</a> are also available as part of those video files. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Dan. Interview transcript, March 30, 2017. Description An account of the resource Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. This interview recounts Rios's childhood and early adulthood, and his personal and educational journey towards becoming a news photographer. As a child and teen laborer Rios, due to extreme heat, convinced his field worker family to leave the Central Valley and join his aunts in San Diego. They moved in 1953. As a 14 year old teen high school drop-out, Rios started his own gardening and landscaping business in La Jolla, California. A client convinced Rios to attend night school to get his high school degree. Rios then pursued a civil engineering degree at community college, eventually dropping the pursuit of engineering when he finds his passion for photography. Rios acquired a degree in commercial and portrait photography at San Diego Community college where he met his mentors. After graduation he sought work as a photographer and landed an interview in Escondido for the regional newspaper, the Escondido Times-Advocate. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Daniel Flores Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alexa Clausen Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-30 Subject The topic of the resource Agricultural laborers -- California Mesa Community College (San Diego, Calif.) Mexican Americans Photojournalists Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Hanford (Calif.) La Jolla (San Diego, Calif.) Ocean Beach (San Diego, Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In copyright</a> Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. California State University San Marcos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-03-30_transcript Community history Latine experience https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/5e54912f2da95810e3bef5c341d6234e.pdf f19c0b3193310ab2e1ac5e49d6563335 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transcripts Description An account of the resource Written oral histories and transcripts are available for researchers that prefer the written word, or to see the whole interview in a document. Transcripts of <a href="https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/collections/show/5">audio and video files</a> are also available as part of those video files. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Dan. Interview transcript, May 9th, 2017. Description An account of the resource Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. As the Chief Photographer, Rios was instrumental in transitioning the North County Times from publishing images in black and white, to publishing in color. This interview recounts Rios's career working for the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times. Rios also recounts how photographers were initially required to buy and maintain their own equipment and how he was able to create a deal with the newspaper to compensate photographers fairly for their equipment. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dan Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alexa Clausen Robert Sheehan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-05-09 Subject The topic of the resource Digital cameras Escondido Times-Advocate (Escondido, Calif.) Mexican Americans Photographic chemicals Photojournalists Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Fallbrook (Calif.) Rancho Penasquitos (Calif.) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived SC003: The Dan Rios papers Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource in copyright Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. California State University San Marcos Type The nature or genre of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC003-03 Community history Latine experience Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Description An account of the resource Video and audio oral histories can be viewed here. Histories are listed alphabetically by last name. Individual histories are indexed and transcribed and can be searched. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <p>Rights to oral histories vary depending on the history. The library owns the copyright to some histories, and has license to reproduce for nonprofit purposes for others. Please contact CSUSM University Library Special Collections at <a href="mailto:%20archives@csusm.edu">archives@csusm.edu</a> with any questions about use.</p> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Alexa Clausen Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Daniel Flores Rios OHMS Object This field contains the OHMS Hyperlink (link to the XML file within the OHMS Viewer) https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-04-15_access.xml OHMS Object Text This field contains the OHMS Index and / or Transcript and is what makes the contents of the OHMS object searchable in Omeka 5.4 Rios, Dan. Interview, April 15, 2017. SC003-02 00:00:00 SC003 Dan Rios papers CSUSM csusm Chicago Tribune (Firm) ; Escondido Times-Advocate (Escondido (Calif.)) ; Photojournalists ; Escondido (Calif.) Daniel Flores Rios Alexa Clausen 1.0:|11(18)|26(13)|48(5)|63(16)|82(2)|105(14)|120(13)|136(9)|153(11)|178(6)|192(14)|208(16)|222(12)|240(3)|264(6)|286(14)|304(5)|322(3)|335(19)|353(8)|372(11)|388(16)|414(8)|435(13)|457(5)|490(9)|509(16)|522(5)|537(13)|549(15)|565(12)|594(11)|609(18)|631(11)|644(14)|656(4) 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/da6f191d23f549388e74dc4e65755822.wav Other audio Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. &#13 ; &#13 ; In this second interview conducted by Alexa Clausen, Dan Rios discusses starting work for the Escondido Times-Advocate and the beginning of his career at newspaper which was then owned by the Applebee and Carlton families. Rios discusses his work days, the paper's staffing, and his enjoyment in working for the Times-Advocate and in living in Escondido. Rios also discusses the selling of the newspaper to the Chicago Tribune Company and the changes that wrought with new editors, staff layoffs, and a much more difficult working environment. Alexa Clausen: This is April 15th, 2017. Session two with Dan Rios regarding his career as Chief Photographer with the (Escondido) Daily Times-Advocate. Now, Dan, we left off (last interview) having you hear about a job in Escondido, not really sure that you’d been to Escondido many times and going to a newsstand and literally picking up the paper. And then you were telling me how impressed you that the paper being so crisp and vivid. And that’s where we left you off. You literally went to a newspaper stand and grabbed a paper. So tell me your steps to getting hired. Dan Rios: Yeah. Well, I saw the paper and I was really amazed at how good it looked. So I was working for Mr. Boyd in Hillcrest, and on Monday I asked him if I could take the morning off to come and apply for the job. And I did. I drove down here. I met with Curt Babcock, who was the City Editor. He introduced me to George Cordry, assistant City Editor, and Ron Kenny, the Managing Editor. They interviewed me, they saw my portfolio, they saw my brag book and one question they kept repeating was, Did I know how to do color? Since I specialized in color the last year at school (Mesa College), I showed them my color brochure, that I had processed all the film, I had processed all the pictures and they seemed to be pleased with that. That was the end of that interview. Later that day they called and said I was hired and for me to come in the following Monday. AC: Could you give me a date on that? DR: That was the week that—that was 1968. I believe it was May, when Robert Kennedy was killed. AC: Oh my gosh. DR: I started working the week Robert Kennedy died. AC: He was assassinated in Los Angeles. DR: Yes. Yes, by Sirhan Sirhan. They asked me if I can come in on Monday and my shift would be from 7:00 o'clock in the morning until whenever. (chuckles) Whenever I was done. The only problem is I had an appointment with the DMV because I had gotten so many driving tickets. I had an appointment with them on that Monday, so I had asked them if I can postpone it for one day. They agreed. I didn't tell them why. The deal he gave me a one-year probationary period. One more ticket and my license was suspended. So, on Tuesday, the following week, I started. AC: Now let me ask you, were you replacing someone who had retired, or this was a new position for them? DR: They had only hired a part-time photographer. AC: They had a part-time uh-huh. DR: And he had left three, four or five months before me coming here. They had a reporter by the name of Mary Jane Morgan who seemed to know the photography, seemed to know the processing, and she was doing some processing plus her reporting duties. She would process the film for the editorial staff. Because every reporter took their own pictures basically. There were pool cameras. And they went assignment, they took their own pictures, they brought the film in. Mary Jane would process it. In Advertising also they had a pool camera and they would do the same. So when I showed up on Tuesday, there was a stack of rolls of film for me to process. And get busy and organize the dark room and see what the supplies were—chemicals and paper and equipment. I got busy organizing it and started right in. I don't think I got my first assignment until about a week later. And I started--my first assignment--I remember my first assignment was at the Escondido Village Mall at the Walker Scot Pavilion there. Mrs. Purer, Edith Purer I think her name was. I think there’s a road by your-- AC: Yes. DR: (unintelligible) Purer Road. Named after her family. And it was an art exhibit, art contest. So that was my first photograph. Of that. Subsequently I started doing a lot of dark room work in the morning and then shooting the afternoon assignments in the afternoon. I would shoot anything from mug shots to sports events, to society, to accidents, to trials. Everything except professional sports. I was never really much interested in professional sports. AC: And you'd have to what? You’d have to cover the (San Diego) Chargers? DR: No. AC: Where would they send you fort professional—they didn’t do much of that? DR: No. No. They relied on AP and UPI photos. AC: They bought them. Yeah. DR: Yeah, subscribed to those services and-- AC: Had you moved to Escondido? Were you commuting? DR: No, I was commuting. I was getting up at five o' clock in the morning, had a little breakfast, get ready, get dressed. Get out at six and drive a two-lane road to Escondido. I would arrive at work, seven o'clock, work until I was done. Sometimes at work I would have a three, four hour lay-over because my shift would end, but a sporting event would come in. Or a society event would come in later in the day, in the evening. And I would have to stay for that. AC: Were you hourly or salary? DR: I was hourly. A very, very meager salary actually. Well that was one of the conditions that I accepted at work. I talked to my bosses and I said, “You know, you guys aren't paying me a lot of money, I need to earn more money. Am I going to be permitted to use the dark room for my own purposes, for moonlighting?” They said, Yes, no problem, whatever you want. The darkroom is yours after hours. AC: It's the plight of every artistic person. You know? The job and the labor of love. DR: I was fortunate. I got along with everybody, everybody was fantastic. It was just a great boss--Kirk Babcock, the city editor. He could understand my photography. He knew what I was going after and he would compliment me on that. So, it got to the point that it was all over town. And then one of my assignments, we had something called "The North County." (Times-Advocate North County magazine) Which was a Sunday supplement. A magazine type thing. Tabloid type thing. And I was in charge of providing the photography for the cover. Every week, besides my other assignments. There were days when I would scramble all over town trying to find something. It was mostly artsy-fartsy stuff on the cover. Whatever I wanted. They never censored me. They never told me what they wanted. AC: Wow! DR: But it got to a point where I got to know the town. And I would drive a thousand, fifteen-hundred miles a month all over town, and all over the North County, and some assignments in San Diego--not too many. And I would shoot what they called "grab art." Whenever I saw something interesting, I’d take a picture of it. And eventually we had so many of those we couldn't even run them in the paper. And I suggested once that we run a special photo page. No theme, nothing. Just to use the pictures, and on Sunday it was a whole picture. And I came up with the name of "focal reflections." And they were just people, places, events, scenery. Just artsy stuff that I shot that we couldn't use in the paper. And we got a lot, a lot of comments on that. AC: When they were sending you on assignment, were you filling in between what the reporters were doing, or they were there own stories? So were you backing up an assignment of a journalist? DR: Well, most of the time I would go out with a journalist. He would ask questions, I would take pictures. Or if he had gone out and did the story, then they would assign me to go ahead and cover the story (unintelligible). A perfect example of that is--did I ever tell you about Rancho Guajome? AC: No. DR: Eloise Perkins, a historical writer grabbed a hold of me with both fists around my neck (laughs). And she would send me on assignments that she had problems with. And one day I was sitting around--there was two events she sent me on. One, I was sitting around. She said, “What are you doing?” I said, “I’m waiting for an assignment later this afternoon.” (She) says there is this adobe, an abandoned adobe in Vista. Would you go take pictures of it? She gave me the address and I found it. I walked all over the place taking pictures of it. It was collapsing, the floors were rotted, the walls were crumbling. AC: This was before the County bought it and restored it. DR: Yeah. It was just abandoned, I thought. I walked around. I must have spent an hour, hour and half. I went around the back, on the north end of it, there was a trailer there. This man walks out with a shotgun and asked me what the hell was I doing there? I showed him my credentials. I told him what I was doing. He told me he didn't care. He said, If I didn't get my rear end out of there in a hurry that he would start shooting. AC: Oh my god. Thank you, Eloise. DR: So, I got back to Eloise and Eloise just cracked up laughing. She said, “Did that nut threaten you?” I said, “Yeah!” She says, “He chased me away so many times I can't get through the-- AC: So she sends you. DR: And those negatives are in the files. Two and a quarter-inch negatives of all that stuff. AC: You know, you did have—after we shut off the tape, a kind of a get to know Eloise, so I’ll type that up and we can add onto the-- DR: Yeah. She did another one, another Eloise trick she did on me, was at Carrillo Ranch before it became anything. The old lady, Delpy I think her name was, was there. At that point I had a little fame going there at the (newspaper). That I could get along with old ladies. Old ladies and I had a rapport. They would offer me coffee, they would offer me tea, drinks—sodas, whatever. So, Eloise again played a trick on me. She says, Go see Mrs. Delpy at Carrillo Ranch. Take some pictures. So I got there, knocked on the door. She ushered me in, sat me down, offered me coffee, cookies. Told her what I wanted, what I do. She opened up these (photo) albums. with her mother, her stepmother, her stepfather, her family, (Leo) Carrillo, the gatherings, the movie stars. And I started taking copy, photographs of it. And I was there maybe two--two and a half hours talking with her. And eventually I went outside. The stables still were—still had the tack from the early days just rotting away in the stables. So, I again I showed up with Eloise and she’s laughing, said “How did you do with the old lady.” I says, “Great. You know, coffee, tea, cookies, conversation, she was fantastic.” She says, “Oh my god I can't believe it.” So I got a little history there with old ladies. I can handle old ladies, and I got along with them. I got along with everyone. I loved Escondido. The people were just fantastic. I never saw any prejudice on my part. I never experienced it. We had two Hispanic employees in the editorial room. Me and Joe Heredia, who had been there before I was. He subsequently--he had a heart attack and died on the job. AC: Oh my. DR: But--never any problem. I was getting to know people and at that point I had a pretty good memory. I could recognize faces and names. I got to know the city councilmen, most of the Fire Department. And they would call me when things were happening. I got to know the councilmen personally, the mayors, the city attorneys, and had a really good rapport. I loved the city. I loved the population. I loved the society people. They were so gracious. I remember once, they showed me—there was a—can't think of the charity—was a meeting. It was I think in the Fall or toward the Winter. And I showed up. I would pick on one person in a group and semi, lightly make fun of them. To loosen up the room. I wasn't mean, I wasn't vicious. AC: Just teasing. DR: Yeah, just teasing a little bit. So I got to this meeting there early and they were about to have lunch, and they invited me to have lunch. And I said sure. So I had a few snacks here and there and a cup of juice and sat down in front. They got done. And they sat them down and I picked on this one woman. And she was laughing, everyone was laughing. Just to loosen the group up. Then I went to get my IDs, left to right, front to back. And I get back one, the middle one. And her name—by the way the name of the owners (of the Times-Advocate) were Carlton and Applebee. Mrs. Applebee. AC: Now, Lucy (Berk) said—not Applegate? DR: No. Applebee. AC: Like the restaurant. Oh. DR: Applebee. So I got to the middle of the row and this woman. I asked her about her name. To give me her name. Oh god, I can’t remember her first name. An Applebee. And I dropped my pen and my pad of paper and looked at her says, “(and) that’s Mrs. Carlton?” She says, “Mm-hmm.” (Rios and Clausen laugh) AC: Oh they were the owners' wives. DR: Yeah, and I'm jiving with her, I’m teasing her, and I said, Oh god, that's the end of my job. Never brought it up. We became fast friends after that. AC: And this sounds like a style that worked for you to have people relax so you don't have those (stiff) photos. DR: Oh no no, I wouldn’t permit that. Wouldn’t permit hands in front of their bodies either, hiding their crotch. They had to hug people, put their hands in their hands, put hands on their backs. Couldn’t stand these people, just their hands just hanging down. AC: Now you did kind of refer to someone--was it Mr. Babcock--someone said that they liked your style, they knew what you were doing. DR: Yeah, Curt AC: Would you just expand on that a little bit? I'm assuming it’s like a methodology or an artistic approach. DR: Yes. I try to present a viewpoint. Semi-hidden, maybe not so hidden, but I always tried to present a viewpoint. Either through the angle or the lighting. A lot of the time I would take my own lighting. In fact somebody commented--they wrote me a letter that they liked my photography. It reminded them of the earlier photographers in the Midwest. They use to do that. Take multiple lights and set up a little lighting (unintelligible) they were portable. And that was my own device that I thought about. And Curt came up—in fact I was there about six months, and he came up to me, and slapped my back, he says, “How is my serendipity photographer.” No, no, no. Not serendipity. It was “ubiquitous.” “How is my ubiquitous photographer.” I had no idea what that meant. AC: You ran to the dictionary? DR: (laughs) Oh yes. AC: What did he mean? DR: That I was all over town, like a plague. AC: Oh! But it was a compliment. DR: Oh yes. Yes. I was covering everything. My photographs, I had four, five, six photographs in the paper daily. I was doing all the sports, society, the mug shots, and the features, and the artistics, and the grab art. As I said, I would work in the darkroom until noon, and the afternoon it was mine to do what I wanted to. I would do the assignments, do my own, do whatever. The following morning, I would come in to process all the film, do all the proof sheets. Start printing pictures for the advertising, and the editorial, and my own stuff. AC: Had they thought of getting you extra help? DR: They did. About a year later. AC: So, about 1970? DR: Uh-huh, about the middle of 1970. Well people would constantly apply. They would send their resume in. They would send their portfolios, a portion of them. At that point the paper was too small--the salaries were cheap to put it mildly. But I loved the place, and after a year I was planning to go back to San Diego, but I said there was no way I’m going back to San Diego. AC: Oh, you wanted to stay here. DR: Yes, I wanted to stay here. I loved the place, I tolerated the heat. So when they were wanting to hire, I saw this portfolio. Since as a youth, I was never involved in sports, never played sports. Not in school, not extra(curricular), never played sports and I wasn’t that familiar with them. I played softball in grade school, but you know that’s nothing. And then I saw the portfolio of this photographer, Jim Baird and it blew me away. The man was just a phenomenal photographer. And I went to Ron Kenny, I says “I want to hire this guy.” Because he loved sports. Which is something I didn't do and I didn't like! I said he could take that weight off my shoulders. And he could do it with an artistic flair that I could never do. And about that point the Padres had started playing at Petco Park—was called Jack Murphy, or San Diego stadium. AC: Yeah, the old Qualcomm-- DR: Yes. And he would assign himself games because he loved it so much. And I was happier than he was for him to do it. And he did that. And eventually he wanted to do a lot of his own darkroom work and printings that was just fine. But it got to the point where I was doing too much darkroom, not enough photography. So, I went to Ron Kenny again, and I asked him if I can hire a lab tech. Then I could do all-day shooting. Between Baird and myself, we would do the assignments. Then the darkroom technician was Lowell Thorp. He was an older man. He was in his fifties I think at the time. So, he interviewed and he said he wanted no part of photography. He had done that at his previous job and he just wanted darkroom work. And the man was super meticulous. He would come in at five o'clock in the morning. And do all the film, all the proofs. People would hand in their proof sheets with their marked photographs and their crop, and he would supply them. He would hand them out, he would keep the inventory. AC: When do you think this was, what year? Because you said you-- (unintelligible) DR: Jim Baird. Yeah. Jim Baird. Maybe a year later. AC: So ‘71 maybe. DR: And he retired there (at the Times-Advocate), he worked I think fifteen years, retired there. At the end of the year he would produce the summary of all film, all the paper, all the chemicals, everything that was used in the darkroom. The guy was just meticulous, he just loved that place. AC: It was a little bit like his lab? Like his-- DR: Oh it was his domain. Oh my god. If you worked there, he allowed you to work there, but you had better have it clean when you left. I remember when one time there was a reporter, I don't want to name his name, he works for the San Diego Union now. He liked to take his own pictures, and he was on the City Beat. He would get off the City Council Beat at ten-eleven o'clock at night, come in and process the film, print it, go home. Probably one-two o'clock in the morning, go home, come back maybe ten o'clock the following day. Well Lowell got in one day when this reporter had made a mess. He called him at 5 o'clock in the morning to get his butt in there, clean the place up because nothing was going to be done that day until he got there and cleaned his mess up. And he just sat until this reporter showed up. And he did clean the mess up and Lowell started working again. AC: How funny. DR: But he was picky, he was meticulous. He didn't care who worked there. Just clean your mess up. AC: It sounds like in a matter of three years, they hired you and then three-four years made an entire grouping of an entire photographic system from nothing. From having part-time photographers. So North County (San Diego) started a little boom at about the same time. DR: Oh yeah. It was flourishing. It was flourishing. AC: So that reflected in their demand for the newspaper. DR: Yeah. I don’t remember what year it was, early in the in the 70's. We won an award for the best layout in a newspaper regardless of size. And we were winning awards left and right. Editorial awards. I was never very competitive. I was never much into (photography) contests, after school. Didn’t interest me. I don’t know if I mentioned Edith Purer and her--I did join those a couple years. Printed some 16 x 20 prints, won first place, second place, third place in those events. After a couple years I stopped participating in that. AC: So that was your own artistic photography? DR: Yes. AC: What was your specialty, what did you like in your own work? DR: Just sceneries, evening shots, sunsets. AC: Color? DR: Yes, yes. Well no, not all color, some black and white. Would you like some water, I’m sorry-- AC: No, thank you. DR: If I could take you to the computer, I’ve got a screen saver-- AC: Okay. DR: --with some of my pictures. Thank you, Terry (for water). Some of my pictures that I like, that are put on there. On the—but mostly travel. When I was in school, in fact when I was in school, Mr. Dendle, my teacher asked me if I wanted to work for a traveling company, shooting landscapes for post cards, for different cities. That's all I would do is travel across the country photographing cities. AC: I’ll be darned. That’s how they did those, yeah-- DR: Scenery, and cities and whatever-- AC: Landmarks, museums, yeah. DR: Yeah. Send it to the company and they would ship it out to the cities in those stands that they had, those rotating stands. I said, no I wasn't interested in that. AC: Yeah, I like postcards. I don’t have a huge amount but I love it. I love it. DR: And I said, no, I didn’t. But I like scenery, sunsets and that kind of stuff. Nature. AC: I think—maybe people know this if you’re artistic but you have a job, finding time to have a life and your art is difficult. You know, writers do this, and other artists. That balancing the job, the family, and all that. So, had you moved to Escondido yet? DR: No. Was it? Well, yes, by that point. Because I--In getting up at five o'clock in the morning and driving to Escondido to be here at seven o'clock, and then working all day and driving back home--I was living in Hillcrest, and I would start dozing off. Two or three times I dozed off and woke up, so, this was not good. Because I was putting in eight, nine, ten hours a day. I’d have a split shift and work late at night and-- AC: Did they start constructing I-15 yet? DR: No. I've got pictures of Rancho Bernardo with the cows in the pastures where West Bernardo is now. AC: Yeah. With cattle (unintelligible). DR: Yeah. Got pictures of those. AC: So, did they promote you, technically, were you-- DR: No (Rios laughs), I was always Chief Photographer. It was just assumed I was Chief Photographer. There was no ceremony, there was nothing. When my cards came by, it was “Chief Photographer Dan Rios.” AC: Right. So they were too busy publishing a paper to get all these formalities. (Rios laughs) DR: Yeah. Oh yeah. AC: So once it (the Times-Advocate) grew to have a full shop, meaning, you're on assignments, you’re out of the darkroom, you have a tech guy, you have an assistant doing sports. Was-- DR: No he was full time. AC: A full timer. DR: Full time, yeah. AC: So, was-- DR: But he loved sports, specialized in sports which was good for me. AC: Was that the largest the staff ever got? DR: No. AC: Okay, so you’re still growing. DR: It continued to grow. After that we had some stringers. There was a man by the name of Mike Franklin who worked in the production department, who decided he wanted to be a photographer and bought a whole lot of equipment. And came in here and just picked our brains. He wanted to know so much while he was working and then on his days off, we’re talking about he would come back in the dark room and he would chat with Jim and myself about photography, lenses, cameras, film, processing, all kinds of stuff. He never had formal training, but his enthusiasm was just so overwhelming. Eventually, he was hired part time and then full time. And he was a great compliment. He was very good, very artistic. Hard working. AC: What was his name? DR: Mike Franklin. Hispanic. He was a hard, hard, hard worker. AC: Is this still 1970's? DR: Yes. Uh-huh. Yeah. AC: Yeah, okay, so they—the paper’s expanding. DR: Right. Yeah. I will tell you how much it was expanding. Mr. Applebee had us all--everybody in the place--gather in the production department and he told us that he was going to give us a gift. He was starting a profit-sharing plan. Way back when. And he told us, early 70s? Maybe ‘72, ‘73? He told us then that by the time we all retired, if we stayed with the paper long enough, that we would have a lump sum of maybe $100,000 in our retirement fund. AC: And who knew the decline of the paper, huh? DR: Yeah. Soon after, because I think he sold the paper in ‘76, the profit sharing stopped. But those funds were kept up by the Chicago Tribune who bought the paper, and they invested in Chicago Union stock which did diddly forever. But even today I'm still receiving benefits from that retirement fund. A good portion of my retirement fund is Mr. Applebee. AC: Well good for him. It was the right thing to do. They couldn’t keep up a fancy salary, and you were working-- DR: It was never fancy. But I made enough money on moonlighting—you were saying about the spouses—I would work all day and then take assignments. One of the editors would find jobs for you. A lot of jobs. But I would get a lot of jobs, people calling, do you do this? Sure, sure, sure, sure. And I would be working until twelve, one o'clock at night. AC: So when Applebee sells in the 70's, and you are now working for Chicago Tribune, did you sense a difference? Was there any-- DR: Oh it was an earthquake of a change of a difference! They brought in a new publisher who brought in a new city managing editor, who got rid of 50% of the people in the place. At that point, ‘76 I think it was—myself, Jim, Mike, him, him, him—had six photographers on the staff when the paper sold. AC: And he let go half of them? DR: No. They started leaving by themselves. Jim Baird went to the Union, (San Diego Union Tribune), Mike Franklin went to the Union eventually, Sean Haffy later on who also went to the Union. Mike—not Mike Nelson, there was a Nelson character, also went to the Union. Some of them went to the L.A. Times after that. Another Hispanic, Manuel—Manuel something or other, forget his last name, was working there. AC: How did they backfill those jobs? Or was it back to you working crazy hours? DR: No, at that point the new regime that came in started laying off people left and right. And I was not--l had been a golden haired boy with Ron Kenney, and the old staff, and the Applebees. When the new staff came in, I was walking on quicksand because they were laying off so many people. I mean, they laid off half the staff for no reason! We had a city (editor) who was just an ass. Want me to name his name? AC: Sure. Well, its up to you. DR: Eh. A total ass. He would scream at people, verbally insulting people to their face because of their writing. He never did that to me. But I never trusted him, I never liked him. So about a year after the Chicago Tribune bought the paper, I was called up to the office to the publisher, John Armstrong. He told me I was no longer needed as the Chief Photographer. I could remain on the staff, same salary, same benefits, same hours. And no excuse. AC: So what was his point? DR: They would just fire people. Left and right. I think they wanted to get their own group. AC: Shake up everyone? DR: And before the city editor—oh, Tom Nolen, was the city editor’s name. He started the firing people after, I mean he was the one who would scream and yelling at people. And he would intimidate them, they would leave on their own. AC: Did these people come from another area? DR: All from the East Coast. AC: They were? DR: All from the East Coast. Chicago would just send them all down. In fact, all the comptrollers, all the business people. AC: So they wanted to move their own people here. DR: Oh yeah. They just moved their whole-- AC: And get everyone that wanted out of Chicago to come here and have a job. Oh my. DR: And about that time—because working for the Applebees was a dream, it was a (dream) job come true. When Curt Babcock left—he went to the Albuquerque paper, George Cordry took it (Babcock’s position). And I used to tell my wife, if I ever have a dream job and a dream boss, it would be George Cordry, would be my boss. And a year later, he became my boss. And he was just a fantastic boss. AC: So things settle down? DR: Well, yeah, Ron Kenny—George Cordry was let go. All the City Editors were let go, they put their own staff in. Ron Kenney who had been Managing Editor, became Assistant Publisher and they gave him an office next to John Armstrong. Second floor, with absolutely nothing to do. No assignments, no writing, nothing. The gave an office, a desk, a phone, a typewriter. He said he read the San Diego Union from page to everything, the LA Times every day. Then he would go to lunch. Come back and sit around with nothing to do. Eventually-- AC: So was that their way of letting go people without having benefits? I mean-- DR: Well, I don't know what their deal was. When Applebee-- AC: Not giving them unemployment? They didn’t want to give them unemployment? DR: I don’t know what the deal was. AC: Or the contract or something? The contract-- DR: Maybe it was in the contract with Applebee. But what Applebee did when he sold the paper, I believe he sold it for $15 million dollars. He gave all the managers something like $100,000 each. AC: Bonus? DR: Yeah. And every employee—paid them $100 for every year they worked for the paper. Handed everybody checks before he left. And I don't know whether Ron Kenney, who was Assistant Publisher, what kind of deal he had, but he had his money and eventually he quit and moved to Pennsylvania, bought a little store, and I think he started a little store, hotel or motel. Eventually he came back and went to work for the San Diego Union as editorial writer. A good writer. Ron Kenny’s a good writer. AC: You know, I’m thinking, and you tell me, if this is this a good place to stop, because you know the transcription on 35 minutes—you know I’m going to be doing (unintelligible). But do you—is a good stop the Chicago Tribune years? DR: Sure. They were not fun. Not fun. In fact let me tell you a little story. When they moved in, after a year or so, one of my favorite reporters, Bob MacDonald, a columnist had retired and we would get coffee almost every morning. And I told him about my problems with the Chicago Tribune and with John Armstrong. How I was walking on eggshells. I didn't want to lose my job, my security. I loved the town. I didn't want to move anywhere. At that point I had family here, I had roots here, I didn’t want to go anywhere. So I talked to MacDonald about my problems and he said, “Do you like the job, do you like your work?” “Yeah, but they’re not giving me a whole lot of assignments.” Maybe one or two a day, where I was taking five, six, seven assignments. I was busy—you know, “ubiquitous Rios.” He said, “Tell you what, take their check, cash it, spend it, live it up. Don't worry about that. If they want to fire you, eventually they will. If they don't, they too will get fired some day.” And they did. Tom Nolen got canned. END SESSION 2 https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en audio Property rights reside with the university. Copyrights are retained by the university. &#13 ; &#13 ; Please see the related “Preferred Citation note” for language on citing materials from this collection. &#13 ; &#13 ; Permission to examine Library materials is not authorization to publish or to reproduce the examined material in whole, or in part. 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The researcher agrees not to record, reproduce, or disclose any Social Security number or other information of a highly personal nature that may be found. 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-04-15_access.xml RiosDan_ClausenAlexa_2017-04-15_access.xml https://archivesearch.csusm.edu/repositories/3/resources/8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Dan. Interview, April 15, 2017. Description An account of the resource Daniel Flores Rios, born in Hanford, California. April 10th, 1939 to Theodore and Jennie Rios, was the Chief Photographer at the Escondido Times-Advocate and North County Times newspapers. In this second interview conducted by Alexa Clausen, Dan Rios discusses starting work for the Escondido Times-Advocate and the beginning of his career at newspaper which was then owned by the Applebee and Carlton families. Rios discusses his work days, the paper's staffing, and his enjoyment in working for the Times-Advocate and in living in Escondido. Rios also discusses the selling of the newspaper to the Chicago Tribune Company and the changes that wrought with new editors, staff layoffs, and a much more difficult working environment. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC003-02 Subject The topic of the resource Chicago Tribune (Firm) Escondido Times-Advocate (Escondido, Calif.) Photojournalists Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-15 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Daniel Flores Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alexa Clausen Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. California State University San Marcos Community history Latine experience Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Description An account of the resource Video and audio oral histories can be viewed here. Histories are listed alphabetically by last name. Individual histories are indexed and transcribed and can be searched. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <p>Rights to oral histories vary depending on the history. The library owns the copyright to some histories, and has license to reproduce for nonprofit purposes for others. Please contact CSUSM University Library Special Collections at <a href="mailto:%20archives@csusm.edu">archives@csusm.edu</a> with any questions about use.</p> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Madison Teater Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Theresa Rios OHMS Object This field contains the OHMS Hyperlink (link to the XML file within the OHMS Viewer) https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RiosTheresa_MadisonTeater-2022-04-06.xml Interview Keyword This filed adds keywords to the Omeka Oral History item type. Keywords are included in the OHMS XML, this field in Omeka will allow for full data migration between OHMS XML and the Omeka Record. This field does not impact the OHMS / Omeka integration and is optional if you do not need to map the "keywords" field in the OHMS XML to the corresponding Omeka record. Las Embajadores de Escondido OHMS Object Text This field contains the OHMS Index and / or Transcript and is what makes the contents of the OHMS object searchable in Omeka 5.4 2022-04-07 Oral history of Theresa Rios, April 7, 2022 SC027-17 00:34:29 SC027 California State University San Marcos University Library Special Collections Oral History Collection CSUSM This oral history was made possible with the generous funding of the Ellie Johns Scholarship Fund at Rancho Santa Fe Foundation and the Library Guild of Rancho Santa Fe. Escondido (Calif.) Hispanic Americans Libraries -- Literacy Public libraries Las Embajadores de Escondido Theresa Rios Madison Teater m4a RiosTheresa_MadisonTeater-2022-04-06.m4a 1:|24(4)|43(1)|52(14)|59(1)|66(7)|72(14)|86(14)|107(4)|122(11)|141(8)|159(6)|174(7)|193(3)|205(3)|219(12)|235(1)|249(11)|256(6)|271(5)|289(13)|315(15)|326(1)|337(12)|345(15)|352(7)|367(2)|383(1)|406(3)|433(13)|440(10)|456(13)|472(3)|491(7)|510(11) 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/1889cecb528454849ec8fbed1d12c9ea.mp3 Other audio English 68 The Introduction of Theresa Rios / Becoming a librarian Teater: &lt ; laughs&gt ; All right. Just to get started, can you introduce yourself, like, say your name and when you were, or maybe not when you were born, but where you were born? Rios: Mm-hmm. My name is Theresa Rios. I was born in Clifton, Arizona. Teater: I'm going to ask you a few questions about your childhood and maybe your upbringing. So, how long have you lived in San Diego if you were born in Arizona? Rios: I came to Escondido in 1970. I brought my four children and myself and we moved here and my ex-husband and I have been here for fifty years. I lived in La Jolla for five years. I love Escondido. I came back to Escondido in I believe, [19]78. Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: And I have been here ever since. Teater: Wow. I love that. That's so cool. So at what point did you become a librarian? Or what was your journey to become a librarian? Rios: My journey was-- I have this write up from this Hispanic newspaper and it tells me here when I started the library was in... back in, oh my goodness. I’m little nervous, but not really. Anyway, I came, I started working, I came back to Escondido. I started going to Palomar College and from there I met my husband, Dan Rios. After that, I left Palomar College and I went to the employment office and they sent me to the [Escondido Public] library and I got this job at the library and I thought, my goodness, I love this job. And so I started by being a library assistant. And from there, they started giving me some privileges about -- being Hispanic, there was no Hispanic library books for either the children and even the adults. So I started-- Oh my goodness. I started, well translating for the library, whatever they needed. Anytime they needed a Hispanic to translate something, they would call me. I started teaching some of the librarians, what to, how to discuss things in Spanish or to answer in Spanish when someone came to the library and had no Spanish experience or could not. But there was no one that would write anything. I transferred papers, whatever they needed. Then I started seeing that the children, I started saying stories to the children and I noticed where a lot of the Hispanic children did not understand what we were saying [in English], what I was saying to them. And, so then I told my supervisor, I think we should start a Hispanic program – a storytelling time. And so he said, yes, whatever, it would be wonderful. Go ahead. Whatever you think. And at that time, I had a lot of the mothers that came with their children sometimes, and they also didn't know English. And so I decided to start Las Embajadores de Escondido. And they, they just thought again, Liz Painter was one of them. She helped, she helped a lot, because she was very friendly with all the people and she also wanted us to try something different. So again, I said, yes, let's do this. Let's tell the stories to the children in Spanish. And so there's a nice picture. The newspaper came over -- The [Escondido] Times Advocate -- and I have this, I'm sorry. Teater: It's okay. Do you want me to pause the recording? Rios: Yes. One moment. Okay. There's a very nice picture of me with this book that I would tell this story, Las Zapatitos Colorados, “The Red Shoes” and with this story, I would tell all the children to be very careful about who they went with, how not to go with just anyone and just sort of try to... tell them to be cautious, but at the same time, there was a lot to learn. We had a lot to learn. But you you'd have to see this, this article. And do you read Spanish? Teater: I know enough to muddle through it, you know &lt ; laugh&gt ; Rios: Oh good, good. Because this whole page is in Spanish. It's from the Hispanico, Hispanic Times. And it was way back in 2000. June 22nd, 2000. And it says Theresa Rios, nueva de delegate al club del parlementaria. Parliamentary. Teater: Oh cool. Rios: And before that well I was at Palomar College. I was with Concerned Citizens of Escondido at A Day With Your Neighbor Luncheon on May 7th, 1982: Theresa Rios, Pichacon Lupita, and George Lopez. And there's my boss over here. He's not mentioned, Jon Ericson. Anyway, there's a whole page of me with a picture of the, telling the story to the children. And I would like for you to see that, cause it just explains a lot. I had no idea I had done so much. &lt ; laughter&gt ; , it's bringing back all these memories and I loved it. I mean the, the library to me was like home. I mean wonderful. Teater: That's fantastic. Rios: Anyway, again, like I say, anything you asked me to do, whether it was a police department or it was the library or my bosses, the children were very important to get them started learning. I still have many friends here in Escondido that when I see, we talk about all the things that we did. And the library I've been going there and Roberta, she was my dear friend there. Just a lot of the gals that were, that are still there. Some of them the other day I went to the library and there was Francine, this one, she said “Theresa! How are you? I haven't seen you in,” you know, things like that. And I just love the library. I love going back. I'm just gonna kinda stay in touch, you know? Teater: Yeah. That's, that's great. That's so great. Rios: Back to, I mean, back to the -- what other question, I mean, I think I mentioned... Theresa Rios talks about moving from Arizona to California and how she came to be a librarian in the city of Escondido. Clifton, Arizona ; Escondido ; La Jolla ; librarian ; Palomar College ; Spanish ; Translator Becoming a librarian ; Spanish programs ; Theresa Rios in the Hispanico newspaper ; Translating for the public library 601 The Embajadores Program Teater: That was a good starting point. So, can you tell me more about the Embajadores program? Rios: Yes, the Embajadores we, like I said, the children's mothers, some of them, some were elderly ladies that came to the library that were my friends that I would tell them, come join us. I mean, come join the Embajadores. We want every child in Escondido to have a library card. Teater: Oh. Rios: I want every child to know, to learn how to read at a very young age. And so they came, they came from all over and we would have -- one time we had this salsa contest, not a contest, but everybody brought different kinds of salsa and my salsa won a blue ribbon. &lt ; laughs&gt ; Teater: Ooh. Rios: It was technically a blue ribbon. It was just a wonderful time. And the people came, we would have different places that would sponsor us. One of them was El Tapatilla in Escondido would send food. Again, a lot of stuff that's in this article brings back a lot of memories. But the Embajadores came and they gave tours. I taught them to give tours through the library. I taught 'em to sit and talk with people that need just answers in Spanish or just to get together with other ladies that, that spoke Spanish only. And then bring them in as far as, trying to -- if they wanted an education, if they wanted to join literacy [program], things like that. I mean, literacy was just starting ; the literacy program. And, and we had, you know, different people teaching other people Spanish or English or... Teater: And about when were these programs happening? Rios: That was back in that era, which is, you know... [unclear] There's a lot of paperwork that have here that I I've been going through, but you know, it's been so long. It's been-- Teater: Yeah. Yeah. Well that's okay. We can keep going. So, can you explain how, like early reading programs are impactful for a child's life? Like why that was so important to you? Rios: Because when I went to-- the reason that I believe this is so important is because I also, when I went to started kindergarten, I did not know a word of English. Very little, very, very little. My parents did not, we did not speak English at home. My father knew a little more than my mother, my mother didn't. I mean, because of her hardships, her mother died when she was, I believe, in third grade, I'm not sure, but the schools were what, you know, and she lived in a ranch and she was left with four or five or six little ones that she helped grow up. And a baby that my, her, my grandmother, her mother died. So my mother always thought education was very important. You need it. She would get very upset. Um, so I knew that... And then I have -- Me marrying so young and having four children. I decided, nuh-uh, if I would've had this education before, I would have, you know, not being so afraid of trying of being around people that could teach me that could read, could that would teach me. I mean, there was no nothing in Clifton Arizona where I was born. There was, there was some things, but not enough to inspire me at a young age. Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: And so I believe that if the children could get it right into them and tell me their stories, and then I would try to direct them when I would ask questions. Well, what do you do? How do you read at home? Do you do this? No... Do you like coming to the library? Oh yes. We like it. Do you like to hear stories? Oh, yes. And then I would ask some of the children little questions. I don't know if I should say this, but What do you do? Oh, we drink tequila. Teater: &lt ; laugh&gt ; oh, no, Rios: We would laugh over that That. I said, “Oh, no, we gotta get this--” &lt ; laugh&gt ; . I mean, I don't mean to it it's part of growing up it's in their environment, their family so again, I, I would see parents and I would say, well, you know, good, this is not so good. But, oh my God. And it just, I mean, you'd have to talk to my supervisor, which was Joanne, oh, my away. Well, and Laura Mitchell was also one of my bosses. And like I said, city manager at the time, I can't, it's gone right now, but I'll have to get those names if you need 'em. But they would, give me card blank for whatever I wanted to do. I was so fortunate and so lucky and, a lot of like Graham Humphrey, he was the head of the library at the time. And he knew my husband very well. Dan Teater: Mm-hmm &lt ; affirmative&gt ; , Rios: And again, all I had to do was, well, Mr. Humphrey told me I want more Hispanic children here. I want, I don't-- at the time, I don't know whether he meant to say anything like this, but he said, I don't wanna see all this white Anglo-Saxons &lt ; affirmative&gt ; and I thought, oh my God. I mean because I believe that they're the white or the black or the Hispanic. We, they all need to learn everybody. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; Everybody needs to get some sense when they're young of what's going on and reading stories. I had no prejudice whatsoever, but I also understood the situation: who had the opportunities at home who didn't. And the ones that didn't of course would take priority of my attention, because I would have to explain myself more to them or listen to them a little more, so that they give me ideas of what, how I could help and how everybody in the library could help. Not just me. I didn't want, whenever somebody treated any of 'em with disrespect, I would just jump up and say, no, it's not the way we treat people. I mean, I had to fight everybody, not fight, but kind of. Teater: But yeah, I know what you mean. Rios: And I'm still doing it. I still do it. Even in my church at resurrection and everybody is welcome. Everybody is a child of Jesus. Everybody deserves a right to be heard. Of course, sometimes people are not in the mood to be heard or this and that. But with me, they'll come and tell me anything. and I feel how can I say I, a lot of humility that they can do that with me. But I feel if they're wrong, I'll tell them if they're hurting, I'll listen. And if they just wanna talk, that's good too. So we get along and that's how I get along at the library, and all my life. Theresa Rios talks about starting the Emajadores program, which gave Spanish speakers accessible resources in the library such as tours of the grounds, children's story times, and other elements for women, children, and the elderly. early reading programs ; El Tapatilla ; Embajadores program ; library ; literacy program dual-language learning ; Embajadores Program ; Library learning programs ; Spanish speaker ; Starting reading literacy programs at the library 1196 How to get Involved Teater: &lt ; laugh&gt ; all right. Let me, let me look through my questions because you're, you're answering so many of them. So what can library librarians who only speak English do to support the Spanish speakers of, you know, Escondido and San Diego? Rios: What could they do? Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: Is that the question? Teater: Yes. Rios: They could take classes in Spanish mm-hmm &lt ; affirmative&gt ; They could have someone there to help interpret. They just like, you know, now a lot of people are coming like from other countries and we have to continue to learn. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; Although I'm fluent Spanish and English, I love French, but you know, I'm not that good at it. And I I'm very close to my Filipino friends. I have a daughter-in-law that's married to my son and a wonderful family. And here in Escondido, I very belong to my church at resurrection eighties and the man, all we are very good friends on the counter. I am a greeter at my church on Sundays. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; I, we all work together. So Like I say, whoever walks into that door always gets a good morning from me when I am greeting. And a lot of them too. And I say, we need to be very kind, but at the same time we need to. But anybody just run out, you know, they're having a problem. One, we have to kinda-- Teater: What other, are there any other initiatives that you worked on while you were in the library? It sounds like you had a lot of support from your supervisors. Rios: Well I was on the desk. I started on the desk. Like I said, greeting people and what do they need? Or they would tell me what I need to find out this, I need to go to this desk or I need to go here. I need to, I need to know about that. So I would direct them to wherever. That was part of our job, to direct people, to wherever they needed to go and help them. If they couldn't find something, if they had the librarian on the desk was busy we could try and just keep them moving. But at the same time, I had meetings with several people. I mean they have this special room. Can't think of it right now. I mean, it's just upstairs, but I would do whatever it took to for the children to have special things going on. I mean, yeah, I have to go back. But if you see this picture of me taken when I would read stories, oh, and I got, I got this job at the library, like I said, way back then, but my husband and I were planning a trip to Mexico City, Mexico, a three week trip through me to Mexico. And I told my boss, I told Joanne Greenberg. I said, I think this was in August that I got hired around that time. And in December, we were planning to go to Mexico for three weeks, four weeks. And I said, I would have to work here, but I have to ask, my husband and I are going to go to Mexico, and I want to go very badly. I've never been to Mexico City. And, if you will, let me go. And, and let me come back to this job. I promise to work as hard as I can. And, you know, they let me do this after just being hired a couple of months. And I was all very grateful for that. We had a lovely time in Mexico. We had children running after our van and I mean things I saw and and my husband being a photographer, took pictures of the kids and the dresses, the colors. It was amazing. So I came back to the library and &lt ; affirmative&gt ; , I had all those stories in me from, for the children and for, you know, even adults. Teater: Mm-hmm &lt ; affirmative&gt ; sounds like, that sounds awesome. Rios: Seeing the no education, you know, a lot of we were out in the mountains where there were, and I said, and here they get a chance to come to America. And here we have all these mentees for them. So again, Mr. Humphrey had told me just whatever you need to do. And Joanne Greenberg the same. And then Laura Mitchell, she's whatever I wanted to do till my husband got sick. And then I said, I can't anymore, I have to-- &lt ; affirmative&gt ; He had Gotten this infection that he hardly couldn't walk for about a year. Teater: Oh no. Rios: But I took care of him. And, and he, we did wonderful, I mean, far as, and he came out of it and now he's on dialysis. He has been for five years. And again, it's a challenge just every day is a something new, but, but I live a quiet life. And if I can be, I tell people at my church, I will be here, but if I can't-- &lt ; affirmative&gt ; And, and that's the way I said, if you want me that way fine. If not, well, I have to something else, because as far as my church and my masses, I can always see them at home. I can, you know, do other things, especially now that everything is on TV. So, yeah. But at the same time, I'm very close to my priests that we built this new church here in Escondido, Resurrection, and I have had a lot of opportunities to help there. And again, I meet a lot of my people from the library and invite 'em there and come and see and bring your children. And again, I'm still involved. Theresa rios discusses how Escondido Public Library and other libaries can support non-English speakers and become more accessible and inclusive of people of different backgrounds and speak different languages. classes ; library ; Mexico City ; Spanish speakers ; support Accessibility in Libraries ; Escondido Public Library ; How libraries can be more inclusive to non-English speakers 1659 Connection with children as a librarian Teater: So you're still involved with children's programs then? Rios: Not as much as I would like to be, because, like I said, I can't commit myself too much because of my husband. Teater: Yeah. Rios: I have things that I need to do, but any chance I have, and they're having something really special, I try to attend. Teater: That's Nice. Rios: Or I just, I have a kind connection with the children at the church. And, and I just love it ; just even when they just say good morning, back to me, or hello or goodbye. And excited and on their way. And I'm on my way too. Teater: Sounds awesome. What has your-- what has connecting to children, or what has connecting to children meant to you? Like over the years as a librarian? Rios: What has connected mean to children? Teater: No. What has your connection with children meant to you as a librarian over the years? Rios: The in, oh, I just love to hear a child read. I love to just see their little faces when they hear a story. I'm just know, like I said, I have four of my own and, and a lot of nieces, I come from a family of ten, five brothers and five sisters. So I have nieces and nephews. And, anytime I'm Aunt Terry or Aunt T, or &lt ; laugh&gt ; , you know, we have a connection with, and in the library, of course they all know that, that I worked there. Anybody could come and, and visit their friends, cousins, nieces, nephews. And one time I had my grandson at the library. I baby him in the summer. Because my daughter and her husband had business to take care of up in Woodland, California. I mean Auburn. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; And Mr. Humphrey says, oh, my, my grandson was, I think he was seven or, or so seven years anyway, I had him in, enrolled him into the Boys and Girls Club. And so I had my friend Darlene from the library take him and they came back, both of them crying. &lt ; laugh&gt ; Teater: Oh, no. Rios: My grandson wouldn't stay. He would, he wouldn't stay. And I was working at the library. I couldn't, you know, I've taken care of customers. And so they came back crying, and then I said, okay, you come to the back. And I set him down there and I said, don't you move, you stay right there and eat your lunch or whatever. And anyway Mr. Humphrey was very kind, he never said a word to me about, yeah. Was that of order or anything. I mean, he let me do whatever was necessary for me to continue working there. Teater: I love that. That's so sweet. Rios: My grandson. I mean he loved being there at the library with me. &lt ; laugh&gt ; can I say, I mean, family always came first with me and I tell all my, the people that I know when they can't attend a meeting, that I, or something that I'm involved with, I say, and they say, my family, my doc, or doctors do whatever families first you take care of that, do not worry about anything else. And I'm saying it's family first when they need whatever they need. But at the same time I live my own life. It's a different life because my husband and I have been married forty-one years. Cause he's my third husband. So I have to do what is necessary to have a good life. And at the same time, do what what's good for other people, especially children and others. But when I can't do it, I can't do it. Like I said, in my home comes first right now with my ill husband has been ill for over 20 years. Teater: Oh no. Rios: And he retired. So, but he manages, he's a wonderful person. I mean, I could not ask for a better mate. Teater: Well, that's good to hear. I think those are all of my questions. Is there anything else that you want to add to your experience as a librarian or anything about that? Rios: Well, I just want you to make sure that, is there any way I can mail this literature to you, this newspaper articles and some of the things that I've did or I'll tell you, do you ever get to the pioneer room? Teater: I do not. So for here, I'm gonna pause the recording. --All right. Well, thank you so much for your time, Theresa. It was really great talking to you and learning all about your experience as a librarian and your impact on literacy in Escondido. It sounds so fulfilling. Thank you for your time today. Rios: You're so welcome. And Jay, what, what was your name, Jay? Teater: What? My name is MJ. Rios: MJ. I knew I had one right. Okay. MJ, thank you for calling me and giving me the opportunity to say all these things that I hope will help other people. Theresa Rios talks about how being a children's librarian has effected her and how accomodating her supervisor was for her responsibilites that interfered with work. family ; husband ; librarian ; Mr. Humphrey ; nephew Appreciation as a librarian ; Appreciative employee ; family bonds ; legacy as a librarian Oral History Theresa Rios is a retired Escondido librarian, where she created Las Embajadores Biblioteca. In this interview, Theresa discusses teaching children to read, empowering children to learn, and how her childhood impacted her passion for teaching children to read and love learning. MJ Teater: All right. It is recording now. All right. So today is Thursday, April 6th, 2022 at 1:07 PM. I am MJ Teater, a graduate student at California State University San Marcos. And today I&#039 ; m interviewing narrator Theresa Rios for the University Library Special Collections Oral History Project. Theresa, thank you for being here with me today. Theresa Rios: You&#039 ; re very welcome. Teater: &lt ; laughs&gt ; All right. Just to get started, can you introduce yourself, like, say your name and when you were, or maybe not when you were born, but where you were born? Rios: Mm-hmm. My name is Theresa Rios. I was born in Clifton, Arizona. Teater: I&#039 ; m going to ask you a few questions about your childhood and maybe your upbringing. So, how long have you lived in San Diego if you were born in Arizona? Rios: I came to Escondido in 1970. I brought my four children and myself and we moved here and my ex-husband and I have been here for fifty years. I lived in La Jolla for five years. I love Escondido. I came back to Escondido in I believe, [19]78. Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: And I have been here ever since. Teater: Wow. I love that. That&#039 ; s so cool. So at what point did you become a librarian? Or what was your journey to become a librarian? Rios: My journey was-- I have this write up from this Hispanic newspaper and it tells me here when I started the library was in... back in, oh my goodness. I&#039 ; m little nervous, but not really. Anyway, I came, I started working, I came back to Escondido. I started going to Palomar College and from there I met my husband, Dan Rios. After that, I left Palomar College and I went to the employment office and they sent me to the [Escondido Public] library and I got this job at the library and I thought, my goodness, I love this job. And so I started by being a library assistant. And from there, they started giving me some privileges about -- being Hispanic, there was no Hispanic library books for either the children and even the adults. So I started-- Oh my goodness. I started, well translating for the library, whatever they needed. Anytime they needed a Hispanic to translate something, they would call me. I started teaching some of the librarians, what to, how to discuss things in Spanish or to answer in Spanish when someone came to the library and had no Spanish experience or could not. But there was no one that would write anything. I transferred papers, whatever they needed. Then I started seeing that the children, I started saying stories to the children and I noticed where a lot of the Hispanic children did not understand what we were saying [in English], what I was saying to them. And, so then I told my supervisor, I think we should start a Hispanic program -- a storytelling time. And so he said, yes, whatever, it would be wonderful. Go ahead. Whatever you think. And at that time, I had a lot of the mothers that came with their children sometimes, and they also didn&#039 ; t know English. And so I decided to start Las Embajadores de Escondido. And they, they just thought again, Liz Painter was one of them. She helped, she helped a lot, because she was very friendly with all the people and she also wanted us to try something different. So again, I said, yes, let&#039 ; s do this. Let&#039 ; s tell the stories to the children in Spanish. And so there&#039 ; s a nice picture. The newspaper came over -- The [Escondido] Times Advocate -- and I have this, I&#039 ; m sorry. Teater: It&#039 ; s okay. Do you want me to pause the recording? Rios: Yes. One moment. Okay. There&#039 ; s a very nice picture of me with this book that I would tell this story, Las Zapatitos Colorados, &quot ; The Red Shoes&quot ; and with this story, I would tell all the children to be very careful about who they went with, how not to go with just anyone and just sort of try to... tell them to be cautious, but at the same time, there was a lot to learn. We had a lot to learn. But you you&#039 ; d have to see this, this article. And do you read Spanish? Teater: I know enough to muddle through it, you know &lt ; laugh&gt ; Rios: Oh good, good. Because this whole page is in Spanish. It&#039 ; s from the Hispanico, Hispanic Times. And it was way back in 2000. June 22nd, 2000. And it says Theresa Rios, nueva de delegate al club del parlementaria. Parliamentary. Teater: Oh cool. Rios: And before that well I was at Palomar College. I was with Concerned Citizens of Escondido at A Day With Your Neighbor Luncheon on May 7th, 1982: Theresa Rios, Pichacon Lupita, and George Lopez. And there&#039 ; s my boss over here. He&#039 ; s not mentioned, Jon Ericson. Anyway, there&#039 ; s a whole page of me with a picture of the, telling the story to the children. And I would like for you to see that, cause it just explains a lot. I had no idea I had done so much. &lt ; laughter&gt ; , it&#039 ; s bringing back all these memories and I loved it. I mean the, the library to me was like home. I mean wonderful. Teater: That&#039 ; s fantastic. Rios: Anyway, again, like I say, anything you asked me to do, whether it was a police department or it was the library or my bosses, the children were very important to get them started learning. I still have many friends here in Escondido that when I see, we talk about all the things that we did. And the library I&#039 ; ve been going there and Roberta, she was my dear friend there. Just a lot of the gals that were, that are still there. Some of them the other day I went to the library and there was Francine, this one, she said &quot ; Theresa! How are you? I haven&#039 ; t seen you in,&quot ; you know, things like that. And I just love the library. I love going back. I&#039 ; m just gonna kinda stay in touch, you know? Teater: Yeah. That&#039 ; s, that&#039 ; s great. That&#039 ; s so great. Rios: Back to, I mean, back to the -- what other question, I mean, I think I mentioned... Teater: That was a good starting point. So, can you tell me more about the Embajadores program? Rios: Yes, the Embajadores we, like I said, the children&#039 ; s mothers, some of them, some were elderly ladies that came to the library that were my friends that I would tell them, come join us. I mean, come join the Embajadores. We want every child in Escondido to have a library card. Teater: Oh. Rios: I want every child to know, to learn how to read at a very young age. And so they came, they came from all over and we would have -- one time we had this salsa contest, not a contest, but everybody brought different kinds of salsa and my salsa won a blue ribbon. &lt ; laughs&gt ; Teater: Ooh. Rios: It was technically a blue ribbon. It was just a wonderful time. And the people came, we would have different places that would sponsor us. One of them was El Tapatilla in Escondido would send food. Again, a lot of stuff that&#039 ; s in this article brings back a lot of memories. But the Embajadores came and they gave tours. I taught them to give tours through the library. I taught &#039 ; em to sit and talk with people that need just answers in Spanish or just to get together with other ladies that, that spoke Spanish only. And then bring them in as far as, trying to -- if they wanted an education, if they wanted to join literacy [program], things like that. I mean, literacy was just starting ; the literacy program. And, and we had, you know, different people teaching other people Spanish or English or... Teater: And about when were these programs happening? Rios: That was back in that era, which is, you know... [unclear] There&#039 ; s a lot of paperwork that have here that I I&#039 ; ve been going through, but you know, it&#039 ; s been so long. It&#039 ; s been-- Teater: Yeah. Yeah. Well that&#039 ; s okay. We can keep going. So, can you explain how, like early reading programs are impactful for a child&#039 ; s life? Like why that was so important to you? Rios: Because when I went to-- the reason that I believe this is so important is because I also, when I went to started kindergarten, I did not know a word of English. Very little, very, very little. My parents did not, we did not speak English at home. My father knew a little more than my mother, my mother didn&#039 ; t. I mean, because of her hardships, her mother died when she was, I believe, in third grade, I&#039 ; m not sure, but the schools were what, you know, and she lived in a ranch and she was left with four or five or six little ones that she helped grow up. And a baby that my, her, my grandmother, her mother died. So my mother always thought education was very important. You need it. She would get very upset. Um, so I knew that... And then I have -- Me marrying so young and having four children. I decided, nuh-uh, if I would&#039 ; ve had this education before, I would have, you know, not being so afraid of trying of being around people that could teach me that could read, could that would teach me. I mean, there was no nothing in Clifton Arizona where I was born. There was, there was some things, but not enough to inspire me at a young age. Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: And so I believe that if the children could get it right into them and tell me their stories, and then I would try to direct them when I would ask questions. Well, what do you do? How do you read at home? Do you do this? No... Do you like coming to the library? Oh yes. We like it. Do you like to hear stories? Oh, yes. And then I would ask some of the children little questions. I don&#039 ; t know if I should say this, but What do you do? Oh, we drink tequila. Teater: &lt ; laugh&gt ; oh, no, Rios: We would laugh over that That. I said, &quot ; Oh, no, we gotta get this--&quot ; &lt ; laugh&gt ; . I mean, I don&#039 ; t mean to it it&#039 ; s part of growing up it&#039 ; s in their environment, their family so again, I, I would see parents and I would say, well, you know, good, this is not so good. But, oh my God. And it just, I mean, you&#039 ; d have to talk to my supervisor, which was Joanne, oh, my away. Well, and Laura Mitchell was also one of my bosses. And like I said, city manager at the time, I can&#039 ; t, it&#039 ; s gone right now, but I&#039 ; ll have to get those names if you need &#039 ; em. But they would, give me card blank for whatever I wanted to do. I was so fortunate and so lucky and, a lot of like Graham Humphrey, he was the head of the library at the time. And he knew my husband very well. Dan Teater: Mm-hmm &lt ; affirmative&gt ; , Rios: And again, all I had to do was, well, Mr. Humphrey told me I want more Hispanic children here. I want, I don&#039 ; t-- at the time, I don&#039 ; t know whether he meant to say anything like this, but he said, I don&#039 ; t wanna see all this white Anglo-Saxons &lt ; affirmative&gt ; and I thought, oh my God. I mean because I believe that they&#039 ; re the white or the black or the Hispanic. We, they all need to learn everybody. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; Everybody needs to get some sense when they&#039 ; re young of what&#039 ; s going on and reading stories. I had no prejudice whatsoever, but I also understood the situation: who had the opportunities at home who didn&#039 ; t. And the ones that didn&#039 ; t of course would take priority of my attention, because I would have to explain myself more to them or listen to them a little more, so that they give me ideas of what, how I could help and how everybody in the library could help. Not just me. I didn&#039 ; t want, whenever somebody treated any of &#039 ; em with disrespect, I would just jump up and say, no, it&#039 ; s not the way we treat people. I mean, I had to fight everybody, not fight, but kind of. Teater: But yeah, I know what you mean. Rios: And I&#039 ; m still doing it. I still do it. Even in my church at resurrection and everybody is welcome. Everybody is a child of Jesus. Everybody deserves a right to be heard. Of course, sometimes people are not in the mood to be heard or this and that. But with me, they&#039 ; ll come and tell me anything. and I feel how can I say I, a lot of humility that they can do that with me. But I feel if they&#039 ; re wrong, I&#039 ; ll tell them if they&#039 ; re hurting, I&#039 ; ll listen. And if they just wanna talk, that&#039 ; s good too. So we get along and that&#039 ; s how I get along at the library, and all my life. Teater: That&#039 ; s Fantastic Rios: I guess this is how I tried to be. And what else can I tell you? Teater: &lt ; laugh&gt ; all right. Let me, let me look through my questions because you&#039 ; re, you&#039 ; re answering so many of them. So what can library librarians who only speak English do to support the Spanish speakers of, you know, Escondido and San Diego? Rios: What could they do? Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: Is that the question? Teater: Yes. Rios: They could take classes in Spanish mm-hmm &lt ; affirmative&gt ; They could have someone there to help interpret. They just like, you know, now a lot of people are coming like from other countries and we have to continue to learn. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; Although I&#039 ; m fluent Spanish and English, I love French, but you know, I&#039 ; m not that good at it. And I I&#039 ; m very close to my Filipino friends. I have a daughter-in-law that&#039 ; s married to my son and a wonderful family. And here in Escondido, I very belong to my church at resurrection eighties and the man, all we are very good friends on the counter. I am a greeter at my church on Sundays. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; I, we all work together. So Like I say, whoever walks into that door always gets a good morning from me when I am greeting. And a lot of them too. And I say, we need to be very kind, but at the same time we need to. But anybody just run out, you know, they&#039 ; re having a problem. One, we have to kinda-- Teater: What other, are there any other initiatives that you worked on while you were in the library? It sounds like you had a lot of support from your supervisors. Rios: Well I was on the desk. I started on the desk. Like I said, greeting people and what do they need? Or they would tell me what I need to find out this, I need to go to this desk or I need to go here. I need to, I need to know about that. So I would direct them to wherever. That was part of our job, to direct people, to wherever they needed to go and help them. If they couldn&#039 ; t find something, if they had the librarian on the desk was busy we could try and just keep them moving. But at the same time, I had meetings with several people. I mean they have this special room. Can&#039 ; t think of it right now. I mean, it&#039 ; s just upstairs, but I would do whatever it took to for the children to have special things going on. I mean, yeah, I have to go back. But if you see this picture of me taken when I would read stories, oh, and I got, I got this job at the library, like I said, way back then, but my husband and I were planning a trip to Mexico City, Mexico, a three week trip through me to Mexico. And I told my boss, I told Joanne Greenberg. I said, I think this was in August that I got hired around that time. And in December, we were planning to go to Mexico for three weeks, four weeks. And I said, I would have to work here, but I have to ask, my husband and I are going to go to Mexico, and I want to go very badly. I&#039 ; ve never been to Mexico City. And, if you will, let me go. And, and let me come back to this job. I promise to work as hard as I can. And, you know, they let me do this after just being hired a couple of months. And I was all very grateful for that. We had a lovely time in Mexico. We had children running after our van and I mean things I saw and and my husband being a photographer, took pictures of the kids and the dresses, the colors. It was amazing. So I came back to the library and &lt ; affirmative&gt ; , I had all those stories in me from, for the children and for, you know, even adults. Teater: Mm-hmm &lt ; affirmative&gt ; sounds like, that sounds awesome. Rios: Seeing the no education, you know, a lot of we were out in the mountains where there were, and I said, and here they get a chance to come to America. And here we have all these mentees for them. So again, Mr. Humphrey had told me just whatever you need to do. And Joanne Greenberg the same. And then Laura Mitchell, she&#039 ; s whatever I wanted to do till my husband got sick. And then I said, I can&#039 ; t anymore, I have to-- &lt ; affirmative&gt ; He had Gotten this infection that he hardly couldn&#039 ; t walk for about a year. Teater: Oh no. Rios: But I took care of him. And, and he, we did wonderful, I mean, far as, and he came out of it and now he&#039 ; s on dialysis. He has been for five years. And again, it&#039 ; s a challenge just every day is a something new, but, but I live a quiet life. And if I can be, I tell people at my church, I will be here, but if I can&#039 ; t-- &lt ; affirmative&gt ; And, and that&#039 ; s the way I said, if you want me that way fine. If not, well, I have to something else, because as far as my church and my masses, I can always see them at home. I can, you know, do other things, especially now that everything is on TV. So, yeah. But at the same time, I&#039 ; m very close to my priests that we built this new church here in Escondido, Resurrection, and I have had a lot of opportunities to help there. And again, I meet a lot of my people from the library and invite &#039 ; em there and come and see and bring your children. And again, I&#039 ; m still involved. Teater: So you&#039 ; re still involved with children&#039 ; s programs then? Rios: Not as much as I would like to be, because, like I said, I can&#039 ; t commit myself too much because of my husband. Teater: Yeah. Rios: I have things that I need to do, but any chance I have, and they&#039 ; re having something really special, I try to attend. Teater: That&#039 ; s Nice. Rios: Or I just, I have a kind connection with the children at the church. And, and I just love it ; just even when they just say good morning, back to me, or hello or goodbye. And excited and on their way. And I&#039 ; m on my way too. Teater: Sounds awesome. What has your-- what has connecting to children, or what has connecting to children meant to you? Like over the years as a librarian? Rios: What has connected mean to children? Teater: No. What has your connection with children meant to you as a librarian over the years? Rios: The in, oh, I just love to hear a child read. I love to just see their little faces when they hear a story. I&#039 ; m just know, like I said, I have four of my own and, and a lot of nieces, I come from a family of ten, five brothers and five sisters. So I have nieces and nephews. And, anytime I&#039 ; m Aunt Terry or Aunt T, or &lt ; laugh&gt ; , you know, we have a connection with, and in the library, of course they all know that, that I worked there. Anybody could come and, and visit their friends, cousins, nieces, nephews. And one time I had my grandson at the library. I baby him in the summer. Because my daughter and her husband had business to take care of up in Woodland, California. I mean Auburn. &lt ; affirmative&gt ; And Mr. Humphrey says, oh, my, my grandson was, I think he was seven or, or so seven years anyway, I had him in, enrolled him into the Boys and Girls Club. And so I had my friend Darlene from the library take him and they came back, both of them crying. &lt ; laugh&gt ; Teater: Oh, no. Rios: My grandson wouldn&#039 ; t stay. He would, he wouldn&#039 ; t stay. And I was working at the library. I couldn&#039 ; t, you know, I&#039 ; ve taken care of customers. And so they came back crying, and then I said, okay, you come to the back. And I set him down there and I said, don&#039 ; t you move, you stay right there and eat your lunch or whatever. And anyway Mr. Humphrey was very kind, he never said a word to me about, yeah. Was that of order or anything. I mean, he let me do whatever was necessary for me to continue working there. Teater: I love that. That&#039 ; s so sweet. Rios: My grandson. I mean he loved being there at the library with me. &lt ; laugh&gt ; can I say, I mean, family always came first with me and I tell all my, the people that I know when they can&#039 ; t attend a meeting, that I, or something that I&#039 ; m involved with, I say, and they say, my family, my doc, or doctors do whatever families first you take care of that, do not worry about anything else. And I&#039 ; m saying it&#039 ; s family first when they need whatever they need. But at the same time I live my own life. It&#039 ; s a different life because my husband and I have been married forty-one years. Cause he&#039 ; s my third husband. So I have to do what is necessary to have a good life. And at the same time, do what what&#039 ; s good for other people, especially children and others. But when I can&#039 ; t do it, I can&#039 ; t do it. Like I said, in my home comes first right now with my ill husband has been ill for over 20 years. Teater: Oh no. Rios: And he retired. So, but he manages, he&#039 ; s a wonderful person. I mean, I could not ask for a better mate. Teater: Well, that&#039 ; s good to hear. I think those are all of my questions. Is there anything else that you want to add to your experience as a librarian or anything about that? Rios: Well, I just want you to make sure that, is there any way I can mail this literature to you, this newspaper articles and some of the things that I&#039 ; ve did or I&#039 ; ll tell you, do you ever get to the pioneer room? Teater: I do not. So for here, I&#039 ; m gonna pause the recording. --All right. Well, thank you so much for your time, Theresa. It was really great talking to you and learning all about your experience as a librarian and your impact on literacy in Escondido. It sounds so fulfilling. Thank you for your time today. Rios: You&#039 ; re so welcome. And Jay, what, what was your name, Jay? Teater: What? My name is MJ. Rios: MJ. I knew I had one right. Okay. MJ, thank you for calling me and giving me the opportunity to say all these things that I hope will help other people. Teater: Yeah, they will. Thank you so much for your time today. Rios: You&#039 ; re so welcome. Teater: Okay. All right. Have a good rest of your day. Rios: You too goodly. Teater: All right. Bye. Bye. https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en audio Property rights reside with the university. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. This resource is licensed for noncommercial educational use using CC NC-BY 4.0. Please contact Special Collections at archives csusm.edu if you need reproductions made. Please see the related “Preferred Citation note” for language on citing materials from this collection. Permission to examine Library materials is not authorization to publish or to reproduce the examined material in whole, or in part. 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The researcher agrees not to record, reproduce, or disclose any Social Security number or other information of a highly personal nature that may be found. 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RiosTheresa_MadisonTeater-2022-04-06.xml RiosTheresa_MadisonTeater-2022-04-06.xml Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Theresa. Interview April 7, 2022 Description An account of the resource Theresa Rios is a retired Escondido librarian, where she created Las Embajadores Biblioteca. In this interview, Theresa discusses teaching children to read, empowering children to learn, and how her childhood impacted her passion for teaching children to read and love learning. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC027-17 Subject The topic of the resource Latine Americans Libraries -- Literacy Public libraries Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022-04-07 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Theresa Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Madison Teater Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Arizona Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Theresa Rios Community history History Department internship Latine experience Women's experience https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/d3c147170d930bc7f12d9f580bba4753.pdf ad9279d0bc173837718e150a224623cd PDF Text Text TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS MJ Teater: All right. It is recording now. All right. So today is Thursday, April 6th, 2022 at 1:07 PM. I am MJ Teater, a graduate student at California State University San Marcos. And today I'm interviewing narrator Theresa Rios for the University Library Special Collections Oral History Project. Theresa, thank you for being here with me today. Theresa Rios: You're very welcome. Teater: <laughs> All right. Just to get started, can you introduce yourself, like, say your name and when you were, or maybe not when you were born, but where you were born? Rios: Mm-hmm. My name is Theresa Rios. I was born in Clifton, Arizona. Teater: I'm going to ask you a few questions about your childhood and maybe your upbringing. So, how long have you lived in San Diego if you were born in Arizona? Rios: I came to Escondido in 1970. I brought my four children and myself and we moved here and my exhusband and I have been here for fifty years. I lived in La Jolla for five years. I love Escondido. I came back to Escondido in I believe, [19]78. Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: And I have been here ever since. Teater: Wow. I love that. That's so cool. So at what point did you become a librarian? Or what was your journey to become a librarian? Rios: My journey was-- I have this write up from this Hispanic newspaper and it tells me here when I started the library was in... back in, oh my goodness. I’m little nervous, but not really. Anyway, I came, I started working, I came back to Escondido. I started going to Palomar College and from there I met my husband, Dan Rios. After that, I left Palomar College and I went to the employment office and they sent me to the [Escondido Public] library and I got this job at the library and I thought, my goodness, I love this job. And so I started by being a library assistant. And from there, they started giving me some privileges about -being Hispanic, there was no Hispanic library books for either the children and even the adults. So I Transcribed by MJ Teater 1 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS started-- Oh my goodness. I started, well translating for the library, whatever they needed. Anytime they needed a Hispanic to translate something, they would call me. I started teaching some of the librarians, what to, how to discuss things in Spanish or to answer in Spanish when someone came to the library and had no Spanish experience or could not. But there was no one that would write anything. I transferred papers, whatever they needed. Then I started seeing that the children, I started saying stories to the children and I noticed where a lot of the Hispanic children did not understand what we were saying [in English], what I was saying to them. And, so then I told my supervisor, I think we should start a Hispanic program – a storytelling time. And so he said, yes, whatever, it would be wonderful. Go ahead. Whatever you think. And at that time, I had a lot of the mothers that came with their children sometimes, and they also didn't know English. And so I decided to start Las Embajadores de Escondido. And they, they just thought again, Liz Painter was one of them. She helped, she helped a lot, because she was very friendly with all the people and she also wanted us to try something different. So again, I said, yes, let's do this. Let's tell the stories to the children in Spanish. And so there's a nice picture. The newspaper came over -- The [Escondido] Times Advocate -- and I have this, I'm sorry. Teater: It's okay. Do you want me to pause the recording? Rios: Yes. One moment. Okay. There's a very nice picture of me with this book that I would tell this story, Las Zapatitos Colorados, “The Red Shoes” and with this story, I would tell all the children to be very careful about who they went with, how not to go with just anyone and just sort of try to... tell them to be cautious, but at the same time, there was a lot to learn. We had a lot to learn. But you you'd have to see this, this article. And do you read Spanish? Teater: I know enough to muddle through it, you know <laugh> Rios: Oh good, good. Because this whole page is in Spanish. It's from the Hispanico, Hispanic Times. And it was way back in 2000. June 22nd, 2000. And it says Theresa Rios, nueva de delegate al club del parlementaria. Parliamentary. Teater: Oh cool. Rios: And before that well I was at Palomar College. I was with Concerned Citizens of Escondido at A Day With Your Neighbor Luncheon on May 7th, 1982: Theresa Rios, Pichacon Lupita, and George Lopez. And there's my boss over here. He's not mentioned, Jon Ericson. Anyway, there's a whole page of me with a picture of the, telling the story to the children. And I would like for you to see that, cause it just explains a lot. I had no idea I had done so much. <laughter>, it's bringing back all these memories and I loved it. I mean the, the library to me was like home. I mean wonderful. Teater: That's fantastic. Rios: Transcribed by MJ Teater 2 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS Anyway, again, like I say, anything you asked me to do, whether it was a police department or it was the library or my bosses, the children were very important to get them started learning. I still have many friends here in Escondido that when I see, we talk about all the things that we did. And the library I've been going there and Roberta, she was my dear friend there. Just a lot of the gals that were, that are still there. Some of them the other day I went to the library and there was Francine, this one, she said “Theresa! How are you? I haven't seen you in,” you know, things like that. And I just love the library. I love going back. I'm just gonna kinda stay in touch, you know? Teater: Yeah. That's, that's great. That's so great. Rios: Back to, I mean, back to the -- what other question, I mean, I think I mentioned... Teater: That was a good starting point. So, can you tell me more about the Embajadores program? Rios: Yes, the Embajadores we, like I said, the children's mothers, some of them, some were elderly ladies that came to the library that were my friends that I would tell them, come join us. I mean, come join the Embajadores. We want every child in Escondido to have a library card. Teater: Oh. Rios: I want every child to know, to learn how to read at a very young age. And so they came, they came from all over and we would have -- one time we had this salsa contest, not a contest, but everybody brought different kinds of salsa and my salsa won a blue ribbon. <laughs> Teater: Ooh. Rios: It was technically a blue ribbon. It was just a wonderful time. And the people came, we would have different places that would sponsor us. One of them was El Tapatilla in Escondido would send food. Again, a lot of stuff that's in this article brings back a lot of memories. But the Embajadores came and they gave tours. I taught them to give tours through the library. I taught 'em to sit and talk with people that need just answers in Spanish or just to get together with other ladies that, that spoke Spanish only. And then bring them in as far as, trying to -- if they wanted an education, if they wanted to join literacy [program], things like that. I mean, literacy was just starting; the literacy program. And, and we had, you know, different people teaching other people Spanish or English or... Teater: And about when were these programs happening? Rios: That was back in that era, which is, you know... [unclear] There's a lot of paperwork that have here that I I've been going through, but you know, it's been so long. It's been-Teater: Transcribed by MJ Teater 3 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS Yeah. Yeah. Well that's okay. We can keep going. So, can you explain how, like early reading programs are impactful for a child's life? Like why that was so important to you? Rios: Because when I went to-- the reason that I believe this is so important is because I also, when I went to started kindergarten, I did not know a word of English. Very little, very, very little. My parents did not, we did not speak English at home. My father knew a little more than my mother, my mother didn't. I mean, because of her hardships, her mother died when she was, I believe, in third grade, I'm not sure, but the schools were what, you know, and she lived in a ranch and she was left with four or five or six little ones that she helped grow up. And a baby that my, her, my grandmother, her mother died. So my mother always thought education was very important. You need it. She would get very upset. Um, so I knew that... And then I have -- Me marrying so young and having four children. I decided, nuh-uh, if I would've had this education before, I would have, you know, not being so afraid of trying of being around people that could teach me that could read, could that would teach me. I mean, there was no nothing in Clifton Arizona where I was born. There was, there was some things, but not enough to inspire me at a young age. Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: And so I believe that if the children could get it right into them and tell me their stories, and then I would try to direct them when I would ask questions. Well, what do you do? How do you read at home? Do you do this? No... Do you like coming to the library? Oh yes. We like it. Do you like to hear stories? Oh, yes. And then I would ask some of the children little questions. I don't know if I should say this, but What do you do? Oh, we drink tequila. Teater: <laugh> oh, no, Rios: We would laugh over that That. I said, “Oh, no, we gotta get this--” <laugh>. I mean, I don't mean to it it's part of growing up it's in their environment, their family so again, I, I would see parents and I would say, well, you know, good, this is not so good. But, oh my God. And it just, I mean, you'd have to talk to my supervisor, which was Joanne, oh, my away. Well, and Laura Mitchell was also one of my bosses. And like I said, city manager at the time, I can't, it's gone right now, but I'll have to get those names if you need 'em. But they would, give me card blank for whatever I wanted to do. I was so fortunate and so lucky and, a lot of like Graham Humphrey, he was the head of the library at the time. And he knew my husband very well. Dan Teater: Mm-hmm <affirmative>, Rios: Transcribed by MJ Teater 4 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS And again, all I had to do was, well, Mr. Humphrey told me I want more Hispanic children here. I want, I don't-- at the time, I don't know whether he meant to say anything like this, but he said, I don't wanna see all this white Anglo-Saxons <affirmative> and I thought, oh my God. I mean because I believe that they're the white or the black or the Hispanic. We, they all need to learn everybody. <affirmative> Everybody needs to get some sense when they're young of what's going on and reading stories. I had no prejudice whatsoever, but I also understood the situation: who had the opportunities at home who didn't. And the ones that didn't of course would take priority of my attention, because I would have to explain myself more to them or listen to them a little more, so that they give me ideas of what, how I could help and how everybody in the library could help. Not just me. I didn't want, whenever somebody treated any of 'em with disrespect, I would just jump up and say, no, it's not the way we treat people. I mean, I had to fight everybody, not fight, but kind of. Teater: But yeah, I know what you mean. Rios: And I'm still doing it. I still do it. Even in my church at resurrection and everybody is welcome. Everybody is a child of Jesus. Everybody deserves a right to be heard. Of course, sometimes people are not in the mood to be heard or this and that. But with me, they'll come and tell me anything. and I feel how can I say I, a lot of humility that they can do that with me. But I feel if they're wrong, I'll tell them if they're hurting, I'll listen. And if they just wanna talk, that's good too. So we get along and that's how I get along at the library, and all my life. Teater: That’s Fantastic Rios: I guess this is how I tried to be. And what else can I tell you? Teater: <laugh> all right. Let me, let me look through my questions because you're, you're answering so many of them. So what can library librarians who only speak English do to support the Spanish speakers of, you know, Escondido and San Diego? Rios: What could they do? Teater: Mm-hmm. Rios: Is that the question? Teater: Transcribed by MJ Teater 5 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS Yes. Rios: They could take classes in Spanish mm-hmm <affirmative> They could have someone there to help interpret. They just like, you know, now a lot of people are coming like from other countries and we have to continue to learn. <affirmative> Although I'm fluent Spanish and English, I love French, but you know, I'm not that good at it. And I I'm very close to my Filipino friends. I have a daughter-in-law that's married to my son and a wonderful family. And here in Escondido, I very belong to my church at resurrection eighties and the man, all we are very good friends on the counter. I am a greeter at my church on Sundays. <affirmative> I, we all work together. So Like I say, whoever walks into that door always gets a good morning from me when I am greeting. And a lot of them too. And I say, we need to be very kind, but at the same time we need to. But anybody just run out, you know, they're having a problem. One, we have to kinda-Teater: What other, are there any other initiatives that you worked on while you were in the library? It sounds like you had a lot of support from your supervisors. Rios: Well I was on the desk. I started on the desk. Like I said, greeting people and what do they need? Or they would tell me what I need to find out this, I need to go to this desk or I need to go here. I need to, I need to know about that. So I would direct them to wherever. That was part of our job, to direct people, to wherever they needed to go and help them. If they couldn't find something, if they had the librarian on the desk was busy we could try and just keep them moving. But at the same time, I had meetings with several people. I mean they have this special room. Can't think of it right now. I mean, it's just upstairs, but I would do whatever it took to for the children to have special things going on. I mean, yeah, I have to go back. But if you see this picture of me taken when I would read stories, oh, and I got, I got this job at the library, like I said, way back then, but my husband and I were planning a trip to Mexico City, Mexico, a three week trip through me to Mexico. And I told my boss, I told Joanne Greenberg. I said, I think this was in August that I got hired around that time. And in December, we were planning to go to Mexico for three weeks, four weeks. And I said, I would have to work here, but I have to ask, my husband and I are going to go to Mexico, and I want to go very badly. I've never been to Mexico City. And, if you will, let me go. And, and let me come back to this job. I promise to work as hard as I can. And, you know, they let me do this after just being hired a couple of months. And I was all very grateful for that. We had a lovely time in Mexico. We had children running after our van and I mean things I saw and and my husband being a photographer, took pictures of the kids and the dresses, the colors. It was amazing. So I came back to the library and <affirmative>, I had all those stories in me from, for the children and for, you know, even adults. Teater: Mm-hmm <affirmative> sounds like, that sounds awesome. Rios: Seeing the no education, you know, a lot of we were out in the mountains where there were, and I said, and here they get a chance to come to America. And here we have all these mentees for them. So again, Mr. Humphrey had told me just whatever you need to do. And Joanne Greenberg the same. And then Transcribed by MJ Teater 6 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS Laura Mitchell, she's whatever I wanted to do till my husband got sick. And then I said, I can't anymore, I have to-- <affirmative> He had Gotten this infection that he hardly couldn't walk for about a year. Teater: Oh no. Rios: But I took care of him. And, and he, we did wonderful, I mean, far as, and he came out of it and now he's on dialysis. He has been for five years. And again, it's a challenge just every day is a something new, but, but I live a quiet life. And if I can be, I tell people at my church, I will be here, but if I can't-- <affirmative> And, and that's the way I said, if you want me that way fine. If not, well, I have to something else, because as far as my church and my masses, I can always see them at home. I can, you know, do other things, especially now that everything is on TV. So, yeah. But at the same time, I'm very close to my priests that we built this new church here in Escondido, Resurrection, and I have had a lot of opportunities to help there. And again, I meet a lot of my people from the library and invite 'em there and come and see and bring your children. And again, I'm still involved. Teater: So you're still involved with children's programs then? Rios: Not as much as I would like to be, because, like I said, I can't commit myself too much because of my husband. Teater: Yeah. Rios: I have things that I need to do, but any chance I have, and they're having something really special, I try to attend. Teater: That's Nice. Rios: Or I just, I have a kind connection with the children at the church. And, and I just love it; just even when they just say good morning, back to me, or hello or goodbye. And excited and on their way. And I'm on my way too. Teater: Sounds awesome. What has your-- what has connecting to children, or what has connecting to children meant to you? Like over the years as a librarian? Rios: Transcribed by MJ Teater 7 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS What has connected mean to children? Teater: No. What has your connection with children meant to you as a librarian over the years? Rios: The in, oh, I just love to hear a child read. I love to just see their little faces when they hear a story. I'm just know, like I said, I have four of my own and, and a lot of nieces, I come from a family of ten, five brothers and five sisters. So I have nieces and nephews. And, anytime I'm Aunt Terry or Aunt T, or <laugh>, you know, we have a connection with, and in the library, of course they all know that, that I worked there. Anybody could come and, and visit their friends, cousins, nieces, nephews. And one time I had my grandson at the library. I baby him in the summer. Because my daughter and her husband had business to take care of up in Woodland, California. I mean Auburn. <affirmative> And Mr. Humphrey says, oh, my, my grandson was, I think he was seven or, or so seven years anyway, I had him in, enrolled him into the Boys and Girls Club. And so I had my friend Darlene from the library take him and they came back, both of them crying. <laugh> Teater: Oh, no. Rios: My grandson wouldn't stay. He would, he wouldn't stay. And I was working at the library. I couldn't, you know, I've taken care of customers. And so they came back crying, and then I said, okay, you come to the back. And I set him down there and I said, don't you move, you stay right there and eat your lunch or whatever. And anyway Mr. Humphrey was very kind, he never said a word to me about, yeah. Was that of order or anything. I mean, he let me do whatever was necessary for me to continue working there. Teater: I love that. That's so sweet. Rios: My grandson. I mean he loved being there at the library with me. <laugh> can I say, I mean, family always came first with me and I tell all my, the people that I know when they can't attend a meeting, that I, or something that I'm involved with, I say, and they say, my family, my doc, or doctors do whatever families first you take care of that, do not worry about anything else. And I'm saying it's family first when they need whatever they need. But at the same time I live my own life. It's a different life because my husband and I have been married forty-one years. Cause he's my third husband. So I have to do what is necessary to have a good life. And at the same time, do what what's good for other people, especially children and others. But when I can't do it, I can't do it. Like I said, in my home comes first right now with my ill husband has been ill for over 20 years. Teater: Oh no. Rios: Transcribed by MJ Teater 8 2022-05-13 �TRANSCRIPT, INTERVIEW 2022-04-07 THERESA RIOS And he retired. So, but he manages, he's a wonderful person. I mean, I could not ask for a better mate. Teater: Well, that's good to hear. I think those are all of my questions. Is there anything else that you want to add to your experience as a librarian or anything about that? Rios: Well, I just want you to make sure that, is there any way I can mail this literature to you, this newspaper articles and some of the things that I've did or I'll tell you, do you ever get to the pioneer room? Teater: I do not. So for here, I'm gonna pause the recording. --All right. Well, thank you so much for your time, Theresa. It was really great talking to you and learning all about your experience as a librarian and your impact on literacy in Escondido. It sounds so fulfilling. Thank you for your time today. Rios: You're so welcome. And Jay, what, what was your name, Jay? Teater: What? My name is MJ. Rios: MJ. I knew I had one right. Okay. MJ, thank you for calling me and giving me the opportunity to say all these things that I hope will help other people. Teater: Yeah, they will. Thank you so much for your time today. Rios: You're so welcome. Teater: Okay. All right. Have a good rest of your day. Rios: You too goodly. Teater: All right. Bye. Bye. Transcribed by MJ Teater 9 2022-05-13 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transcripts Description An account of the resource Written oral histories and transcripts are available for researchers that prefer the written word, or to see the whole interview in a document. Transcripts of <a href="https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/collections/show/5">audio and video files</a> are also available as part of those video files. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rios, Theresa. Interview transcript. April 7, 2022. Description An account of the resource Theresa Rios is a retired Escondido librarian, where she created Las Embajadores Biblioteca. In this interview, Theresa discusses teaching children to read, empowering children to learn, and how her childhood impacted her passion for teaching children to read and love learning. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Theresa Rios Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource MJ Teater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022-04-07 Subject The topic of the resource Latine Americans Libraries -- Literacy Public libraries Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Escondido (Calif.) Arizona Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Special Collections Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In copyright</a> Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Theresa Rios License A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource. <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC027-17 Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2022-05-13 Community history History Department internship Latine experience Women's experience Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Description An account of the resource Video and audio oral histories can be viewed here. Histories are listed alphabetically by last name. Individual histories are indexed and transcribed and can be searched. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <p>Rights to oral histories vary depending on the history. The library owns the copyright to some histories, and has license to reproduce for nonprofit purposes for others. Please contact CSUSM University Library Special Collections at <a href="mailto:%20archives@csusm.edu">archives@csusm.edu</a> with any questions about use.</p> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Faye A. Jonason Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Leslee K. Roberts OHMS Object This field contains the OHMS Hyperlink (link to the XML file within the OHMS Viewer) https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RobertsLeslee_JonasonFaye_2022-11-29.xml OHMS Object Text This field contains the OHMS Index and / or Transcript and is what makes the contents of the OHMS object searchable in Omeka 5.4 Roberts, Leslee K. Interview November 11, 2022. SC027-23 0:38:15 SC027 California State University San Marcos University Library Special Collections oral history collection Community oral histories CSUSM This interview was recorded as part of the North County Oral History Initiative, a partnership between California State University San Marcos and San Marcos Historical Society &amp ; Heritage Park. This initiative was generously funded by the Center for Engaged Scholarship at CSU San Marcos. csusm United States. Marine Corps Poway (Calif.) Women marines Korean War, 1950-1953 Veterans -- United States Telephone operators Leslee K. Roberts Faye A. Jonason mp4 RobertsLeslee_JonasonFaye_2022-11-29.mp4 1:|16(2)|32(7)|45(3)|64(2)|86(17)|113(4)|144(2)|174(4)|195(17)|225(13)|257(15)|284(3)|310(18)|335(4)|374(2)|406(7)|436(16)|459(15)|493(8)|511(16)|545(5)|594(12)|616(5)|639(6)|682(5)|719(11)|736(4)|753(13)|808(4)|852(2)|898(2)|932(5)|953(11)|989(11)|1019(4)|1050(9)|1089(10)|1156(10)|1167(16) 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/73ed728127e92b4e01be2617427312f6.mp4 Other video English 0 Entering the Marine Corps/ Boot camp training Leslee Roberts discusses her decision to join the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. She recounts growing up in Cleveland, OH and how she had originally joined the Sisters of Charity, but that her independent personality made her a difficult fit to become a nun. Her brother who had ambitions to join the Marine Corps later introduced her to a recruiter and she enlisted. Leslee also discusses her boot camp training at Parris Island and the strict grooming rules that were expected of women Marines. Cleveland (Ohio) ; Marine corps ; Nuns ; Parris Island (S.C.) ; Sisters of Charity ; U.S. marines ; U.S. military ; Vietnam War ; Women in the Marine Corps ; Women in the military 0 349 Assignment at Camp Pendleton Leslee Roberts discusses being assigned to Camp Pendleton in 1966 or 1967. She was around twenty-four years old. She worked in the Marine Corps Exchange and trained other Marines due to her previous work experience. It was during this period in which she met her husband. Camp Pendleton (Calif.) ; Marine Corps ; Marine Corps Exchange ; Oceanside (Calif.) ; U.S. marines ; U.S. military ; Women in the Marine Corps ; Women in the military 0 510 Working as a switchboard operator Leslee Roberts recounts her work as a switchboard operator in the Marines. She began this work prior to joining the Marines when she worked at the Salvation Army’s hospital. She briefly explains the technology behind the switchboard. She describes the most enjoyable part of the work was interacting with other people and learning about their day-to-day lives. Leslee also describes the Marine Corps uniforms that were worn during the summertime and wintertime. Camp Pendleton (Calif.) ; Marine Corps ; Marine Corps Exchange ; Marine Corps uniforms ; Military uniforms ; Oceanside (Calif.) ; Switchboard operator ; U.S. marines ; U.S. military ; Women in the Marine Corps ; Women in the military 0 746 Women Marine barracks at Camp Pendleton Leslee Roberts discusses living at the Women Marine barracks when she was assigned to Camp Pendleton. She describes the experience as unpleasant and lived there for less than a year before moving off base. She explains that the Woman Marine barracks were “squad based” and that Marines had to maintain their quarters to strict regulations. Leslee also briefly describes the social life in the barracks and how rank and rules affected daily life for the Marines. Barracks ; Camp Pendleton (Calif.) ; Marine Corps ; Oceanside (Calif.) ; U.S. marines ; U.S. military ; Women in the Marine Corps ; Women in the military ; Women Marine barracks 0 1042 Marriage Leslee Roberts describes her marriage to her husband who she met while assigned to Camp Pendleton. Her husband was a Gunnery Sergeant. They moved to Oceanside, CA after getting married and lived in Oceanside for five years before moving to Poway, CA. She explains that she continued to work for the Marine Corps Exchange after getting married. She also recounts the various military regulations that she and her husband had to jump through in order to get married. She explains that due to her low rank and her gender, she had to ask permission to marry her husband from her Commanding Officer. She also explains that she received an honorable discharge once she became pregnant. Camp Pendleton (Calif.) ; Gunnery Sergeant ; Marine Corps ; Marine Corps Exchange ; Marriage ; Military regulations ; Oceanside (Calif.) ; Poway (Calif.) ; Pregnancy ; U.S. marines ; U.S. military ; Women in the Marine Corps ; Women in the military 0 1318 Living in San Diego County Leslee Roberts describes her current life in San Diego County. She has lived in the same house in Poway, CA since 1972. She explains how Poway was a new community and that she enjoyed watching it grow. She recalls participating in events, greeting new citizens in Poway, and watching the construction of various developments and schools. Community center ; Developming community ; North County San Diego ; Poway (Calif.) ; San Diego (Calif.) ; San Diego County ; Schools 0 1545 Reflecting on the Marine Corps Leslee Roberts reflects on the Marine Corps from a gender lens. She explains that while women were seen as second-class citizens during the Vietnam War, that men and women both enlist for the same reasons. She expresses her how she is glad to see women being granted the same honor and privileges as men in the military in the twenty-first century. Gender ; Marine Corps ; Sexism ; U.S. marines ; U.S. military ; Women in the Marine Corps ; Women in the military 0 1676 The community of Poway, CA Leslee Roberts continues to reflects on the community of Poway, CA. She recalls the history of Poway’s schools that eventually led to the formation of Poway Unified School District. She also discusses the fight to create a community center and a community pool. Leslee also discusses the complicated relationship between North County and the City of San Diego, such as North County citizens having to abide by San Diego tax laws or relying on San Diego to fix their streets. Community center ; Developing community ; North County San Diego ; Poway (Calif.) ; Poway Unified School District ; San Diego (Calif.) ; San Diego County ; Schools ; Taxes 0 Oral history An oral history interview with Leslee K. Roberts, a Marine Corps veteran, who shares her experiences growing up in Ohio, deciding not to become a nun and choosing to leave Ohio by joining the U.S. Marine Corps. She discusses some military regulations, meeting and marrying her husband, and her various homes in North County. She talks about her involvement and support of the Poway community as well as Poway’s early development. Faye Jonason: Good afternoon. It is November 29th, 2002―22, and we are at the&#13 ; Marine Corps Mechanized Museum. And I am interviewing―my name is Faye Jonason&#13 ; and I’m interviewing Leslee Roberts, and we’re doing this for CSU San Marcos’s&#13 ; Program for Oral History and for Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton’s Oral&#13 ; History Archives. So, thank you for being here.&#13 ; &#13 ; Leslee Roberts: My pleasure.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And I’m going to ask you your name—your full name—and for you to spell&#13 ; your last name, please.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes. My name is Leslee Kaye Roberts. That’s R-O-B-E-R-T-S.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And you were in the Marine Corps!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes,&#13 ; &#13 ; ma’am.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, I’d like to know, very much, how you came about the decision and&#13 ; how you came to the Marine Corps.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (sighs) That’s a bit of a story. Um, number one, I have a―I had a&#13 ; brother and it was his dream to become a Marine. He was about four years younger&#13 ; than I and that’s all he ever talked about. Number one. That was not originally&#13 ; my ambition. I joined the Sisters of Charity to become a nun and that did not&#13 ; work out too well. I’m very independent individual, had hard time conforming.&#13 ; So, I was told that I would not fit with the Sisters of Charity. So, I left.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Now this was in Cleveland?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: This was in Cleveland. Uh, like&#13 ; &#13 ; I was, uh, in my twenties, and I had no job, and I bounced around for a while,&#13 ; and my brother—bless his heart—kept telling me “Join the Marine Corps. Join the&#13 ; Marine Corps.” It was something that he had desired and something that he worked&#13 ; at for—all through his high school years. He even knew the, um, recruiter, okay?&#13 ; So, he introduced me to the recruiter and the young man convinced me&#13 ; that—what–what’s three years—okay? So, at the time I was doing nothing, and I&#13 ; said, all right. And I put my hand in the air and I became a Marine.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (laughs) What did your family think about that?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: They weren’t too happy. My mom—she always went along with whatever&#13 ; decision I made,&#13 ; &#13 ; within reason. My dad took it very hard. It was during the Vietnam War, and he&#13 ; even laid his head in my lap and cried, “Please don’t do this!” But it was too&#13 ; late. I already had my hand in the air and I belonged to the United States of America.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (chuckles) Okay. So, what happened next?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I went to bootcamp!&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Where?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Parris Island, and spent a good s–almost eight weeks—I guess it was—in training.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: What did they train you to do?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: To be honest, as I kind of mentioned here before, um, the whole idea of&#13 ; boot camp wasn’t any different than becoming a sister for Sisters of Charity.&#13 ; (Jonason laughs) The whole idea of both institutions was to take my personality,&#13 ; take me&#13 ; &#13 ; (points to herself) away and to think as one individual. I was not allowed to&#13 ; have individual thoughts or ideas. And the Marine Corps was basically the same.&#13 ; You were to think as one unit and not as a person, but as one unit.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And so, you’re training―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: In–in the Marine Corps? Boot camp is basically the same. There was a&#13 ; lot of, uh, book learning to learn whatever. There was a lot of marching,&#13 ; learning to follow rules. Um, I don’t know if I can be any more specific than that.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did they teach—you know—I know the Marine Corps taught makeup to some women.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (shaking her head) No. I was never taught about makeup.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: You were—you weren’t taught ―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: You weren’t even allowed to wear makeup.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (clears her throat) Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Okay? The—one of the things I remember the most is your hair had to be short.&#13 ; &#13 ; It could touch the collar (points to her collarbone) but not cover the collar.&#13 ; But, again, I didn’t follow those rules and I got away with it.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Hm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (sighs) I have a hard time conforming, still do.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: The rule was it could not—it could–it could touch but not cover, you&#13 ; know, the–the collar (gestures to her shoulder area). So, all I did was wear it&#13 ; up. And as long as I got up every day before Reveille was called, I made sure my&#13 ; hair was up and I had eyebrows on, because you weren’t allowed to wear make up either.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh. (laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (shrugs) So―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, you got your training in Parris Island.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And then what happened? Where did you go after that?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, I was given leave, for two weeks and I—while I was in boot camp, I&#13 ; had choices. I didn’t&#13 ; &#13 ; necessarily—I wouldn’t necessarily get those choices. But, I asked for San&#13 ; Diego, California. And I got California! (she smiles)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And why did you ask for San Diego, California?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Because I’d never been out of Ohio.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh, okay. And did they say―I guess they sent you to San Diego.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: They did, all the way to Camp Pendleton.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. And what year was that? Do you know?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I believe it was ’66, ’67, yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. And how–how were you assigned your job?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, (sighs) that’s a good question. I assumed my job—Number one, I was&#13 ; a bit of older recruit, okay? And I had experience in working—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: You said you were in your twenties.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I was around twenty-four.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: So, that made me a little bit older than most recruits coming in. They&#13 ; were eighteen, nineteen—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —years old. Because I had the experience, they took that experience and&#13 ; they gave me an M.O.S., which was forty-one eleven, which was an Exchange person&#13 ; accou–accountant and Commissary accountant.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And you say you also did some kind of interviewing or training other Marines.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: When I got into working for—in the Exchange—I did—I interviewed people&#13 ; to work in the Exchange, okay?&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: And hired them. I worked in Personnel.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: And handled most stuff regarding that.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And how long did you do that?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: For the three years that I was in.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And what do you remember best about your time at Camp Pendleton during&#13 ; that time.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I met my husband.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Ah! (chuckles) And how did you meet your husband?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: He also worked&#13 ; &#13 ; in the Exchange. Of course, he was higher up than I was. And, he ran his own&#13 ; store. And, um, at times I was a switchboard―I would work the switchboard and&#13 ; relieve at lunch time. And we got to communicating on the switchboard, and he&#13 ; finally come over and introduced himself.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: And I don’t have to tell you, from that point on, we clicked!&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. Tell me about your switchboard work, because that doesn’t exist&#13 ; anymore, does it?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: What was that like?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: ―not that I know of. Um, I enjoyed it, okay? It was work that I also&#13 ; did at the hospital when I worked for the Salvation Army (unintelligible). And&#13 ; um, so because I had that experience it was on my record, so to speak. And when&#13 ; I went to work for the Exchange, I kind of relieved people. I worked in the office.&#13 ; &#13 ; We were all in the same facility. And I would relieve them for lunch, or if&#13 ; someone called in sick, or whatever, so―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: How does the―most―myself, I have never run a switchboard.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: How would I go about doing that?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, that’s kind of hard to say! (laughs) And that’s—you know—a&#13 ; switchboard! Um, it was just another way of communicating from phone to phone&#13 ; within the offices. And each phone had a number, and there was a number on the&#13 ; board, and there were the cords that you would plug in outside or you could plug&#13 ; them into each other.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh, okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, it’s like something you―like—I’m trying to think of what they’re called.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I can’t think of anything at this time that would―I could compare it&#13 ; to, except if you had a–a phone with buttons, you know.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Yeah. Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: You just plugged them in!&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Interesting, interesting. And so, you were here for three years and what&#13 ; &#13 ; were your uniforms that you were required to wear while you were working and&#13 ; while you were doing other―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I always was in uniform.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Which was?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Summertime, wintertime. I worked with the uniform.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: What―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I was in the Marine Corps.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: —what kind of uniform?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: In the summertime, we had a–a light uniform, fit for the weather. In&#13 ; the winter, we had a much heavier, darker-colored uniform.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. And you always had to wear a cover outside?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Outside, always.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. Is there anything about that work experience that you would like&#13 ; to tell us about?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, you got to meet a lot of people!&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Yeah?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Always. And uh, it was always—it was a bit fun, in a way, because you&#13 ; could for months communicate with an individual and talk and say, “How was your day?”&#13 ; &#13 ; and “Oh, I just had a baby,” or whatever, okay? And never, ever see their faces.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Uh, (chuckles) okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: So, that was kind of different. Yes. And it was always a fun experience&#13 ; when they were able to come and say “Hi, I’m so-and-so. I work for―” whatever.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, were there civilians that came in and shopped where you were?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, absolutely! I mean, this was a Commissar―uh, well, at the time it&#13 ; was an Exchange, the Military Exchange. And of course, all civilians, troops―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Their families.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Their families, absolutely. Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Were there any special events that associated with your–your work?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Can you be more specific?&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did they hold any special events at—I guess—at the exchange.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No. We–we celebrated the Marine Corps birthday, uh―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did they close down the store? Did you have spe―I mean, what did they&#13 ; do for that?&#13 ; &#13 ; (clears her throat)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Bec–being civilian, not a lot, okay? Because not only the military&#13 ; shopped there ; their families did, which was not military, okay? Um, the―we&#13 ; would be closed on holidays. And, we were just like any outside, whether you&#13 ; were working at Target or J.C. Penny or whatever.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. Um―&#13 ; &#13 ; (A second interviewer, Maryellen Cortellini, seems to be asking Leslee a&#13 ; question, because Leslee looks to her right, away from Faye.)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: (less audible) Where did you live when you first got to Camp Pendleton?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I didn’t hear the question.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Excuse me. What was the question? (It sounds as though Jonason turns to&#13 ; ask the Cortellini to repeat the question.)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Where did she live?&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh, where did you live when you first came to Camp Pendleton?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I lived in the W.M., Women Marine’s barracks. Um, it was not my cup of&#13 ; tea. And when I was able, I moved off base. It wasn’t quite, um, legal, but I did.&#13 ; &#13 ; I had a― (sighs) there was a―I can’t remember her rank. I think she was a Staff&#13 ; Sergeant, and she was being transferred to, um, Virginia, and she had pets, and&#13 ; she knew I did not like living in the barracks with a bunch of teenagers. So,&#13 ; she offered me her home if I would take care of her pets! And—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —I moved off base, oh, within eight months or so and lived in Carlsbad.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: And took care of her home and her pets.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, how long had you stayed in the Women Marine barracks themselves?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, actually, it wasn’t even a full year.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. And these were wooden buildings?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No. At the―these were new barracks that they had just recently built.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, they were, what, squad based?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Squad based! Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: How many―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: A great big―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: ―bunks?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Well, I think we had about twenty in the squad bay I lived in. And you&#13 ; were judged—you were put in the squad bay according to your rank.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And so, you’re–you’re one bunk above and below?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Exactly.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And you were required to keep them a certain way.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Absolutely.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Regulation.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: You had–you had, um, I can’t remember the exact term. Forgive me.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Junk on the bunk?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No, uh―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (laughs) That’s what I was told.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: We―well, not then! We had to maintain and keep them clean, okay? And&#13 ; so, it was a–a group thing that was done once a week, no matter what your rank&#13 ; was. You were required, you know. Wash floors, windows, whatever.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did you also do other things besides your job in maintaining the–the&#13 ; barracks? Did you―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh! Had a good time! (both she and Jonason chuckle)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Well, you did more than that, I know! (Roberts laughs) Did they have&#13 ; you do—picking&#13 ; &#13 ; up around the barracks, and―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: ―all that kind of stuff?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes. We had, um, um―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Field day?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Outside to maintain the—you know—the grass, and the bushes and&#13 ; whatever. Yes, that was also part of our requirement. We were to treat it like&#13 ; it was our home. And we would do those things if we were within our own home. So.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Had you ever gone to the Green Hat Club?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No. The Green Hat Club was after me.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Okay? I’m not sure what year. Yes, there were a lot of, uh–uh, what do&#13 ; you call them, um―&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: (inaudible)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —officers clubs. There were different clubs for different rank and of&#13 ; course I was a peon, so I―till I made sergeant, but yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: How did ch–becoming sergeant change your life?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It gave―it made me more independent.&#13 ; &#13 ; I didn’t have to follow some of the rules and regulations.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, did you live―you said you lived in the barracks about a year. So,&#13 ; you lived in the–in the Staff Sergeant’s house about two?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: About two years. Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. And then what did―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Not legally, but I did. (both she and Jonason laugh.)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Well, nowadays, you’d get permissions or something. Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I’m not sure (smiles wide).&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (laughs) Um, is there any other part of that work that you’d like to&#13 ; share with us?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: As far as the military is concerned?&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: In a way, um, it was―I think once I left the military, I was more&#13 ; conscious of my responsibility when I was in the Marine Corps.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: The motto of a W.M., which we were called—Women Marines—was to release&#13 ; a fighting man. And of course, it was during the Vietnam War, and it was a&#13 ; &#13 ; difficult time for the United States and for everyone. So, I didn’t think about&#13 ; it a lot but once I left the military, I realized what my job was or had been,&#13 ; to help win that war.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: You–you appreciated it more?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Much more.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And so, then when you left you got married?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes, I did.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And where did you go?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: In fact, I don’t know. I don’t remember all the times, but my husband&#13 ; who was stationed here at Camp Pendleton and his career was basically here,&#13 ; okay? He was a Gunnery Sergeant and he owned a home in Oceanside. And so, when&#13 ; we—naturally when we got married, I moved into his home in Oceanside.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And how long did you stay there?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (sighs) Uh, quite a few years. We didn’t move out—I guess I was there&#13 ; &#13 ; at least five years, at least five years, and then we bought a home elsewhere in&#13 ; San Diego. He retired.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Why did you like San Diego?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: He liked San Diego.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did you?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes, I guess so. My children were born here. It became my home. Uh,&#13 ; yes. Yes. I liked it.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did you work outside the home once you were married?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I did, but not until my children got a little older. I actually went to&#13 ; work for the Marine Corps Exchange. (both she and Jonason laugh)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. And how long did you do that?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, now you’re asking a question you have to think about. It was a few years.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Yeah?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I would say five or six years. Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. Well, that’s good.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: What was the Marine Corps reaction to your announcement that you&#13 ; wanted to get married?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I–I—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh, you said—Yeah!—How did you―when you decided&#13 ; &#13 ; to get married, there were regulations that you had to jump through before you&#13 ; could do that.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (chuckles) Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Both you and your husband.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Being―being a–a low rank, number one, and being a woman Marine, I had&#13 ; to ask permission from my C.O., the sergeant in charge, and—which I had to do.&#13 ; Uh, between you and me, I did it because it was considered one of my&#13 ; responsibilities. Otherwise, I thought it was a silly rule.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (chuckles) And your husband had to do the same thing, right?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Well, he did. He did. And my―for me, he did it for me. Not so much for&#13 ; himself. He’d been married before. His first wife had passed. So, um, he was a–a&#13 ; bit youn–older than I am or was. And um, so no he didn’t. But, he did,&#13 ; &#13 ; for me. Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: He asked permission for you.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Right. We went together.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh! Very interesting. And were there any other situa―parts of that that&#13 ; were required?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No, because when we married, there–there was no problem. But because of&#13 ; our age, okay, we wanted a family. And the–the motto of the Marine Corps was if&#13 ; we wanted you to have a child, we’d issued you one.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: I see.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: So, as soon as I became pregnant, I was automatically dis–discharged.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (coughs) Excuse me.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I got an honorable discharge, but, yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Huh.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: So, that’s how I left.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Interesting. And were you―after you were married, you moved into his&#13 ; house. Were you still a Marine at that poin–time?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: I’m trying to clarify that.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, until I became―&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Pregnant.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: ―pregnant. Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay. (&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: We lived there for two children.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (chuckles)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: He retired. He went to work for the Post Office and we moved into San&#13 ; Diego area.&#13 ; &#13 ; Terry Norwood: Where were your children—(barely audible) first and second—born?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Camp Pendleton, at the old hospital.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Because he was still in the military? Or―&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No. We were―because he was what is considered a lifer, someone who put&#13 ; in twenty-two years of his life. He continued to have privileges—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Ah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —military privileges.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, he wasn’t in the Corps still, when they were born?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And what did he do?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: My husband went to work for the U.S. Post Office.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Mm-hmm. He took the test and passed and–and continued to work there for&#13 ; thirty years.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Wonderful!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And I understand that you’re still living in San Diego area.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, actually I live in the same house.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (chuckles) Oh, my goodness!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Live in the same house. We bought a new home outside of Poway and I’ve&#13 ; lived there ever since. I think it was 1972, or something like that.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Wow! You must like it there.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It’s paid for! (she chuckles and Jonason laughs) For sure!&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Are there parts of the community that you enjoy more than others?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: In–in San Diego? San Diego?—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: In Poway, San Diego County.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, you know, I had two other children born there, and, um, it—number&#13 ; one, it was very new. We were one of the first housing developments in the area.&#13 ; So, basically, I watched it grow (raises her hands to indicate something&#13 ; growing) into this huge community.&#13 ; &#13 ; And, um, I felt like it was home. And yes, I do. I like it there. I can’t think&#13 ; of any place else.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: (unintelligible, but sounds like “Chopped Liver”)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, I’m not sure. A pool, oh (shrugs)—as far as activities—(looking at&#13 ; Cortellini) is that–is that what we’re talking about? Okay—&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: What do you like about the community?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh! I did—yes, I’m talking about the beginning of living in the&#13 ; community and why I stayed there. Uh, I’m very active. Well, I won’t say active&#13 ; but I have a lot of activities within the community since I’ve lived there. So—&#13 ; I like to swim and do water aerobics, and—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: This is a community pool, I take it? Or—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes, it is. Number one, I–I got to watch the community grow. Like I&#13 ; said, we were one of the first developments in the area, housing developments,&#13 ; and so I got to watch&#13 ; &#13 ; it grow.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: There must be a story about being one of the first of the development.&#13 ; Was there—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: —an event or something?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —number one, now you want me to be silly? It was a ch—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: No. (laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, okay. (laughs also) No, it was just a very new community and it was&#13 ; fun greeting all the new people and watching different developments grow,&#13 ; watching schools being built and my children being able to go to those schools.&#13 ; I know—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Did you get to pick specific flooring and that type of thing in your&#13 ; house wh—at that time? Was that something that—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Pretty much.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: —Yeah?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Pretty much so. Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I mean, the house was built and then I did what I wanted to the inside&#13 ; of it (smiles wide) and outside, of course.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: But that wasn’t with the builder, though. That was on your own, right?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: That was on my own.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Interesting. Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (apparently she turns to Cortellini) Are there other questions that you&#13 ; would like to see asked?&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Um, it would be nice if she (rest of question is inaudible, but&#13 ; seems to be talking about entering something into a document)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Well, we’ll have that in the–in the file. Um—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Just the fact that she left her close-knit family and friends, and&#13 ; her small town of Eastlake, Ohio to travel all the way to South Carolina to&#13 ; enlist in Marine Corps bootcamp. How brave and courageous as a young woman to&#13 ; make that monumental decision.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (turning her head from Cortellini back to Jonason, smiling) She does—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Well, I think she–she went in from the frying pan into the fire—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: The fire.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: —didn’t you! (laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Amen! (laughs also)&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: But she’s a cast iron skillet.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (turning to Norwood): Pardon me?&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: But you’re a cast iron skillet.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, is that—Oh, I–I’ve never quite thought of myself that way, but—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: (continuing to laugh) Yeah, but hey—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —I will take the compliment. (turns back to Jonason)&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: And the other thing I think you could give perspective on is how the&#13 ; military has grown since you’ve been here.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, absolutely. Uh, as–for women? Yes, absolutely. Uh, it was—we&#13 ; &#13 ; were considered second class citizens back in 1966. Like I think I said&#13 ; previously, we were given the title of releasing a fighter–a fighting man, okay?&#13 ; And we were supposed to, uh—our jobs basically were to fill in where the men&#13 ; would have to leave and we would fill in and take their jobs. So, it was—it’s&#13 ; different today. Women join the military exactly the reason that men do. They&#13 ; want the—They want to do something for their country, number one. I can’t speak&#13 ; for all of them, but yes. I think they—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —they have the same honor and privileges that they–you–this country&#13 ; offers their military. So, yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: If you had a message for a young Marine today, what would it be?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Whoa! (Jonason laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Um, I really wouldn’t have a message for them. It—Number one, I believe it’s&#13 ; something that they—nowadays—let me put it this way. Nowadays, I think both men&#13 ; and women join the military because they want t–to, because it offers them&#13 ; something that they desire. Back in the day of, say, 1966, uh, men were drafted.&#13 ; Okay? And women were second class citizens. But they did it anyways, (shrugs)&#13 ; whatever their purpose—for their country ; for themselves ; for their family. So,&#13 ; times have changed.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay! Well, thank you very much.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: You’re very welcome.&#13 ; &#13 ; (the video then stops and starts, and cuts off the beginning portion of what&#13 ; Leslee Roberts is saying, but she continues speaking, turning to Cortellini now:)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —San Diego people. Or we could become Poway people living in San&#13 ; &#13 ; Diego.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: Mm. Okay. And that, I can’t tell you how huge that is to the&#13 ; education—well, this is not necessar—this is going off on a tangent—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No, no. It had a–had a big—yes. Because—&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: It did!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: just a community—&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: It did.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Mira Mesa, down the road is San Diego.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: So, we were given a choice, and we made it. And we made the Poway&#13 ; U—part, we helped make Poway Unified School what they are.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: That right there tells—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Is key.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —what this woman is about. So, to–I–just—and—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I never thought about it, but—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: (inaudible due to Jonason asking a further question)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: So, you’re saying that there was no Poway schools when you—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Poway, yes. Poway had their own little, uh—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: No, it wasn’t.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —They didn’t even have a high—They—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: They didn’t have a—They were not a unified school district until late—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No, they weren’t. Until much later.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: But, did–did they have a school?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh yes. They had several, um, elementary schools. What was that? (turns&#13 ; from Jonason to Cortellini) They had Poway High—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: They had one—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: — and one middle school.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —one middle school.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: And they, and they were—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (turns to Jonason) Midland. Yeah, it was Midland. (holds up her left hand)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: They were part of Escondido. They weren’t really in their s–unified&#13 ; school district,—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No, they weren’t considered—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: but they were—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: But they—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It was—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: And then we had (inaudible)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It was–Actually, it was–it was considered—it was kind of a country town.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It was just this country little, country city. They were themselves,&#13 ; okay? And, um, they did have schools for their kids and whatnot. But that was&#13 ; very small, very limited. I can’t even begin to tell you—Even now, there’s only&#13 ; one main—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Okay. I’m st—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —road, going through Poway, and it’ll always be the main th–main road&#13 ; through Poway because everyone built to the sidewalks! There’s no way of&#13 ; widening it. (Jonason laughs) There’s no way of expanding it. (Jonason clears&#13 ; her throat) It’s all the way up to, uh, Ramona, bay–basically.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: So, now, I’m going to the Poway Museum and the R.B. Museum to see&#13 ; what historical data is there, because based on more—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Now—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —info about the school district and how it came to be, because—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: See,&#13 ; &#13 ; now Rancho Bernardo was—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —that is really—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Rancho Bernardo was always there. It was considered more—back in&#13 ; (lowers voice) those (back to speaking voice) days, it was, uh, for seniors.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Seniors.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It was more of a senior place.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: It was a community planned—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: And um, yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: And, uh, they did attend, those that were–that lived in, say, Rancho&#13 ; Bernardo. They did attend the Poway school. Okay? Those were the—That was the&#13 ; only school district around. San Diego was a little far ou– far away for them.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: But–but it wasn’t even a formed Unified School District in the early 70s.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Till much later. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Okay. And then, also, um, you’re–you’re being modest. You haven’t&#13 ; been asked to write your history, so I get it.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (turns to Jonason and shrugs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: But just sitting here, I’m thinking of how you guys fought for the&#13 ; community center,—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —the pool that you swim in.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yeah. Oh, absolutely.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: You know? All the things—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: And what happened with the community center?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It was a—We wanted it. They made it. Um, (sighs) how do I say it? It–it&#13 ; wa–I guess—it&#13 ; &#13 ; wasn’t—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: The city—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —exactly a community—how–how–what would you call the pool, ‘cuz I’ve&#13 ; been going there for twenty years.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Yeah. It was a community center.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: It was.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Um, and the city decided to change—all that nastiness out of my&#13 ; mouth real quick—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: You can say it. I–my ears are used to it. (Jonason chuckles)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Then, um, this—When the city decided that to change their Charter&#13 ; and a lot of their zoning and who they were going to support or–or–in–like–They&#13 ; were no longer going to have a senior center. Okay? And they were—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —no longer going to have a community pool. But the community rallied—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: But it was considered growing, and they wanted to grow into something&#13 ; besides Poway which we kind of fought for.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: And, yet, they didn’t want to bring in a Y.M.C.A. They wanted to be—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —their own thing and have it be bigger. But it’s just not what the&#13 ; people wanted at the time.&#13 ; &#13 ; So, these ladies were part of the movement.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Well, back then, yeah, we kind of steadfast and we voted.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: How were you—How old were your kids at that time?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh they were—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Oh, this was only like ten years ago.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yeah. Well—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: But–but I—but I’ve only known you for maybe ten—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Sss—Yeah. Bu–bu–well, when they started building schools—This was the&#13 ; thing that–that we fought for. Number one was technically, technically I live in&#13 ; San Diego. Okay? But Poway is our school district. Poway is our hospitals. Poway&#13 ; is, you know, all the stuff that makes a city a city. We were able to stay in&#13 ; that group, and—well, Rancho Bernardo, too. But we—whereas just down the road&#13 ; about three or four miles, we have San Diego, Mira Mesa,&#13 ; &#13 ; some of the other ones.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: It’s very—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: They’re all San Diego, so they have to follow the San Diego taxes, the&#13 ; San Diego whatever, whatever.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Well, we do too.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No, no, I know. But I’m trying to think of things.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: It’s very convoluted up where we are. It took me a while to wrap my&#13 ; head around—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Everything.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: —how in the world could we be part of Poway Unified when we’re a San&#13 ; Di—city of San Diego address. It was really complex.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: We—But we kind of fought for that. In fact, I can remember Mount Carmel—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Well, I’m grateful (chuckles)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: —Mount Carmel wa—uh, all the kids in my–in our area went to Poway High,&#13 ; went to Midland Junior High, okay? S–and–and the elementary school. And my kids&#13 ; started off at Me–Meadowbrook. Meadowbrook? (looks toward Jonason)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Whatever, for kindergarten through ninth, (Jonason coughs) or whatever&#13 ; it was, until we fought for our own schools (Jonason coughs) and our own area.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Hhm, that’s interesting.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: So, I mean, yeah. I can remember when they built&#13 ; &#13 ; the high school.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Do you?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Carmel Mountain.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: You’re a legend in my community, girl.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (laughs) I don’t know about that, but— (Jonason laughs) we&#13 ; didn’t—Poway, um, was recognized as having a very good school system, okay? Or,&#13 ; whatever. And we wanted to continue with what Poway was giving to our students.&#13 ; Where San Diego was—I mean, look at San Diego. San Diego is a huge place, and&#13 ; it’s gotten huger, so—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Is Poway considered part of North County?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes. So—&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: And, for many, many, many, many, many years, Rancho Bernardo, where I&#13 ; live—She lives in Poway, but sh–very close to R.B., um, but she’s not affected&#13 ; like we are because she’s in Poway. So, R.B. is the farthest north of San Diego.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: San Diego, yep (nodding).&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: She is right&#13 ; &#13 ; beneath us.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: On the edge, Mm-hmm.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: We are North County and we are–don’t—We have to fight for the city of&#13 ; San Diego to fix our streets, to—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: To do whatever.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: To–to do whatever we need—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Right.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: —because we’re so far north. They forget about us. They’ll take our tax revenue—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, they do take that!&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: —but they’ll forget about us, which is one of–just one of many reasons&#13 ; why we wanted to integrate into our own sch–school system up there.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, no. I—&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: Because it was so small, we could be more vocal. We could give more&#13 ; input into a smaller school district versus being a part of San Diego.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Well, parents were included. You were invited to come to the–to the&#13 ; school board meetings. You were, you know what I mean? You were invited to&#13 ; participate in becoming a school board member—I mean—so, you were part of it.&#13 ; Where as far as San Diego is concerned, which is—like I said—just five miles&#13 ; down the road, um, they were totally into, uh,&#13 ; &#13 ; San Diego, (shrugs) Mira Mesa and all the ones around there now. So— (shrugs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Aah, we did that a bit, I guess. I don’t— (laughs) We fought for it.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Well, it sounds like you’re a very active person in your community.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Uh, (sighs, shaking her head), that was a long time ago. This old lady&#13 ; has settled in. (she and Jonason laugh) I’m not as active as I used to be.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: I just wanted to say. You know, when I first met Leslee, before I&#13 ; knew she was a Marine, over time, I started calling her “our fearless leader”&#13 ; (Roberts and Jonason laugh) at the pool, because she had this wonderful way of&#13 ; recruiting more people and she—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I had a mouth!&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: She singlehandedly—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: It’s a good thing!&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: She–but she s—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: When I don’t agree with you, you’re gonna hear about it. (all laugh)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: She’s still humble about it. But, she singlehandedly turned a water&#13 ; aerobics, or water exercise class into a family. That’s how we became friends.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yes.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Oh.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: She roped me in, and she writes–ropes in everybody!&#13 ; &#13 ; (laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: Yes. She makes you feel wanted.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: She makes you feel like a family, and then makes everyone feels&#13 ; welcome, and now, they—you wouldn’t believe the size of our water aerobics.&#13 ; We’re up to forty-plus people (somewhat unintelligible, faint voice, and there&#13 ; is background traffic noise)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I know.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: And that’s the summer.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Well, I think we have around, about thirty permanent, you know, oldies&#13 ; but goodies.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: That’s—but that’s also—&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: (can’t distinguish what she says, due to crosstalk)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: In the summertime.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Seriously. I give you credit for that, and you really—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Oh, not totally. There were—&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: But, she’s—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Look at Doreen,&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: And see, that’s where&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: (unintelligible, due to crosstalk)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Doreen.&#13 ; &#13 ; (Norwood and Cortellini crosstalk ; unintelligible)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Yeah. It wasn’t just me.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: (first few words unintelligible) incorporated those values, a team and—&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: You feel that? Do you feel that the Marine Corps has helped you be&#13 ; organized and get people together?&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: I never thought about it, ‘cuz I was always a mouth.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Well, but—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: Why do you think they kicked me out of the Sisterhood.&#13 ; &#13 ; Jonason: Because you needed to be a Marine. (laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: No. Because I didn’t fit in. (laughs)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: What did we go to the Mayor’s office for?&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: Oh, that was film week again. (next few words unintelligible)&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Okay.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (nodding) Yeah.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: Still! Still!&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: Leslee has—I know—Leslee has been an advocate for myself,&#13 ; &#13 ; my project, my books. She—&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (to Jonason) Like I said, I’m a mouth.&#13 ; &#13 ; Cortellini: She has shared my books with everybody.&#13 ; &#13 ; Roberts: (to Jonason) And sometimes, if you’re loud enough, people just don’t&#13 ; say no to you.&#13 ; &#13 ; Norwood: I called her my agent there—she still is my agent (rest of sentence is unintelligible).&#13 ; &#13 ; https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en video Property rights reside with the university. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. &#13 ; &#13 ; This resource is licensed for noncommercial educational use using CC NC-BY 4.0. 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The researcher agrees not to record, reproduce, or disclose any Social Security number or other information of a highly personal nature that may be found. 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RobertsLeslee_JonasonFaye_2022-11-29.xml RobertsLeslee_JonasonFaye_2022-11-29.xml https://archivesearch.csusm.edu/repositories/3/resources/19 https://archivesearch.csusm.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/22626iu Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Roberts, Leslee K. Interview November 11, 2022. Description An account of the resource An oral history interview with Leslee K. Roberts, a Marine Corps veteran, who shares her experiences growing up in Ohio, deciding not to become a nun and choosing to leave Ohio by joining the U.S. Marine Corps. She discusses some military regulations, meeting and marrying her husband, and her various homes in North County. She talks about her involvement and support of the Poway community as well as Poway’s early development. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC027-23 Subject The topic of the resource Camp Pendleton (Calif.) Korean War, 1950-1953 Switchboard operators United States. Marine Corps Veterans -- United States Women marines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022-11-23 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Leslee K. Roberts Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Faye A. Jonason Maryellen Cortellini Terry Norwood Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Poway (Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Leslee K. Roberts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In copyright</a> Community history North County Oral History Initiative Veteran experience Women's experience https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/a4eab2eb7098e5cb2da2844a583b4393.pdf 529a5a1d54025024f7f1fcfe7d125d1d PDF Text Text Transcript created March 31, 2023 Transcript Faye Jonason: Good afternoon. It is November 29th, 2002―22, and we are at the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum. And I am interviewing―my name is Faye Jonason and I’m interviewing Leslee Roberts, and we’re doing this for CSU San Marcos’s Program for Oral History and for Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton’s Oral History Archives. So, thank you for being here. Leslee Roberts: My pleasure. Jonason: And I’m going to ask you your name—your full name—and for you to spell your last name, please. Roberts: Yes. My name is Leslee Kaye Roberts. That’s R-O-B-E-R-T-S. Jonason: And you were in the Marine Corps! Roberts: Yes, ma’am. Jonason: So, I’d like to know, very much, how you came about the decision and how you came to the Marine Corps. Roberts: (sighs) That’s a bit of a story. Um, number one, I have a―I had a brother and it was his dream to become a Marine. He was about four years younger than I and that’s all he ever talked about. Number one. That was not originally my ambition. I joined the Sisters of Charity to become a nun and that did not work out too well. I’m very independent individual, had hard time conforming. So, I was told that I would not fit with the Sisters of Charity. So, I left. Jonason: Now this was in Cleveland? Roberts: This was in Cleveland. Uh, like I was, uh, in my twenties, and I had no job, and I bounced around for a while, and my brother—bless his heart—kept telling me “Join the Marine Corps. Join the Marine Corps.” It was something that he had desired and something that he worked at for—all through his high school years. He even knew the, um, recruiter, okay? So, he introduced me to the recruiter and the young man convinced me that—what–what’s three years—okay? So, at the time I was doing nothing, and I said, all right. And I put my hand in the air and I became a Marine. Jonason: (laughs) What did your family think about that? Roberts: They weren’t too happy. My mom—she always went along with whatever decision I made, within reason. My dad took it very hard. It was during the Vietnam War, and he even laid his head in my lap and cried, “Please don’t do this!” But it was too late. I already had my hand in the air and I belonged to the United States of America. 1 �Jonason: (chuckles) Okay. So, what happened next? Roberts: I went to bootcamp! Jonason: Where? Roberts: Parris Island, and spent a good s–almost eight weeks—I guess it was—in training. Jonason: What did they train you to do? Roberts: To be honest, as I kind of mentioned here before, um, the whole idea of boot camp wasn’t any different than becoming a sister for Sisters of Charity. (Jonason laughs) The whole idea of both institutions was to take my personality, take me (points to herself) away and to think as one individual. I was not allowed to have individual thoughts or ideas. And the Marine Corps was basically the same. You were to think as one unit and not as a person, but as one unit. Jonason: And so, you’re training― Roberts: In–in the Marine Corps? Boot camp is basically the same. There was a lot of, uh, book learning to learn whatever. There was a lot of marching, learning to follow rules. Um, I don’t know if I can be any more specific than that. Jonason: Did they teach—you know—I know the Marine Corps taught makeup to some women. Roberts: (shaking her head) No. I was never taught about makeup. Jonason: You were—you weren’t taught ― Roberts: You weren’t even allowed to wear makeup. Jonason: (clears her throat) Okay. Roberts: Okay? The—one of the things I remember the most is your hair had to be short. It could touch the collar (points to her collarbone) but not cover the collar. But, again, I didn’t follow those rules and I got away with it. Jonason: Hm. Roberts: (sighs) I have a hard time conforming, still do. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: The rule was it could not—it could–it could touch but not cover, you know, the–the collar (gestures to her shoulder area). So, all I did was wear it up. And as long as I got up every day before Reveille was called, I made sure my hair was up and I had eyebrows on, because you weren’t allowed to wear make up either. Jonason: Oh. (laughs) Roberts: (shrugs) So― Jonason: So, you got your training in Parris Island. 2 �Roberts: Yes. Jonason: And then what happened? Where did you go after that? Roberts: Uh, I was given leave, for two weeks and I—while I was in boot camp, I had choices. I didn’t necessarily—I wouldn’t necessarily get those choices. But, I asked for San Diego, California. And I got California! (she smiles) Jonason: And why did you ask for San Diego, California? Roberts: Because I’d never been out of Ohio. Jonason: Oh, okay. And did they say―I guess they sent you to San Diego. Roberts: They did, all the way to Camp Pendleton. Jonason: Okay. And what year was that? Do you know? Roberts: I believe it was ’66, ’67, yeah. Jonason: Okay. And how–how were you assigned your job? Roberts: Uh, (sighs) that’s a good question. I assumed my job—Number one, I was a bit of older recruit, okay? And I had experience in working— Jonason: You said you were in your twenties. Roberts: I was around twenty-four. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: So, that made me a little bit older than most recruits coming in. They were eighteen, nineteen— Jonason: Oh! Roberts: —years old. Because I had the experience, they took that experience and they gave me an M.O.S., which was forty-one eleven, which was an Exchange person accou–accountant and Commissary accountant. Jonason: And you say you also did some kind of interviewing or training other Marines. Roberts: When I got into working for—in the Exchange—I did—I interviewed people to work in the Exchange, okay? Jonason: Okay. Roberts: And hired them. I worked in Personnel. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: And handled most stuff regarding that. Jonason: And how long did you do that? 3 �Roberts: For the three years that I was in. Jonason: And what do you remember best about your time at Camp Pendleton during that time. Roberts: I met my husband. Jonason: Ah! (chuckles) And how did you meet your husband? Roberts: He also worked in the Exchange. Of course, he was higher up than I was. And, he ran his own store. And, um, at times I was a switchboard―I would work the switchboard and relieve at lunch time. And we got to communicating on the switchboard, and he finally come over and introduced himself. Jonason: Oh! Roberts: And I don’t have to tell you, from that point on, we clicked! Jonason: Okay. Tell me about your switchboard work, because that doesn’t exist anymore, does it? Roberts: No― Jonason: What was that like? Roberts: ―not that I know of. Um, I enjoyed it, okay? It was work that I also did at the hospital when I worked for the Salvation Army [unintelligible]. And um, so because I had that experience it was on my record, so to speak. And when I went to work for the Exchange, I kind of relieved people. I worked in the office. We were all in the same facility. And I would relieve them for lunch, or if someone called in sick, or whatever, so― Jonason: How does the―most―myself, I have never run a switchboard. Roberts: Yes. Jonason: How would I go about doing that? Roberts: Oh, that’s kind of hard to say! (laughs) And that’s—you know—a switchboard! Um, it was just another way of communicating from phone to phone within the offices. And each phone had a number, and there was a number on the board, and there were the cords that you would plug in outside or you could plug them into each other. Jonason: Oh, okay. Roberts: Mm-hmm. Jonason: So, it’s like something you―like—I’m trying to think of what they’re called. Roberts: I can’t think of anything at this time that would―I could compare it to, except if you had a–a phone with buttons, you know. Jonason: Yeah. Okay. 4 �Roberts: You just plugged them in! Jonason: Interesting, interesting. And so, you were here for three years and what were your uniforms that you were required to wear while you were working and while you were doing other― Roberts: I always was in uniform. Jonason: Which was? Roberts: Summertime, wintertime. I worked with the uniform. Jonason: What― Roberts: I was in the Marine Corps. Jonason: —what kind of uniform? Roberts: In the summertime, we had a–a light uniform, fit for the weather. In the winter, we had a much heavier, darker-colored uniform. Jonason: Okay. And you always had to wear a cover outside? Roberts: Outside, always. Jonason: Okay. Is there anything about that work experience that you would like to tell us about? Roberts: Oh, you got to meet a lot of people! Jonason: Yeah? Roberts: Always. And uh, it was always—it was a bit fun, in a way, because you could for months communicate with an individual and talk and say, “How was your day?” and “Oh, I just had a baby,” or whatever, okay? And never, ever see their faces. Jonason: Uh, (chuckles) okay. Roberts: So, that was kind of different. Yes. And it was always a fun experience when they were able to come and say “Hi, I’m so-and-so. I work for―” whatever. Jonason: So, were there civilians that came in and shopped where you were? Roberts: Uh, absolutely! I mean, this was a Commissar―uh, well, at the time it was an Exchange, the Military Exchange. And of course, all civilians, troops― Jonason: Their families. Roberts: Their families, absolutely. Yeah. Jonason: Were there any special events that associated with your–your work? Roberts: Can you be more specific? Jonason: Did they hold any special events at—I guess—at the exchange. 5 �Roberts: No. We–we celebrated the Marine Corps birthday, uh― Jonason: Did they close down the store? Did you have spe―I mean, what did they do for that? (clears her throat) Roberts: Bec–being civilian, not a lot, okay? Because not only the military shopped there; their families did, which was not military, okay? Um, the―we would be closed on holidays. And, we were just like any outside, whether you were working at Target or J.C. Penny or whatever. Jonason: Okay. Um― (A second interviewer, Maryellen Cortellini, seems to be asking Leslee a question, because Leslee looks to her right, away from Faye.) Cortellini: (less audible) Where did you live when you first got to Camp Pendleton? Roberts: I didn’t hear the question. Jonason: Excuse me. What was the question? (It sounds as though Jonason turns to ask the Cortellini to repeat the question.) Cortellini: Where did she live? Jonason: Oh, where did you live when you first came to Camp Pendleton? Roberts: I lived in the W.M., Women Marine’s barracks. Um, it was not my cup of tea. And when I was able, I moved off base. It wasn’t quite, um, legal, but I did. I had a― (sighs) there was a―I can’t remember her rank. I think she was a Staff Sergeant, and she was being transferred to, um, Virginia, and she had pets, and she knew I did not like living in the barracks with a bunch of teenagers. So, she offered me her home if I would take care of her pets! And— Jonason: Oh! Roberts: —I moved off base, oh, within eight months or so and lived in Carlsbad. Jonason: Oh! Roberts: And took care of her home and her pets. Jonason: So, how long had you stayed in the Women Marine barracks themselves? Roberts: Uh, actually, it wasn’t even a full year. Jonason: Okay. And these were wooden buildings? Roberts: No. At the―these were new barracks that they had just recently built. Jonason: So, they were, what, squad based? Roberts: Squad based! Mm-hmm. Jonason: How many― 6 �Roberts: A great big― Jonason: ―bunks? Roberts: Well, I think we had about twenty in the squad bay I lived in. And you were judged— you were put in the squad bay according to your rank. Jonason: And so, you’re–you’re one bunk above and below? Roberts: Exactly. Jonason: And you were required to keep them a certain way. Roberts: Absolutely. Jonason: Regulation. Roberts: You had–you had, um, I can’t remember the exact term. Forgive me. Jonason: Junk on the bunk? Roberts: No, uh― Jonason: (laughs) That’s what I was told. Roberts: We―well, not then! We had to maintain and keep them clean, okay? And so, it was a–a group thing that was done once a week, no matter what your rank was. You were required, you know. Wash floors, windows, whatever. Jonason: Did you also do other things besides your job in maintaining the–the barracks? Did you― Roberts: Oh! Had a good time! (both she and Jonason chuckle) Jonason: Well, you did more than that, I know! (Roberts laughs) Did they have you do—picking up around the barracks, and― Roberts: Uh― Jonason: ―all that kind of stuff? Roberts: Yes. We had, um, um― Jonason: Field day? Roberts: Outside to maintain the—you know—the grass, and the bushes and whatever. Yes, that was also part of our requirement. We were to treat it like it was our home. And we would do those things if we were within our own home. So. Jonason: Had you ever gone to the Green Hat Club? Roberts: No. The Green Hat Club was after me. 7 �Jonason: Okay. Roberts: Okay? I’m not sure what year. Yes, there were a lot of, uh–uh, what do you call them, um― Cortellini: [inaudible] Roberts: —officers clubs. There were different clubs for different rank and of course I was a peon, so I―till I made sergeant, but yes. Jonason: How did ch–becoming sergeant change your life? Roberts: It gave―it made me more independent. I didn’t have to follow some of the rules and regulations. Jonason: So, did you live―you said you lived in the barracks about a year. So, you lived in the– in the Staff Sergeant’s house about two? Roberts: About two years. Yes. Jonason: Okay. And then what did― Roberts: Not legally, but I did. (both she and Jonason laugh.) Jonason: Well, nowadays, you’d get permissions or something. Yeah. Roberts: I’m not sure (smiles wide). Jonason: (laughs) Um, is there any other part of that work that you’d like to share with us? Roberts: As far as the military is concerned? Jonason: Mm-hmm. Roberts: In a way, um, it was―I think once I left the military, I was more conscious of my responsibility when I was in the Marine Corps. Jonason: Oh! Roberts: The motto of a W.M., which we were called—Women Marines—was to release a fighting man. And of course, it was during the Vietnam War, and it was a difficult time for the United States and for everyone. So, I didn’t think about it a lot but once I left the military, I realized what my job was or had been, to help win that war. Jonason: You–you appreciated it more? Roberts: Much more. Jonason: And so, then when you left you got married? Roberts: Yes, I did. Jonason: And where did you go? 8 �Roberts: In fact, I don’t know. I don’t remember all the times, but my husband who was stationed here at Camp Pendleton and his career was basically here, okay? He was a Gunnery Sergeant and he owned a home in Oceanside. And so, when we—naturally when we got married, I moved into his home in Oceanside. Jonason: And how long did you stay there? Roberts: (sighs) Uh, quite a few years. We didn’t move out—I guess I was there at least five years, at least five years, and then we bought a home elsewhere in San Diego. He retired. Jonason: Why did you like San Diego? Roberts: He liked San Diego. Jonason: Did you? Roberts: Yes, I guess so. My children were born here. It became my home. Uh, yes. Yes. I liked it. Jonason: Did you work outside the home once you were married? Roberts: I did, but not until my children got a little older. I actually went to work for the Marine Corps Exchange. (both she and Jonason laugh) Jonason: Okay. And how long did you do that? Roberts: Uh, now you’re asking a question you have to think about. It was a few years. Jonason: Yeah? Roberts: I would say five or six years. Yeah. Jonason: Okay. Well, that’s good. Cortellini: What was the Marine Corps reaction to your announcement that you wanted to get married? Roberts: I–I— Jonason: Oh, you said—Yeah!—How did you―when you decided to get married, there were regulations that you had to jump through before you could do that. Roberts: [chuckles] Yes. Jonason: Both you and your husband. Roberts: Being―being a–a low rank, number one, and being a woman Marine, I had to ask permission from my C.O., the sergeant in charge, and—which I had to do. Uh, between you and me, I did it because it was considered one of my responsibilities. Otherwise, I thought it was a silly rule. Jonason: [chuckles] And your husband had to do the same thing, right? 9 �Roberts: Well, he did. He did. And my―for me, he did it for me. Not so much for himself. He’d been married before. His first wife had passed. So, um, he was a–a bit youn–older than I am or was. And um, so no he didn’t. But, he did, for me. Yes. Jonason: He asked permission for you. Roberts: Right. We went together. Jonason: Oh! Very interesting. And were there any other situa―parts of that that were required? Roberts: No, because when we married, there–there was no problem. But because of our age, okay, we wanted a family. And the–the motto of the Marine Corps was if we wanted you to have a child, we’d issued you one. Jonason: I see. Roberts: So, as soon as I became pregnant, I was automatically dis–discharged. Jonason: (coughs) Excuse me. Roberts: I got an honorable discharge, but, yes. Jonason: Huh. Roberts: So, that’s how I left. Jonason: Interesting. And were you―after you were married, you moved into his house. Were you still a Marine at that poin–time? Roberts: Yes. Jonason: I’m trying to clarify that. Roberts: Uh, until I became― Jonason: Pregnant. Roberts: ―pregnant. Yes. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: Mm-hmm. Jonason: Okay. ( Roberts: We lived there for two children. Jonason: (chuckles) Roberts: He retired. He went to work for the Post Office and we moved into San Diego area. Terry Norwood: Where were your children—(barely audible) first and second—born? Roberts: Camp Pendleton, at the old hospital. 10 �Jonason: Because he was still in the military? Or― Roberts: No. We were―because he was what is considered a lifer, someone who put in twentytwo years of his life. He continued to have privileges— Jonason: Ah. Roberts: —military privileges. Jonason: So, he wasn’t in the Corps still, when they were born? Roberts: No. Jonason: And what did he do? Roberts: My husband went to work for the U.S. Post Office. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: Mm-hmm. He took the test and passed and–and continued to work there for thirty years. Jonason: Wonderful! Roberts: Mm-hmm. Jonason: And I understand that you’re still living in San Diego area. Roberts: Uh, actually I live in the same house. Jonason: (chuckles) Oh, my goodness! Roberts: Live in the same house. We bought a new home outside of Poway and I’ve lived there ever since. I think it was 1972, or something like that. Jonason: Wow! You must like it there. Roberts: It’s paid for! (she chuckles and Jonason laughs) For sure! Jonason: Are there parts of the community that you enjoy more than others? Roberts: In–in San Diego? San Diego?— Jonason: In Poway, San Diego County. Roberts: Uh, you know, I had two other children born there, and, um, it—number one, it was very new. We were one of the first housing developments in the area. So, basically, I watched it grow (raises her hands to indicate something growing) into this huge community. And, um, I felt like it was home. And yes, I do. I like it there. I can’t think of any place else. Jonason: Yes. Norwood: (unintelligible, but sounds like “Chopped Liver”) 11 �Roberts: Uh, I’m not sure. A pool, oh (shrugs)—as far as activities—(looking at Cortellini) is that–is that what we’re talking about? Okay— Norwood: What do you like about the community? Roberts: Oh! I did—yes, I’m talking about the beginning of living in the community and why I stayed there. Uh, I’m very active. Well, I won’t say active but I have a lot of activities within the community since I’ve lived there. So— I like to swim and do water aerobics, and— Jonason: This is a community pool, I take it? Or— Roberts: Yes, it is. Number one, I–I got to watch the community grow. Like I said, we were one of the first developments in the area, housing developments, and so I got to watch it grow. Jonason: There must be a story about being one of the first of the development. Was there— Roberts: No— Jonason: —an event or something? Roberts: —number one, now you want me to be silly? It was a ch— Jonason: No. (laughs) Roberts: Oh, okay. (laughs also) No, it was just a very new community and it was fun greeting all the new people and watching different developments grow, watching schools being built and my children being able to go to those schools. I know— Jonason: Did you get to pick specific flooring and that type of thing in your house wh—at that time? Was that something that— Roberts: Pretty much. Jonason: —Yeah? Roberts: Pretty much so. Yes. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: I mean, the house was built and then I did what I wanted to the inside of it (smiles wide) and outside, of course. Jonason: But that wasn’t with the builder, though. That was on your own, right? Roberts: That was on my own. Jonason: Interesting. Okay. Roberts: Yes. Jonason: (apparently she turns to Cortellini) Are there other questions that you would like to see asked? 12 �Cortellini: Um, it would be nice if she (rest of question is inaudible, but seems to be talking about entering something into a document) Jonason: Well, we’ll have that in the–in the file. Um— Cortellini: Just the fact that she [Cortellini clarification: left her close-knit family and friends, and her small town of Eastlake, Ohio to travel all the way to South Carolina to enlist in Marine Corps bootcamp. How brave and courageous as a young woman to make that monumental decision.] Roberts: (turning her head from Cortellini back to Jonason, smiling) She does— Jonason: Well, I think she–she went in from the frying pan into the fire— Roberts: The fire. Jonason: —didn’t you! (laughs) Roberts: Amen! (laughs also) Norwood: But she’s a cast iron skillet. Roberts: (turning to Norwood): Pardon me? Norwood: But you’re a cast iron skillet. Roberts: Oh, is that—Oh, I–I’ve never quite thought of myself that way, but— Jonason: (continuing to laugh) Yeah, but hey— Roberts: —I will take the compliment. (turns back to Jonason) Norwood: And the other thing I think you could give perspective on is how the military has grown since you’ve been here. Roberts: Oh, absolutely. Uh, as–for women? Yes, absolutely. Uh, it was—we were considered second class citizens back in 1966. Like I think I said previously, we were given the title of releasing a fighter–a fighting man, okay? And we were supposed to, uh—our jobs basically were to fill in where the men would have to leave and we would fill in and take their jobs. So, it was— it’s different today. Women join the military exactly the reason that men do. They want the— They want to do something for their country, number one. I can’t speak for all of them, but yes. I think they— Jonason: Okay. Roberts: —they have the same honor and privileges that they–you–this country offers their military. So, yes. Jonason: If you had a message for a young Marine today, what would it be? Roberts: Whoa! (Jonason laughs) Um, I really wouldn’t have a message for them. It—Number one, I believe it’s something that they—nowadays—let me put it this way. Nowadays, I think 13 �both men and women join the military because they want t–to, because it offers them something that they desire. Back in the day of, say, 1966, uh, men were drafted. Okay? And women were second class citizens. But they did it anyways, (shrugs) whatever their purpose—for their country; for themselves; for their family. So, times have changed. Jonason: Okay! Well, thank you very much. Roberts: You’re very welcome. [the video then stops and starts, and cuts off the beginning portion of what Leslee Roberts is saying, but she continues speaking, turning to Cortellini now:] Roberts: —[San Di]ego people. Or we could become Poway people living in San Diego. Norwood: Mm. Okay. And that, I can’t tell you how huge that is to the education—well, this is not necessar—this is going off on a tangent— Roberts: No, no. It had a–had a big—yes. Because— Norwood: It did! Roberts: just a community— Norwood: It did. Roberts: Mira Mesa, down the road is San Diego. Norwood: Yeah. Roberts: So, we were given a choice, and we made it. And we made the Poway U—part, we helped make Poway Unified School what they are. Norwood: That right there tells— Jonason: Is key. Cortellini: —what this woman is about. So, to–I–just—and— Roberts: I never thought about it, but— Cortellini: (inaudible due to Jonason asking a further question) Jonason: So, you’re saying that there was no Poway schools when you— Roberts: Poway, yes. Poway had their own little, uh— Cortellini: No, it wasn’t. Roberts: —They didn’t even have a high—They— Cortellini: They didn’t have a—They were not a unified school district until late— Roberts: No, they weren’t. Until much later. 14 �Jonason: But, did–did they have a school? Roberts: Oh yes. They had several, um, elementary schools. What was that? (turns from Jonason to Cortellini) They had Poway High— Cortellini: They had one— Roberts: — and one middle school. Cortellini: —Mm-hmm. Roberts: —one middle school. Cortellini: And they, and they were— Roberts: (turns to Jonason) Midland. Yeah, it was Midland. (holds up her left hand) Cortellini: They were part of Escondido. They weren’t really in their s–unified school district,— Roberts: No, they weren’t considered— Cortellini: but they were— Roberts: No. Cortellini: But they— Roberts: It was— Cortellini: And then we had [inaudible] Roberts: It was–Actually, it was–it was considered—it was kind of a country town. Cortellini: Yes. Roberts: It was just this country little, country city. They were themselves, okay? And, um, they did have schools for their kids and whatnot. But that was very small, very limited. I can’t even begin to tell you—Even now, there’s only one main— Cortellini: Okay. I’m st— Roberts: —road, going through Poway, and it’ll always be the main th–main road through Poway because everyone built to the sidewalks! There’s no way of widening it. (Jonason laughs) There’s no way of expanding it. (Jonason clears her throat) It’s all the way up to, uh, Ramona, bay–basically. Cortellini: So, now, I’m going to the Poway Museum and the R.B. Museum to see what historical data is there, because based on more— Roberts: Now— Cortellini: —info about the school district and how it came to be, because— Roberts: See, now Rancho Bernardo was— 15 �Cortellini: —that is really— Roberts: Rancho Bernardo was always there. It was considered more—back in (lowers voice) those (back to speaking voice) days, it was, uh, for seniors. Cortellini: Seniors. Roberts: It was more of a senior place. Cortellini: It was a community planned— Roberts: And um, yes. Cortellini: Yeah. Roberts: And, uh, they did attend, those that were–that lived in, say, Rancho Bernardo. They did attend the Poway school. Okay? Those were the—That was the only school district around. San Diego was a little far ou– far away for them. Cortellini: But–but it wasn’t even a formed Unified School District in the early 70s. Roberts: Till much later. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So— Cortellini: Okay. And then, also, um, you’re–you’re being modest. You haven’t been asked to write your history, so I get it. Roberts: (turns to Jonason and shrugs) Cortellini: But just sitting here, I’m thinking of how you guys fought for the community center,— Roberts: Oh, yeah. Cortellini: —the pool that you swim in. Roberts: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Cortellini: You know? All the things— Jonason: And what happened with the community center? Roberts: It was a—We wanted it. They made it. Um, (sighs) how do I say it? It–it wa–I guess—it wasn’t— Cortellini: The city— Roberts: —exactly a community—how–how–what would you call the pool, ‘cuz I’ve been going there for twenty years. Cortellini: Yeah. It was a community center. Roberts: It was. Cortellini: Um, and the city decided to change—all that nastiness out of my mouth real quick— 16 �Roberts: You can say it. I–my ears are used to it. (Jonason chuckles) Cortellini: Then, um, this—When the city decided that to change their Charter and a lot of their zoning and who they were going to support or–or–in–like–They were no longer going to have a senior center. Okay? And they were— Jonason: Oh. Cortellini: —no longer going to have a community pool. But the community rallied— Roberts: But it was considered growing, and they wanted to grow into something besides Poway which we kind of fought for. Cortellini: And, yet, they didn’t want to bring in a Y.M.C.A. They wanted to be— Roberts: No. Cortellini: —their own thing and have it be bigger. But it’s just not what the people wanted at the time. So, these ladies were part of the movement. Roberts: Well, back then, yeah, we kind of steadfast and we voted. Jonason: How were you—How old were your kids at that time? Roberts: Oh they were— Cortellini: Oh, this was only like ten years ago. Roberts: Yeah. Well— Cortellini: But–but I—but I’ve only known you for maybe ten— Roberts: Sss—Yeah. Bu–bu–well, when they started building schools—This was the thing that– that we fought for. Number one was technically, technically I live in San Diego. Okay? But Poway is our school district. Poway is our hospitals. Poway is, you know, all the stuff that makes a city a city. We were able to stay in that group, and—well, Rancho Bernardo, too. But we— whereas just down the road about three or four miles, we have San Diego, Mira Mesa, some of the other ones. Cortellini: It’s very— Roberts: They’re all San Diego, so they have to follow the San Diego taxes, the San Diego whatever, whatever. Cortellini: Well, we do too. Roberts: No, no, I know. But I’m trying to think of things. Cortellini: It’s very convoluted up where we are. It took me a while to wrap my head around— Roberts: Everything. 17 �Cortellini: —how in the world could we be part of Poway Unified when we’re a San Di—city of San Diego address. It was really complex. Roberts: We—But we kind of fought for that. In fact, I can remember Mount Carmel— Cortellini: Well, I’m grateful (chuckles) Roberts: —Mount Carmel wa—uh, all the kids in my–in our area went to Poway High, went to Midland Junior High, okay? S–and–and the elementary school. And my kids started off at Me– Meadowbrook. Meadowbrook? (looks toward Jonason) Cortellini: Yeah. Roberts: Whatever, for kindergarten through ninth, (Jonason coughs) or whatever it was, until we fought for our own schools (Jonason coughs) and our own area. Cortellini: Hhm, that’s interesting. Roberts: So, I mean, yeah. I can remember when they built the high school. Cortellini: Do you? Roberts: Carmel Mountain. Cortellini: You’re a legend in my community, girl. Roberts: (laughs) I don’t know about that, but— (Jonason laughs) we didn’t—Poway, um, was recognized as having a very good school system, okay? Or, whatever. And we wanted to continue with what Poway was giving to our students. Where San Diego was—I mean, look at San Diego. San Diego is a huge place, and it’s gotten huger, so— Jonason: Is Poway considered part of North County? Roberts: Yes. Jonason: Okay. Roberts: Yes. So— Norwood: And, for many, many, many, many, many years, Rancho Bernardo, where I live—She lives in Poway, but sh–very close to R.B., um, but she’s not affected like we are because she’s in Poway. So, R.B. is the farthest north of San Diego. Roberts: San Diego, yep (nodding). Norwood: She is right beneath us. Roberts: On the edge, Mm-hmm. Norwood: We are North County and we are–don’t—We have to fight for the city of San Diego to fix our streets, to— Roberts: To do whatever. 18 �Norwood: To–to do whatever we need— Roberts: Right. Norwood: —because we’re so far north. They forget about us. They’ll take our tax revenue— Roberts: Oh, they do take that! Norwood: —but they’ll forget about us, which is one of–just one of many reasons why we wanted to integrate into our own sch–school system up there. Roberts: Oh, no. I— Norwood: Because it was so small, we could be more vocal. We could give more input into a smaller school district versus being a part of San Diego. Roberts: Well, parents were included. You were invited to come to the–to the school board meetings. You were, you know what I mean? You were invited to participate in becoming a school board member—I mean—so, you were part of it. Where as far as San Diego is concerned, which is—like I said—just five miles down the road, um, they were totally into, uh, San Diego, (shrugs) Mira Mesa and all the ones around there now. So— (shrugs) Jonason: Yeah. Roberts: Aah, we did that a bit, I guess. I don’t— (laughs) We fought for it. Jonason: Well, it sounds like you’re a very active person in your community. Cortellini: Yes. Roberts: Uh, (sighs, shaking her head), that was a long time ago. This old lady has settled in. (she and Jonason laugh) I’m not as active as I used to be. Cortellini: I just wanted to say. You know, when I first met Leslee, before I knew she was a Marine, over time, I started calling her “our fearless leader” (Roberts and Jonason laugh) at the pool, because she had this wonderful way of recruiting more people and she— Roberts: I had a mouth! Cortellini: She singlehandedly— Jonason: It’s a good thing! Roberts: I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Cortellini: She–but she s— Roberts: When I don’t agree with you, you’re gonna hear about it. (all laugh) Cortellini: She’s still [Cortellini clarification: humble] about it. But, she singlehandedly turned a water aerobics, or water exercise class into a family. That’s how we became friends. Roberts: Yes. 19 �Jonason: Oh. Cortellini: She roped me in, and she writes–ropes in everybody! (laughs) Norwood: Yes. She makes you feel wanted. Cortellini: She makes you feel like a family, and then makes everyone feels welcome, and now, they—you wouldn’t believe the size of our water aerobics. We’re up to forty-plus people (somewhat unintelligible, faint voice, and there is background traffic noise) Roberts: I know. Cortellini: And that’s the summer. Roberts: Well, I think we have around, about thirty permanent, you know, oldies but goodies. Cortellini: That’s—but that’s also— Norwood: (can’t distinguish what she says, due to crosstalk) Roberts: In the summertime. Cortellini: Seriously. I give you credit for that, and you really— Roberts: Oh, not totally. There were— Cortellini: But, she’s— Roberts: Look at Doreen, Cortellini: And see, that’s where Norwood: (unintelligible, due to crosstalk) Roberts: Doreen. (Norwood and Cortellini crosstalk; unintelligible) Roberts: Yeah. It wasn’t just me. Cortellini: (first few words unintelligible) incorporated those values, a team and— Jonason: You feel that? Do you feel that the Marine Corps has helped you be organized and get people together? Roberts: I never thought about it, ‘cuz I was always a mouth. Jonason: Well, but— Roberts: Why do you think they kicked me out of the Sisterhood. Jonason: Because you needed to be a Marine. (laughs) Roberts: No. Because I didn’t fit in. (laughs) 20 �Cortellini: What did we go to the Mayor’s office for? Norwood: Oh, that was film week again. (next few words unintelligible) Cortellini: Okay. Roberts: (nodding) Yeah. Norwood: Still! Still! Cortellini: Leslee has—I know—Leslee has been an advocate for myself, my project, my books. She— Roberts: (to Jonason) Like I said, I’m a mouth. Cortellini: She has shared my books with everybody. Roberts: (to Jonason) And sometimes, if you’re loud enough, people just don’t say no to you. Norwood: I called her my agent there—she still is my agent (rest of sentence is unintelligible). 21 �GLOSSARY Carmel Mountain (pg.18) C.O. (pg.9) Doreen (pg.20) Green Hat Club (pg.7) Gunnery Sergeant (pg.9) Kingsley (pg.15) Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton (pg.1) Marine Corps Exchange (pg.9) Marine Corps Mechanized Museum (pg.1) Meadowbrook [CA] (pg.18) Midland Junior High (pg.18) M.O.S. (pg.3) Mount Carmel (pg.17) Parris Island (pg.2) Poway High (pg.14) Poway Museum (pg.15) Poway Unified School [District] (pg.14) Ramona [CA] (pg.15) Rancho Bernardo (pg.16-19) R.B. Museum (pg.15) Reveille (pg.2) Sisters of Charity (pg.1,2,20) Staff Sergeant (pg.8) W.M. (Women Marines [barracks]) (pg.5,6,8) 22 �23 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transcripts Description An account of the resource Written oral histories and transcripts are available for researchers that prefer the written word, or to see the whole interview in a document. Transcripts of <a href="https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/collections/show/5">audio and video files</a> are also available as part of those video files. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Roberts, Leslee K. Interview transcript, November 11, 2022. Description An account of the resource An oral history interview with Leslee K. Roberts, a Marine Corps veteran, who shares her experiences growing up in Ohio, deciding not to become a nun and choosing to leave Ohio by joining the U.S. Marine Corps. She discusses some military regulations, meeting and marrying her husband, and her various homes in North County. She talks about her involvement and support of the Poway community as well as Poway’s early development. This interview was recorded as part of the North County Oral History Initiative, a partnership between California State University San Marcos and San Marcos Historical Society & Heritage Park. This initiative was generously funded by the Center for Engaged Scholarship at CSU San Marcos. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Leslee K. Roberts Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Faye A. Jonason Maryellen Cortellini Melissa Martin Terry Norwood Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022-11-23 Subject The topic of the resource Camp Pendleton (Calif.) Korean War, 1950-1953 Switchboard operators United States. Marine Corps Veterans -- United States Women marines Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Poway (Calif.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In copyright</a><a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en"></a> Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Leslee K. 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The researcher assumes full responsibility for use of the material and agrees to hold harmless the University Library, and California State University, against all claims, demands, costs, and expenses incurred by copyright infringement or any other legal or regulatory cause of action arising from the use of the Library's materials. In assuming full responsibility for use of the material, the researcher also understands that the materials they examine may contain Social Security numbers, other personal identifiers, and/or sensitive material on potentially living and identifiable individuals (e.g., medical, evaluative, or personally invasive information). The researcher agrees not to record, reproduce, or disclose any Social Security number or other information of a highly personal nature that may be found. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RobertsLeslee_JonasonFaye_2022-11-29_transcript Community history North County Oral History Initiative Veteran experience Women's experience Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Description An account of the resource Video and audio oral histories can be viewed here. Histories are listed alphabetically by last name. Individual histories are indexed and transcribed and can be searched. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <p>Rights to oral histories vary depending on the history. The library owns the copyright to some histories, and has license to reproduce for nonprofit purposes for others. Please contact CSUSM University Library Special Collections at <a href="mailto:%20archives@csusm.edu">archives@csusm.edu</a> with any questions about use.</p> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Seth Stanley Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Jennie Ruiz OHMS Object This field contains the OHMS Hyperlink (link to the XML file within the OHMS Viewer) https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RuizJennie_StanleySeth_2023-04-07.xml Interview Keyword This filed adds keywords to the Omeka Oral History item type. Keywords are included in the OHMS XML, this field in Omeka will allow for full data migration between OHMS XML and the Omeka Record. This field does not impact the OHMS / Omeka integration and is optional if you do not need to map the "keywords" field in the OHMS XML to the corresponding Omeka record. OHMS Object Text This field contains the OHMS Index and / or Transcript and is what makes the contents of the OHMS object searchable in Omeka 5.4 2023-04-07 Ruiz, Jennie. Interview April 7, 2023 SC027-029 SC027 California State University San Marcos University Library oral histories collection CSUSM This oral history interview was generously funded through the Instructionally Related Activities Fund at California State University San Marcos. California State University San Marcos. Cross-Cultural Center Education, Higher Human rights Student success Jennie Ruiz Seth Stanley mp4 RuizJennie_StanleySeth_2023-04-07.mp4 1:|40(5)|52(10)|66(9)|77(15)|94(11)|105(8)|118(2)|135(1)|148(7)|166(14)|186(3)|212(2)|223(3)|235(3)|255(3)|273(1)|282(3)|292(4)|304(7)|342(5)|353(8)|368(2)|378(4)|388(3)|399(13)|410(1)|457(10)|468(7)|486(7)|510(1)|519(10)|529(9)|539(3)|549(4)|595(6)|606(1)|621(8)|633(13)|677(3)|690(1)|699(12)|713(1)|723(1)|736(10)|753(7)|764(3)|775(1)|794(6)|817(2)|837(9)|847(10)|860(10)|874(5)|885(2)|895(3)|937(11)|957(9)|968(3)|982(2)|1003(2)|1015(12)|1026(3) 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/files/original/514cb50273b20f4b16cea6c5712830f4.mp4 Other video English 1 Introductions Introductions from Seth Stanley and Jennie Ruiz 34 Biographical/Educational Background Ruiz describes her personal and educational background. 85 Work During Education. Ruiz recalls working as a student and how it lead to her career in enabling student success in higher education. 187 Discovering Counseling Career Path Ruiz speaks about her beginnings of counseling as a career path and what led her to California State University San Marcos. 281 Experiences working for Student Success Ruiz recalls experiences supporting student success on campus, work as a peer mentor, the special-ness of the CSUSM student body, her work in the Dean of Students Office. CSUSM ; Student Success ; Student Success Coaching 555 Leadership Style and Experience Ruiz speaks about her leadership roles and leadership style in a university setting. CSUSM ; Faculty ; Leadership ; Staff ; Student Success Coaching 710 Network and Relationships on CSUSM Campus Ruiz details her networking skill and speaks about the relationships she's built at CSUSM CSUSM ; Faculty ; Networking ; relations ; Student Affairs 934 Relationships with Students and Building Rapport Ruiz speaks about her relationships with students on campus, building relationships with students and understanding their needs. CSUSM ; Faculty ; O-Team ; Orientation ; Student Relations ; Students ; Team-building 1162 Initial Experiences with the Cross-Cultural Center Ruiz speaks to her initial experiences with the Cross-Cultural Center, how she interacted with the CCC in her role overseeing student orientation, and what the center's physical space was initially like. C3 ; CCC ; Cross-Cultural Center ; CSUSM ; Jennie Ruiz ; SLL ; Student Life and Leadership 1260 Cross-Cultural Center's Change Over Time Ruiz recalls how the Cross-Cultural Center changed over time, how the space where the CCC was located in relation to other parts of Student Life and Leadership, and the center's move to the Commons Building, work on a collaborative mural, and then the move to the University Student Union building. C3 ; Cross-Cultural Center ; CSUSM ; Floyd Lai ; Jennie Ruiz ; SLL ; Student Life and Leadership ; Tukwut Courtyard 1791 Friendship With Sara Sheikh-Arvizu Ruiz describes her friendship with Sara Sheikh-Arvizu, former Associate Director of Multicultural Programs at CSUSM. CCC ; Cross-Cultural Center ; CSUSM ; Jennie Ruiz ; Sara Sheikh ; Sara Sheikh-Arvizu 2080 Favorite Memories From Cross-Cultural Center Ruiz recalls working at the front desk of the Cross-Cultural Center, and remembers a student with significant mental health challenges, who found refuge and friendship at the CCC. C3 ; CCC ; Cross-Cultural Center ; CSUSM ; Jennie Ruiz ; NSYCH ; Students 2344 How the Cross-Cultural Center Helped Her Develop as a Professional Ruiz speaks to the impact of the Cross-Cultural Center on her as a professional, her privilege, and centering voices in programming. Ruiz recalls a workshop with the campus Jewish community. CCC ; Cross-Cultural Center ; CSUSM ; intentionality ; Jennie Ruiz ; Privilege 2652 Memories from the Peer Mentoring Program Ruiz recalls some of her experiences with the creation of the Peer Mentoring Program and recalls an overnight retreat. CSUSM ; Floyd Lai ; New Students ; Peer Mentoring Program ; Retreats ; Sara Sheikh ; Team Building 2956 Thoughts on the Significance of Identity-Specific Spaces Ruiz speaks to the importance of having identity-focused university spaces like the Black Student Center, the Latin /x Center, etc, which champion underrepresented communities and assist with student success. ACE Scholars ; Community ; CSUSM ; Diversity ; EOP ; Equal Opportunity Program ; Identity-Specific Spaces ; Underrepresented 3354 Cross-Cultural Center and the Purpose of Identity-Specific Spaces Ruiz expands on why identity-specific spaces are necessary and what groups benefit from them. She also goes on to speak about the role the Cross-Cultural Center plays with the expansion of identity-specific spaces. APIDA ; C3 ; CCC ; Cross-Cultural Center ; CSUSM ; Identity Specific Spaces ; Jennie Ruiz ; Kamalayan Alliance ; Pacific Islanders Moving image 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. Seth Stanley [Interviewer]: This is Seth Stanley. Today I&#039 ; m interviewing Jenny Ruiz for the California State University San Marcos Cross-Cultural Center Oral History project. Today is April 7th, 2023, and this interview is taking place at the University Library. Hi Jenny. Thank you for coming. Jennie Ruiz [Narrator]: Hi, Seth &lt ; laughs&gt ; . SS: To start out, uh, can you tell me a little bit about your background and how that maybe has influenced your work in higher education? JR: Oh, goodness. Okay. Background. How far do you, how do you, how far do you want me to go? SS: As long as you want. JR: Oh goodness. Well, I was born, no, um-- SS: Go for it. JR: Background. Um, so I&#039 ; m born and raised in San Diego, um, from Mira Mesa originally, um, went to college up at Sonoma State. For my undergrad. And did, um, got my degree in sociology. So I did a few different majors, but then I landed on sociology cause I had a really great Intro to Soc[iology] professor who I really enjoyed. Um, and through my time at Sonoma State, I got involved in various things. I mainly had to work on campus just to pay bills and live and all that. So I worked in like different food service and I worked in retail off campus, and actually told the story last, it was, what was it, Tuesday at a session I led about my like, professional journey. But I had a, a job on campus where I was having to put up flyers across campus and I hated it. I would have like hundreds of flyers to post. Um, this is before lot. This is before like electronic signage and all of that. So I, um, and I was miserable but I saw a flyer for a job in the Career Center on campus and I&#039 ; m like, thank goodness no one else has seen this ad at this point &#039 ; cause I&#039 ; m putting the ads up, so I&#039 ; m gonna apply for this job, which I did. And that kind of took me into this path of, um, of higher ed and student affairs. It kind of opened me up into, like the orientation, you know, kind of world new student orientation, &#039 ; cause a lot of things were run through that area. Academic advising, I interacted with, um, the program called Freshman Seminar there, which is similar to our GEL program here [program geared towards first-year students and student success in academia]. So I served in various leadership roles. I actually got, uh, I was on the dean&#039 ; s list one semester. There, grades were never my thing, but one semester I got on the dean&#039 ; s list and I got an invitation to apply for leadership positions on campus. So that in conjunction with my job in the Career Center just kind of launched me into kind of the higher ed. like, oh, this is kind of fun! So I was an orientation leader. I worked as a peer mentor in our freshman seminar class. I was a student assistant [at the] Career Center. And then once I graduated, I was looking into kind of a counseling area. Um, didn&#039 ; t quite know what I was going to do and my dad, funny enough, got me a book called What to Do with a Sociology Degree, and I was reading it one day and there was a paragraph on college counseling and I was like, of course I could do this job for work! I had never even connected [that] the professional staff that I worked with were doing that as a career. So that kind of, you know, launched me and I applied for grad school. I went to USD [University of San Diego] for my master&#039 ; s in counseling with a specialization in college student development. Worked in my orientation, worked in the orientation program there as a grad assistant. And then after that, got a job at Stony Brook University in New York as a residence hall director. Um, my friend tipped me off to a job that was here at Cal State San Marcos to be Coordinator of New Student Programs. So I applied for that job and I thankfully got it. And, um, that started my career here back in 2006, back when, funny enough, C3 [Cross-Cultural Center] was literally, I think the size of this room when I first started on the fourth floor, third floor of, um, no, the administrative building past, then [named] Craven Hall. So, and then since then I&#039 ; ve just held a variety of positions and here I am. &lt ; laugh&gt ; . SS: [Inaudible] Tell me more about what motivated you to work in a specifically a college setting and specifically supporting student success. JR: Yeah. I think people go into higher ed or any of their professions for one or two reasons: either they had a really good experience or they had a really awful experience and didn&#039 ; t want that to be repeated for somebody else. In my case, I had a fantastic college experience. I had great mentors, I had really great opportunities. Um, so I felt very fortunate. And I just, you know, in my work as a peer mentor in the freshman seminar class, I was meeting individually with these first time freshmen, really working with them and, and you know, talking with them about just life and how to connect and find their place on campus. And I found myself really enjoying it and kind of becoming-- it was a natural thing to me. Um, and so I think I wanted to feel that in my career, be able to really take that with me. And, one of the great things about I think this campus, but just the CSU [California State University] is I think our students are just so special and just work so hard. Not saying that students don&#039 ; t work hard other places but that there&#039 ; s something about our students here. Um, there&#039 ; s a lot of gratitude, there&#039 ; s a lot of understanding, I think, of the privilege they have of being here and getting their degree and, you know, working with that population is really, really rewarding. So, you know, did I want-- I wanted to be that for other students moving forward. But I just loved the feel of being on a college campus. There&#039 ; s nothing like it. I now have a almost seven year-old and just, he&#039 ; s been able to be here since when, since he was born. And just knowing that-- he actually said the other night, he&#039 ; s like, &quot ; You go to college!&quot ; And I&#039 ; m like, no, I don&#039 ; t go to col-- I&#039 ; m not a college student, I work at a college. But he just, he associates college with me. And that&#039 ; s just, he&#039 ; s grown up in that environment. And then my mom also worked at USD for 30 years. So, I grew up going to campus with her and hanging out with college kids who, funny enough, seemed significantly older than they do now. So, it was just always a part of, you know, who I was. And so, I felt fortunate to find a place here. SS: And, now you&#039 ; re working as the Interim Director of Student Success Coaching, right? Can you walk us through your experiences as that at the job? JR: In the five weeks I&#039 ; ve been in the position, &lt ; laugh&gt ; , um, it&#039 ; s-- it&#039 ; s been, it&#039 ; s been really great. It&#039 ; s actually brought me back to I&#039 ; d say my roots here because I started here at CSUSM overseeing orientation and really working with new students and first year students and all that. So, it&#039 ; s been fun in the short time I&#039 ; ve been here to work with the team to really be creative about how we&#039 ; re gonna be engaging students who are coming in this next year. We&#039 ; re kind of in this two-- two paths right now. It&#039 ; s the finish this semester, but then let&#039 ; s think big and creatively for the incoming class who&#039 ; re gonna be here in fall [20]23. So just really, learning from the team and thinking about how impactful the work that they&#039 ; re doing can really be for the retention success of the first-time freshman coming in. So, I don&#039 ; t know how much you know about the program but it serves first-year students who are not in an otherwise specialized program. So who are not in the Educational Opportunity Program who are not in TRIO [Student Support Services], who are not in CAMP [College Assistance Migration Program], um, ACE Scholars who are former foster youth, and then athletes or international students. So, we kind of capture the rest of the students, so don&#039 ; t really have a home, you know, and we wanna be that contact for them to kind of have that, that person they can go to for any questions that they have just about college. Um, so it&#039 ; s going well. I&#039 ; m really enjoying it. I&#039 ; m able to be creative and think through things and plan, which is something I love to do. SS: So, I know you&#039 ; ve only worked there for, you&#039 ; ve only been working in this position for five weeks, but, um, could you tell me, tell me about, your leadership style and how you adapted to different situations and team members? JR: Yeah, I mean, I think I can relate it to, &#039 ; cause I was in my old position as associate dean for almost seven years. So I&#039 ; ve been in management leadership roles for over ten, twelve years now. But yeah it&#039 ; s been interesting because I joined a brand new team and so I really had the chance to kind of see how I was gonna adapt myself to them and how they were gonna receive me. And you know, it&#039 ; s funny, my first day I brought donuts and I said to them, &#039 ; cause this team right now doesn&#039 ; t have a permanent space. They&#039 ; re literally working in a temporary space right now. So my first thing was how do I provide them with a level of, you know, kind of stability and structure. So even in an absence of a physical, permanent location, they can kind of feel that stability. SS: Mm-hmm. JR: But I came in that first day and I was like, so I haven&#039 ; t started a new job in a very long time. So I said, I just ask for your grace. But I&#039 ; m as much as, as reasonable and appropriate, obviously it&#039 ; s just about the human first. These are all human beings who are working in a job and if you don&#039 ; t connect that piece and know what really matters to these people just in life, you&#039 ; re kind of missing the mark. So my goal was, and I told people &#039 ; cause they wanted to meet with me, people outside my team wanted to meet with me very quickly to like talk about coaching and how I could collaborate. And I said, I want the first month to be me focusing on the team, getting to know the team, building those relationships. And so meeting with them individually and getting to know their strengths and kind of where there&#039 ; s opportunities. But I, I&#039 ; d say I&#039 ; m very, I&#039 ; m all about personal connections and relationships and being collaborative. But I&#039 ; m also good about being, like, sometimes we just kind of have to do things and we can&#039 ; t bring everyone into the fold, but I want to be as transparent as possible, communicate, provide, make sure people are in the loop. &#039 ; Cause the less transparency there is, people then start to kind of worry and, you know create a narrative themselves. And so, but also humor. I like to approach things with humor. But Yeah. SS: Well, sounds like you&#039 ; re the right person for the job. &lt ; laughter&gt ; Um, I&#039 ; d like to ask, how have you leveraged your networks and relationships to support student development and success? JR: Oh gosh. SS: &lt ; laughs&gt ; JR: You know, it&#039 ; s-- so this talk I just gave on Tuesday, the Division of Student Affairs does, um, they just started this series called Conversations with Leaders. And they finally, they asked, they asked me to speak and I&#039 ; m like, okay, because part of me is like, &quot ; You want me to talk? Oh, that&#039 ; s fine!&quot ; So I talked a lot about this, but one of the benefits of my job, the job I had here when I first started with orientation: it&#039 ; s such just by the nature of the job, so highly collaborative that, that set me up for how I have literally done everything else in every other position I have here on campus. So, it had me working with event planning, with catering, with parking facilities, with advising, with, you know, leadership to student life. Like I work with every area on campus. And so through that, and I&#039 ; m asking people to do things when I don&#039 ; t have any leadership or jurisdiction over them. And so you very quickly had to establish this relationship with people so you can-- &#039 ; cause all I would do in that job is ask people for favors. It&#039 ; s just, &quot ; I need you to do this. Can you help with this?&quot ; And so, and I fast forward now, there&#039 ; s one of the colleagues I&#039 ; ve worked with, I met him my second day working, he works in advising and now I&#039 ; m meeting with him about coaching and how to collaborate. And it&#039 ; s just, we laugh now that I&#039 ; m like, talk about full circle and even doing training on some technology that we&#039 ; re gonna be implementing into the program. The person in IT [Information Technology], I worked with him when PeopleSoft was first coming on board. And so again, it&#039 ; s like &quot ; It&#039 ; s so fun to work with you again!&quot ; But, all that to say, it&#039 ; s been so key. And I think what has been very validating is when I&#039 ; ve come into this job, the, the reactions I&#039 ; ve gotten from people saying, &quot ; I&#039 ; m so glad it&#039 ; s you and I can&#039 ; t wait to work with you in this role.&quot ; And that&#039 ; s been really affirming and I feel like because of my relationships, I&#039 ; ve been able to, you know, there&#039 ; s credibility. I&#039 ; m able to connect the coaches with people that they haven&#039 ; t connected with before. And, you know, if they have a question, I&#039 ; m like, &quot ; Let me just ask this person directly, like what the answer is.&quot ; They&#039 ; re like, &quot ; You can just do that?&quot ; I&#039 ; m like, &quot ; Yeah, I just can chat whoever, or text whoever and vice versa.&quot ; So what I shared on Tuesday at the session was relationships is literally how I&#039 ; ve gotten everything done here on this campus. It&#039 ; s, it&#039 ; s been so, so important. So I don&#039 ; t think I answered the question? SS: No, I love that. I love that. I&#039 ; m so glad to see you [indistinguishable]. JR: It&#039 ; s been, it&#039 ; s very sweet. I&#039 ; m like, &quot ; Thank you!&quot ; It is very, because especially it&#039 ; s people that I&#039 ; ve worked with forever and you know, and you just want people who are collaborative and willing to hear you out and you can laugh with. And I actually said to somebody the other day on the call, I said, &quot ; You don&#039 ; t have to be diplomatic with me. Just tell me there&#039 ; s clearly something there. So just like, tell me how you&#039 ; re feeling so we can just deal with it.&quot ; And I think they appreciated it because with some people you have to be very diplomatic and be very discreet in how you&#039 ; re saying things. And I&#039 ; m like, just, &quot ; I&#039 ; ve been here long enough. Like, just tell me.&quot ; SS: [Indistinguishable] So I&#039 ; d like to ask, how do you approach building rapport with students and understanding their unique, needs? JR: Yeah. Um, so I&#039 ; ve had the benefit, I mean, since I&#039 ; ve started here to work directly with students. So in my orientation job, I supervised volunteers who are on orientation team. I supervise students who were paid staff. Like those were my direct reports. So I was directly supporting and working with students. I think very similar with how I just work with anyone. I-- it&#039 ; s so hard to describe something that I feel like just kind of happens, but I try to feel people out. You know, again, I approach a lot of things with humor, but obviously if this setting is not appropriate right, it&#039 ; s, you know, I&#039 ; m able to kind of feel that out. I feel like I&#039 ; m very intuitive. Like, I joke that my superpower is intuition because I can-- I can tell-- if I know someone, I can tell like when they walk in a room and be like, there&#039 ; s something going on or what&#039 ; s happening, and I&#039 ; ll just kind of give a look and be like, you let me know what you need. Like, but I just, I stop and I make efforts. I get to know people and with students, that makes, that makes a difference. You know just being visible and being authentic. Providing, you know, sharing with-- with discretion of course, but like my own personal life and connections and here and there. Um, but you know, in my old-- in my previous position, I was working with students in some really difficult circumstances &#039 ; cause I was overseeing student conduct. I was overseeing students who were really in a difficult situation within their life. Whether it&#039 ; s, they&#039 ; ve had very something very difficult happen to them and they&#039 ; re navigating it and how they&#039 ; re acting may not be the most appropriate in that setting. And just, um, I&#039 ; m really good about student[s] coming in and being like, &quot ; What is going on? Like, what&#039 ; s, what&#039 ; s happening?&quot ; And also good about being like, what we&#039 ; re doing here isn&#039 ; t working. So how do we, let&#039 ; s figure it out. So through the years I&#039 ; ve gotten very good at being direct, but in a supportive manner? Um, some, well, supervisor joked with me, she&#039 ; s like, &quot ; I&#039 ; ve never met somebody who could suspend a student, and in the same sentence, the student, thanks you.&quot ; &lt ; laugh&gt ; It&#039 ; s just, it&#039 ; s treating somebody as a human being. &#039 ; Cause, even if you&#039 ; re making a decision that&#039 ; s difficult, you can still do it with compassion. And humor too. I love to be sarcastic with students, like, especially O team [Orientation Team]. &#039 ; Cause I still have a connection with the students who are on orientation team. &#039 ; Cause my previous position, I was still in the same office and I would, they&#039 ; d be laying down on orientation day and I&#039 ; d just be like, &quot ; What are you doing?&quot ; They&#039 ; re like, &quot ; Oh, sorry Jennie!&quot ; And I&#039 ; m like, &quot ; Come on,&quot ; &lt ; laugh&gt ; &quot ; Get your, get yourself together. Don&#039 ; t be laying down on the job.&quot ; So. SS: All right. Um, finally we&#039 ; re gonna get into the Cross-Cultural Center Questions. JR: I know this is like, this is getting us-- getting me warm. Okay. SS: I Really love that. Yeah. I love, like, you&#039 ; re just a person people can trust, a conduit of stability. JR: Conduit of stability. Oh, that&#039 ; s deep. Okay. SS: Could you, anyway, could you describe what the Cross-Cultural Center was like when you initially began engaging with it? JR: Mm-hmm. What I remember about C3 is what we call it. Um, so when I first started, we had, and I imagine you&#039 ; re interviewing Alexis Monte Virgin, SS: Um, I&#039 ; m not sure, she&#039 ; s not one I&#039 ; m interviewing. JR: Yeah, he was the coordinator when I first started. Um, he&#039 ; s like a president of a university now. It&#039 ; s amazing. So he was, he was the coordinator. The, the interaction I had with C3 when I started-- because I oversaw orientation, the Student Life and Leadership Office at the time was this compacted space in, um, past known as Craven Hall. And so when I had on orientation days, we needed a place for Orientation Team to debrief the day. So we&#039 ; d go up to C3. So that&#039 ; s how, that&#039 ; s what I remember it as. We&#039 ; d go up to, we&#039 ; d go to C, we&#039 ; d be sitting on the floor. They had these big red couches, the red couches, the red chairs, and, it was small, but it was like, it was cozy. But yeah, we would just be having people sit on every surface possible and have our debriefing sessions there. And that&#039 ; s kind of my initial like, connection and, memory of how I first interacted. SS: This is a really big follow up, but, how did it shift over time? And did you have any role in this change? JR: Um, how it shifted? So, pretty quickly after I started, probably within the first year-- and I think the plans had already been happening, was we were gonna be moving spaces. We were gonna be moving, offices to the first floor, no, to the third floor [of the Administration Building]. So I don&#039 ; t know if you&#039 ; re familiar or not- where Ace Scholars is now, where the Tukwut courtyard is? That&#039 ; s where Student Life and Leadership used to be. So we were already, when I first started, kind of in this future planning, dream big mode of what can Student Life and Leadership look like. But at that time, C3 was under the purview of Student Life and Leadership. So figuring out where and how that space - because it was very important to have a designated space - not have it be interweaved into our office, but have a community building location for the Center. So, I am sure that I was part of conversations because we were doing like kind of physical planning of the office, figuring out where everything was gonna kind of be. Um, because I was overseeing orientation, the space back then it was, I had this massive cubicle-- Um and then around the corner through a door was where C3 was. So it was an office physically located like right off of the general Student Life and Leadership office. So, kind of talking through and brainstorming how we were gonna fit these red couches into that space. The space was kinda like a triangle. So doing the physical kind of puzzle pieces, you know, figuring out, um, you know, what to put on the walls and to create that space was definitely part of that conversation. So, but yeah I don&#039 ; t remember the nuances, but I would imagine because it was physically located there, we were all part of that &quot ; What does this look like?&quot ; conversation. So, um, how it&#039 ; s evolved since then? I mean, it was in that space. And then, if I remember correctly, I don&#039 ; t know what happened first, but a leadership program was created within Student Life and Leadership. It&#039 ; s called SLL [Student Life and Leadership]. And, the idea was to create a Tukwut leadership. Um, is it Tukwut Leadership Center? Yeah. I think I&#039 ; m remembering this correctly. So what ended up happening, I think a space opened up in the Commons Building directly across from Commons 206, I think is the room. And so the Cross-Cultural Center moved up there and then the [TLC], that [Tukwut] Leadership [Center] space, um, kind of a space for leadership programs and student organization meetings, stuff like that, moved into that triangle space on the third floor. So the space when it was up there was-- I mean, it was massive. It was, I mean, comparatively speaking, I mean there was, there were windows, um, there was like a welcome desk. There were the couches again, I believe. We had at one point, I don&#039 ; t know what the timeframe was, but we had painted this like collective mural where everybody had like, it was a, program that they had brought to campus with a muralist. And they pretty much gave us different pieces to draw and paint. And that was put together, I think it&#039 ; s still up in the C3 here in the Student Union, I wanna say. But that was up in the space and it was just bigger and more open. And I wanna say it was up there until the Student Union opened, which I wasn&#039 ; t in as much conversation about because at that time I had transitioned more into the Data Students Office-ish role. So I wasn&#039 ; t gonna be under the same umbrella. But I remember the conversations about the physical space in the Student Union and, the offices and having a balcony and having programming space and all of that. And so you see this space now. I mean it&#039 ; s just, it&#039 ; s just beautiful. And it&#039 ; s with the balcony. And we&#039 ; ve held some retreats in there and separate kind of staff meeting stuff. And Floyd&#039 ; s [Lai, Director of the CCC] great. He&#039 ; s always willing to host people. Um, so it&#039 ; s done a lot of trainings in there and stuff like that. So, that&#039 ; s kind of how the physical space has evolved. It&#039 ; s gone a long way from this sized office. SS: Thank you for that. JR: Yeah. SS: So many permutations. I love the red couches. JR: The red couches. I mean, that&#039 ; s the thing. And you probably will hear a consistent thing is this thread, the red couches is what C3 was. Like, that is what was, you know, the signature furniture there. SS: Yeah. [Indistinguishable] JR: Oh, I&#039 ; m sure you did. SS: Anyways, um, I knew that you were temporary temporal, sorry. Temporarily responsible for the Cross-Cultural Center during a transition between associate directors. Let me ask you, what led you to that position? JR: &lt ; laughs&gt ; SS: How&#039 ; d that Happen? JR: I don&#039 ; t know. You know, I think, when you&#039 ; re in a-- when you&#039 ; re leading a department right? And somebody leaves, you&#039 ; re kind of like, okay, who could kind of pick things up and keep them moving while we&#039 ; re doing a search, right? I think the reason I was kind of a natural person to jump into that position and I felt very grateful to do it, was because with my work with New Student Programs and Orientation, I had collaborated with, with Sara Sheik, who remains one of my dearest friends, we had collaborated on the creation of a peer mentoring program. So it was a orientation, New Student Programs and Cross-Cultural Center, um, Multicultural Programs, collaborative program. Where we focused on pairing up first-year students from underserved, underrepresented populations. So really it was, I forget the criteria but, primarily students of color, first gen[eration] students who weren&#039 ; t part of other specialized programs, which now I think about it, I&#039 ; m like, that&#039 ; s funny. That&#039 ; s the population I&#039 ; m working with again. So, because we had worked so closely on that and had, we&#039 ; re really working with the staff on creating that program, and we interviewed and hired the mentors and we onboarded the mentees and all of that stuff. I think when Sara ended up leaving, I was a natural kind of-- &#039 ; Cause I had already been working with the, with the directors and coordinators of the other, of the other centers. I had already been working with the staff in C3 on this program. So, it was kind of a natural, you know, &quot ; Can you just help with this for a little bit?&quot ; And so that way we, you know, can have some consistency? Um, so it was a fun- SS: Yeah, I tried to find how long you were in that position. I couldn&#039 ; t find it. How Long? JR: It was about a semest- I&#039 ; d say it was about a semester, if not an entire semester. It was a couple of months in the spring semester of-- oh gosh, I don&#039 ; t know what year it was. [20]10, [20]11, [20]12, around that time. Yeah, because it was before- &#039 ; cause I moved into the Interim Assistant Dean of Students position in January, 2013. So I would say it was probably nine [2009] or [20]10 possibly, but it was only a couple months while we worked on, hiring and getting Floyd. So. SS: Perfect. I don&#039 ; t wanna get too sidetracked but, I&#039 ; d like, if you&#039 ; re willing, I&#039 ; d like you to tell me about your friendship with Sara [Sheikh]. How is she? JR: God. Is this what she started crying about when she was asking about relationships? SS: I&#039 ; m not sure. &lt ; laughs&gt ; JR: Oh gosh, Sara, what a special human. Um, she texted me earlier. She&#039 ; s like, how was your interview? I&#039 ; m like, it&#039 ; s at three. So I&#039 ; ll tell her that you all asked about her. Um, I remember interviewing her because when we would bring candidates on for our department, you know, we&#039 ; d all have a chance to meet all the candidates and whatnot. She first off, she was not, how do? This is the diplomatic part of me. She was not allowed to reach her fullest potential here. Her skills and her talents were not as tapped as they possibly could have been here. She left before she should have. Um, but opportunities arose and she had to take it. But she is, we are so incredibly different, but she is a quiet, calm, intentional, just peaceful human being. Everything she does is with intention and purpose. And she&#039 ; s one of those people in my life, and I tell her all the time, and it&#039 ; s now her and her wife because they&#039 ; re, they&#039 ; re like cup filling people like you, you hang out with them, you spend time with them. And I&#039 ; m like, okay, my soul, has been refilled. Um, not to get into politics, but this is, this is related the day of the, the day after the 2016 election, there were various emotions. And she happened to be on campus that day. She, Sara was here, this was years after she&#039 ; d gone, but she happened to be bringing a group of students here to campus. And I told her, I said, you are the perfect and only person I would&#039 ; ve wanted to interact with on this day. Because she&#039 ; s so good at just like being in a space with and just allowing space and asking intentional questions. But-- and then her laugh is just so unique. Like when you get her laughing, it&#039 ; s just like, there&#039 ; s no laugh like it. Um, but she just, the students so highly respected her, and everything that she touched here, again she did with intention and purpose. And she makes everyone feel like literally you&#039 ; re the only person in the room. She has nothing else to distract her. It&#039 ; s a very intentional, like, you&#039 ; re hearing it a, a pattern like purposeful and intentional. She&#039 ; s just a good, good person. So, I remember, &#039 ; cause I tend to talk a lot and, um, and this isn&#039 ; t fair &#039 ; cause you&#039 ; re asking me to talk, so there&#039 ; s no, there&#039 ; s no judgment here. But I remember we were at a, we were doing a staff retreat and I had to get used to that. she would process. So, you know, somebody would ask a question and a prompt, and we had to give space for Sara because Sara needed time to kind of put all of the thoughts together and process and whatnot. And so, I&#039 ; ve always taken that with me. But, we&#039 ; ve, you know, she was at my wedding. I was at her wedding. She met my son when he was, you know just after he was born. I&#039 ; ve had the privilege to, I was there the day that, they officially adopted their son. I was taking pictures and just, just one of those people, you know? Just one of those people in your life that I&#039 ; m grateful for our relationship here. And just the connection and it, I, it&#039 ; s one of those things where I&#039 ; m like, thank you for allowing me to stay in your life. Because there&#039 ; s days where I&#039 ; m like, what do I bring to you? &lt ; laughs&gt ; Because she&#039 ; s just so fantastic. But she would just kind of, she would brush that off and be like you&#039 ; re nuts. So she&#039 ; s special. SS: I love that. That&#039 ; s incredibly great [indistinguishable]. That&#039 ; s amazing. I know we&#039 ; re in the little sidetrack here, but- JR: No, it&#039 ; s fine. it&#039 ; s all connected. SS: It&#039 ; s all oral history, its all about people, so. JR: It Is. SS: Back to the Cross-Cultural Center. Could you tell me about a favorite memory? Or not even a favorite, just a memory you have from the Cross-Cultural Center? JR: Hmm. &lt ; laugh&gt ; . SS: This is a little stumped [one]. JR: No, it&#039 ; s not stumped. I just, there&#039 ; s certain things that it&#039 ; s like, I just immediately remember and I&#039 ; m like, it doesn&#039 ; t have to be super deep, right? SS: Mm-hmm. JR: I remember there was a period of time, I don&#039 ; t know, I think it was before Sara left, but, um, there were ti-- I don&#039 ; t know if she was out, but, we needed to have physical presence in the Center. And so each of the SLL staff would sign up for shifts to sit at the front desk of the center. And, I remember, I love NSYNC. It&#039 ; s a boy band. Yeah. And I remember I was listening to Pandora at the time, it was Pandora. And I told them, I was up there, I had like a morning shift and I said, &quot ; If I am here at my shift, you are hearing NSYNC and boy bands.&quot ; And it just became a thing. They&#039 ; re like, &quot ; Oh, Jennie&#039 ; s here.&quot ; And I would just play that music. And, it was, that&#039 ; s the first thing that kind of came to mind. It was just kind of funny. They were like, &quot ; Oh God, Jenny&#039 ; s on shift.&quot ; But it was cool because it got us physically out of our own offices and I looked forward to that, you know, physical, that physical location change. But then to interact with students in different ways. Um, God, there&#039 ; s a lot of memories. I met a student, and I won&#039 ; t say his name for obvious reasons you&#039 ; ll learn shortly, but I first met him in C3 and I remember him &#039 ; cause he would walk in and he was always in military gear, but like not like he, he was like within the military, he was always just wearing like military-grade-- SS: Camo? JR: Yeah. He had like a, this military-grade backpack, like, the combat boots and just, and he was just the sweetest, kindest person. And I, that&#039 ; s he, that was the first time I met him was in the C3. And he would come in there all the time and that&#039 ; s where he would hang out and we would talk about life. And he quickly disclosed to me that he had dealt with some significant mental health challenges. And just, my brother has also dealt with some stuff and so he and I were connecting on that and just talking about life and making those connections. And I remembered he had gone away for a bit and then he had returned and he was, he was having some challenges as only a couple years ago. Unfortunately he passed away last year. But I always remember just that connection I had with him. And I realized, you know, a lot of other people on campus had that connection with him. He was just, he was just this unique soul. He was like an old soul. He dealt with so much adversity with mental and physical health, but he just always came with just a presence of kindness and just sh- like sheer gratitude. And when I-- when I changed, when I moved outta my office a couple weeks ago, &#039 ; cause I was in that office for nine years. One of the things I was, I was cleaning this stuff out and I found a thank you card from him. And I was like, wow, what a gift. And he had, it was after I was out of the role within relation to [C3], but it&#039 ; s a couple years ago when I helped him with some stuff and it just said, &quot ; Thank you for helping me in one of the difficult times in my life.&quot ; and I was just like, God, what a gift you just gave me. So, um, I don&#039 ; t know if I would&#039 ; ve had the chance to meet him had I not been in that, you know, in that physical space because I know that was a space of safety for him, which was I know the case for a lot of students, so. SS: Wow. JR: [Mm-hmm] &lt ; laugh&gt ; . SS: Sorry about that. JR: I know it&#039 ; s tough and yeah. Yeah. SS: [indistinguishable] It&#039 ; s remembering NSYNC Radio, at least. &lt ; laugh&gt ; JR: NSYNC Radio. But I think even with him, I still smile, you know, and um, yeah, &#039 ; cause again, he just exuded gratitude and it, um, yeah. So mm-hmm. SS: Well on a lighter note! Uh. JR: &lt ; laugh&gt ; , I know, sorry take these down. SS: No, no, no. It&#039 ; s perfect. It&#039 ; s perfect. I know you only worked there for a semester, but how might have your work at the Cross-Cultural Center helped you develop as a professional? JR: Massively. I mean, you know, as a, as a White woman, straight CIS woman, I bring privilege with me and I always am trying to learn and understand that what my physical presence may bring depending on the space and I&#039 ; m at right? And, the majority of the students who, who hung out in that space were, were students of color, primarily students who were of Asian Pacific Islander descent. But, it was something for me to be able to-- when I first got asked to kind of fill in the role, part of me was like I didn&#039 ; t want my own identity to be a detriment to their development. But I realize now me even just knowing that I think &lt ; laughs&gt ; makes a difference. That I&#039 ; m aware of how my identity impacts those around me. But there were some experiences that came up that I remember we were doing, we were doing some activities-- Oh we were doing a, an event and it was around, um, Judaism, and I don&#039 ; t remember what the content of the workshop was, but Hillel, which is still an active organization for serving and supporting Jewish students, but obviously non-Jewish students can be involved. There was some concern about us offering this workshop and possibly providing false information. And it was one of those things that in the moment you can get very defensive, right? You can be like, no, you know, we&#039 ; re not, we&#039 ; re not trying to do anything to whatever. But what it had me do was, you need to stop for a second and be-- again, the intentionality. It really taught me just you to think of anyone who could be potentially impacted, but also leveraging the voices that you have and collaborate and pull them in. Um, &#039 ; cause why wouldn&#039 ; t have we have collaborated with folks on campus who live that on, on a daily basis and could provide some additional you know, but I was advising students at this time and the student was just doing what he was told. He was creating these workshops kind of in a vacuum. But it was a really good lesson to, again, do things as intentionally as possible. Even if it means you have to move the workshop a few weeks later, if it means we&#039 ; re doing it the right way, let&#039 ; s do that. So that was a really good lesson and I think it ended up being fine. We ended up collaborating with them. Um, and then just--Trying to think. I mean, just working with all different types of people and interacting with students I probably normally wouldn&#039 ; t have just because they weren&#039 ; t involved in Orientation Team. Like this, this particular pocket of students who worked as student assistants, within all the other centers because there was kind of like this collective team they had of- at the time the Women&#039 ; s Center, the Pride Center, and the Cross-Cultural Center, those three centers ; our staffs would get together on a frequent basis. And there&#039 ; s folks from other staffs that I have connected with that I&#039 ; m still in, contact with that I probably would never have interacted with. And to be honest, they probably would never have even-- based on who I am and how I present and probably would never have even interacted with me. And so, it was a great opportunity to kind of make those connections. But, um, I learned some more things just about program planning. We, we planned some pretty big events and just again, how to honor history and culture and doing it in a meaningful manner while advising students who just wanna get things done. And it&#039 ; s like, how do you balance that? So that was, um, that was a good experience. SS: Yeah. That&#039 ; s great. Um, making connections. using your voices. Moving on, could you describe, and this doesn&#039 ; t have to be with the Cross-Cultural Center &#039 ; cause I know you worked a pretty short time over there. Could you describe a project or initiative you with that you are particularly proud of, or were a part of necessarily? JR: Hmm. Geez, just so many SS: &lt ; laughs&gt ; JR: I think I can discuss the peer mentoring program. Although it was short-lived, I think for what it was. It&#039 ; s one of those programs that no matter how good of a program you have, if you don&#039 ; t have the resources to continue it, you can only do so much. And so-- but it was, it was really cool because it was kind of a brainchild of Sara and then she came to me and said, &quot ; You work with new students, can we just do this connection?&quot ; And so we really got a chance to dig into the benefits of peer mentoring and we kind of, we created it really from the ground up. We recruited current students to be peer mentors, created that training for them. And because of my work with O-Team [Orientation Team], who is solely volunteers, you know, I had a training with them, a weekly training with them on, in the spring semester, and then we had retreats. And so I was able to really bring that component. Um, and then what Sara brought was really the, the pieces of how-- why we&#039 ; re serving this particular population because there is an equity gap that our white students are persisting at a higher rate and graduating at a higher rate than our students of color. So, and then there was research that showed that peer mentoring specifically helps to close-- is one of the most beneficial components that a student could have to have a peer to peer connection. So it was really fun to work with her on that and really create the curriculum, create the, the criteria for the mentors. And then I remember we had spreadsheets and we were divvying up the, the caseloads of like who, or not the caseloads-- of like who would be matched with certain mentors and stuff like that. Um, and so that was really fun. And then once Sara left and Floyd came on, um, I don&#039 ; t think it was a while, but he and I had the idea to do like an overnight retreat with this program. So what we did was we had them all come together. So we&#039 ; ve had the mentors and the mentees, this is before school even started, had them on a bus. We drove up to Julian [California] and we did kind of team-building activities. And it was really-- I remember we had this, we wanted to do a ropes course and we had, there&#039 ; s a ropes course at this camp. And I remember Floyd and I were brought in probably three days before the retreat. And our boss at the time said, we can&#039 ; t spend the money on this. And we&#039 ; re like, &quot ; What are we supposed to do?&quot ; So then he and I just like hunkered down and created like our own like, internal team-building exercises, but we&#039 ; re like, &quot ; What the hell are we gonna do?&quot ; But we figured it out. What&#039 ; s funny now is I think it was that year, one of the mentees is now on my coaching staff. SS: &lt ; laughs&gt ; . JR: So I&#039 ; ve known him forever and it&#039 ; s really cool. And then funny enough we, well it&#039 ; s not funny but, we had to buy a new car this past weekend, track me here-- and I, we go to San Diego County Credit Union because that, we had literally just paid our car off on Thursday and that&#039 ; s when our car died. So we went back to San Diego County Credit Union. Said we wanted to get a loan with you again. And as we&#039 ; re meeting with this loan officer, she&#039 ; s like, where do you work? I told her, she&#039 ; s like, &quot ; I knew you look familiar!&quot ; And my husband&#039 ; s always like, &quot ; I swear to God, she knows people everywhere.&quot ; And she said, &quot ; I was part of the peer mentoring program&quot ; and I remembered her &#039 ; cause she was assigned to, I would say was our best mentor &#039 ; cause some of our mentors left a lot to be des-- like, &quot ; Can you talk? Can you touch base with your students?&quot ; But this one -- and her last name was Ruiz as well -- and so we connected on that, but it was so cool to see this student who had been in the peer mentoring program and just being like, &quot ; I remember you!&quot ; And it was a nice little reunion. Um, but I thought it was a really cool framework to create. Um, unfortunately the resources just weren&#039 ; t able to keep it going. So. SS: Yeah. That&#039 ; s cool that you saw your, your one mentor--[indistinguishable] JR: It was so funny that, &quot ; I know you look familiar!&quot ; When I said I worked at campus, it was funny. SS: Yea I Know plenty of people working in the university space currently working with limited resources. Yeah, it&#039 ; s definitely challenging. JR: It is. Especially when it&#039 ; s such meaningful work like that. I mean, it&#039 ; s literally to support, but now I&#039 ; m in a space again to be able to do that same kind of work, which is exciting. SS: Mm-hmm. What is the significance of having a space that champions underrepresented students? JR: Um, I mean so much. And with underrepresented students, obviously that&#039 ; s such a large umbrella, right? And then every group and, and community that makes up that term needs different things and there&#039 ; s an intersectionality and all that and it can-- but you know what it really comes down to, it&#039 ; s about equity, right? And it&#039 ; s interesting having conversations with people who don&#039 ; t quite get it and there&#039 ; s people who make comments sometimes it&#039 ; s like, &quot ; What about a space for us?&quot ; And I&#039 ; m like, do you understand that any-- I can go somewhere and see someone who looks like me and understands my experience. I mean, generally speaking, pretty easily, if you have a student who comes to this campus and does not see anyone who looks like them during the day, does not have a faculty member teaching them who is from the same culture or community, to be able to have a space that a student knows they can go to. To have an experience that just physical and mental and emotional safety on a daily basis, for them to do homework and define that community will only help them to be better in all aspects of their life. That&#039 ; s why programs like EOP [Educational Opportunity Program] and ACE Scholars and those programs exist because they&#039 ; re-- every student should have access to the same level of services, right? First and foremost. But, if you look at certain populations and certain areas where students are from, they then need that much more support to get them to the same place that more majority populations are. So I think providing spaces like this is one step in providing that, that equity. Um, because I can imagine a student coming here and I&#039 ; ve never really experienced it, but being like, &quot ; I don&#039 ; t see myself here.&quot ; They&#039 ; re not gonna feel an emotional connection to the campus. They&#039 ; re not gonna feel like going to class because why would they care? I mean, there&#039 ; s some students who inherently they just have this intrinsic motivation and they&#039 ; ll go to school and it&#039 ; s fine. But you wanna have that, that community and sense of belonging. That&#039 ; ll just make it that much more just robust of an experience for them. And the community pieces is massive. So spaces like this, if done well, and intentionally and has good leadership and the resources it needs. Because the thing is these centers-- and people joke a lot of times are placed in the basements of buildings, they&#039 ; re placed in inaccessible areas that people don&#039 ; t necessarily know about. If you do it well and put &#039 ; em in high traffic areas like the USU [University Student Union], have staffing and resources to really support those students, then it goes well. But just historically spaces like that are just under-resourced and which is an issue. So. SS: Yeah. Um, I guess in that same sort of area of, doing it right. Are there any aspects of your time at the Cross-Cultural Center that you would&#039 ; ve approached differently if given the chance? JR: Mm. I, when I came in, because again, there was this like conglomerate of the three spaces. I would, and it was a really short period of time, but I got kind of sucked into their drama &lt ; laughs&gt ; , and I wish I would&#039 ; ve come in and I don&#039 ; t know if I had fully found my voice yet like if I, knowing what I know now about things and haven&#039 ; t gone through when I&#039 ; ve gone through now, I feel like I would be able to go in and be able to really help the students to be very-- To, you know to collaborate, but not necessarily be dependent on, I think, I wanted to collaborate with these other folks but I think there was almost a sense of like I had to defer to what they wanted kind of thing. And so probably it would be fun to go back in there now knowing what I know now and see how things would be different. But, I don&#039 ; t know. I think that the state of where I was at the time, you learn based on where you&#039 ; re at in life. And I got lessons, from it. I, um, there were-- I worked with my first student who I was aware of being undocumented at the time and just learning about that process and learning about that impact for her and just, I mean we literally, no one knew but she would, she would submit kind of a fake time sheet every month just to have this sense of normalcy and that nobody would question. And just, that was kind of my first, kind of opportunity to, to work with students experiencing those challenges. So. I can&#039 ; t think of anything glaring. I was still I think pretty early and young in my profession. Um, so, there&#039 ; s still days where I&#039 ; m like, &quot ; You wanted me to be in there?&quot ; But, it worked out. But I think those are the things I can, I can think of. SS: That&#039 ; s good. JR: Yeah. SS: More experience. JR: More experience. It&#039 ; s all, it&#039 ; s all experience. Yes. SS: Well, as we&#039 ; re wrapping-- winding down, I know you mentioned before that a lot of people that would go to the Cross-Cultural Center were um-- JR: Asian Pacific Islander. SS: Oh yeah. Asian Pacific Islanders. JR: &lt ; laughs&gt ; Yes. SS: I, a lot of questions are raised around like these cultural centers, like the Black Student Center and, the Latinx Center and stuff like that. And should there be an Asian student center? Should there be a white student center? What&#039 ; s your response to that? JR: &lt ; laughs&gt ; That&#039 ; s my response. &lt ; laughs&gt ; Um, I mean, I think I mentioned it before about the purpose of these spaces. Everyone, every student should have access to support and resources on our campus. I do not think inherently based on the setup of society, students at particular demographics are lacking spaces where they see others like them. SS: [Mm-hmm.] JR: Like I said, things need to be, do, done well. You need to have the staffing. I think it&#039 ; s always going to be met with some dissonance because there&#039 ; s gonna always be people who just don&#039 ; t get it. But the people who are the ones traditionally, and I know there&#039 ; s people who may identify as the same within that center and say, I don&#039 ; t think we should have, you know, separation or whatnot. But it depends where people are at on their identity development. And when you kind of go through identity development, you get to the point where you&#039 ; re comfortable enough in your space and your skin and your whatever to understand that everyone else is in a different space and that&#039 ; s okay. And that some students may be okay with it and some students may really need that space to be successful. And again, if having a Black Student Center allows one black man who goes to school here to have a physical space that he can go to feel safe, then I think that&#039 ; s been successful because otherwise where would he find that here? Right. I think the people who ask those questions about, why don&#039 ; t we have this? Why don&#039 ; t we have this? And it&#039 ; s like, I don&#039 ; t-- there&#039 ; s gonna always be people who ask those questions and they don&#039 ; t have an answer for it. They don&#039 ; t have anything to kind of back up, you know, you ask the question of, &quot ; Why do you think we need that space?&quot ; And they don&#039 ; t have any, you know, there&#039 ; s no research to back up the answers that they&#039 ; re hoping to get. It&#039 ; s just, they&#039 ; re there-- The questions are just being asked, I think to kind of stir things up. But again, the caveat is: you don&#039 ; t wanna just do it to do it to check off boxes. You need to do it as intentionally as possible. And I&#039 ; m far from being an expert on how to implement that. But if you don&#039 ; t have the resources and don&#039 ; t have the institutional support, you&#039 ; re only gonna be, you&#039 ; re set up to fail. SS: Mm-hmm. Perfect. Great. Um, yeah, I like that answer. If it helps. It&#039 ; s worth it. JR: Yep. Mm-hmm. SS: To conclude connecting to that question, uh, what role do you see the Cross-Cultural Center playing as it coexists with the expansion of identity-specific spaces? JR: I would imagine, I&#039 ; ll say Floyd specifically &#039 ; cause he has been the longest-tenured, um, director in there now. [Floyd] is probably been asked how he&#039 ; s gonna be-- What is the Cross-Cultural Center? How does the Cross-Cultural Center kind of stand apart from the other identity centers? I think with the Cross-Cultural Center, although other centers talk about intersectionality and you know, and that sort of thing, I think what the Cross-Cultural Center can really focus on is really that multiculturalism, how all the different identities intersect and kind of can help to facilitate those conversations and understandings and that sort of thing. I would imagine there&#039 ; s been conversations about-- do we have a space for, you know, our APIDA [Asian Pacific Islander Desi American] students? Because that tends to be the space that, that population tends to spend time. I think, there were conversations way back in the day where, &#039 ; cause they&#039 ; re Kamalayan Alliance, I don&#039 ; t know if it&#039 ; s a really big organization now, but Kamalayan Alliance was a massive student organization back in the day, and that was primarily the students who made up the space in the center and some people had issues with it. It&#039 ; s kind of like but this is not supposed to be just for Filipino students, but it&#039 ; s like, who defines that? You know? It depends on who has a connection here and who feels connected. So, I would imagine-- I know there&#039 ; s some campuses who have, I mean, tons of different affinity spaces and identity centers. And I&#039 ; m sure there&#039 ; s gonna be conversation about what, what is C3&#039 ; s role in that? Um, I don&#039 ; t know the answer I&#039 ; m not privy to those conversations, but I&#039 ; m sure the questions have come up of what is the space for this type of physical and identity space in the midst of adding all these different, identity spaces? Other campuses do it. It&#039 ; s just, I&#039 ; m sure there&#039 ; s a lot of conversations about what is the vision and mission and kind of, where&#039 ; s it gonna go, which can be exciting. Um, but I&#039 ; m sure there&#039 ; s also some pressure to be like, who are we? What is our, what is our mission here on campus? But, um, the current leadership can figure it out. He&#039 ; s [Floyd Lai, Director of the Cross-Cultural Center] good. He&#039 ; s good. SS: Yea, he is good. JR: He is good. SR: Anyways, thank you so much for coming here and-- JR: This was Fun. &lt ; laughs&gt ; . I don&#039 ; t know what I expected, But yeah. 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The researcher assumes full responsibility for use of the material and agrees to hold harmless the University Library, and California State University, against all claims, demands, costs, and expenses incurred by copyright infringement or any other legal or regulatory cause of action arising from the use of the Library's materials. In assuming full responsibility for use of the material, the researcher also understands that the materials they examine may contain Social Security numbers, other personal identifiers, and/or sensitive material on potentially living and identifiable individuals (e.g., medical, evaluative, or personally invasive information). The researcher agrees not to record, reproduce, or disclose any Social Security number or other information of a highly personal nature that may be found. 0 https://archivesoralhistories.csusm.edu/ohms-viewer/render.php?cachefile=RuizJennie_StanleySeth_2023-04-07.xml RuizJennie_StanleySeth_2023-04-07.xml https://archivesearch.csusm.edu/repositories/3/resources/19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ruiz, Jennie. Interview April 7, 2023 Description An account of the resource 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. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC027-029 Subject The topic of the resource California State University San Marcos. Cross-Cultural Center Education, Higher Human rights Student success Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023-04-07 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available California State University San Marcos University Library Language A language of the resource English Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Jennie Ruiz Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jennie Ruiz Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Seth Stanley Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant San Marcos (Calif.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In copyright</a> Cross-Cultural Center oral history project CSUSM history Women's experience