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Historical Society of Long Beach

Present The Third

Long Beach Community Studies Conference

The Citys Neighborhoods Past & Present
Sponsored by

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Long Beach Community College Liberal Arts Campus 4901 Carson St. T Building

Welcome
The Long Beach City College Community Studies Project and the Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB) proudly present the Third Long Beach Community Studies Conference. We are pleased to hold the Conference at the College for the first time. Several years before our first Conference in 2010 we became partners planning for an event that would bring faculty members, independent scholars, HSLB historians, community researchers, students, archivists, librarians, and others together to discuss Long Beach. Today we offer 13 panels with approximately 40 participants on a wide range of topics that relate to the theme of The Citys Neighborhoods Past & Present. The City of Long Beach is the sixth largest city in the state and the 34th most populous city in the United States. Yet published scholarship on the citys development and importance is severely lacking. The Conference is a forum where those deeply involved in community activities come together with those writing about Long Beach and its environs. We hope that the Conference we will provide a forum for community members and academicians alike to learn and analyze our unique locale in Southern California. Thank you for your participation and contributions to the body of knowledge about Long Beach. Sincerely Your Conference Committee,

Julie Bartolotto Kaye Briegel Lindsey Cranton Julian DelGaudio Kristi Fischer
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Ashley Franks-McGill Karen Harper Craig Hendricks Geraldine Knatz HSLB Board of Directors

Conference Schedule
Check in Session I Session II Lunch Session III Session IV Wine & Cheese Reception 8:30-9:00 9:00-10:30 10:40-12:10 12:10-1:10 1:20-2:50 3:00-4:30 4:30-5:30

Session I 9:00-10:30
1. Journey to Pride
Room T-1300 9:00-10:30 Moderator: Roxanne Patmor, Co-President, HSLB Panelists: Vanessa Romain, Emerita, Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Evan A. Braude, former Long Beach City Council Member, and CoPresident, HSLB

In 2013, the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride (LBLGP) Inc. Festival drew more than 80,000 attendees and closely rivals the Grand Prix for attendance and revenue drawn to the city and its businesses. It is the third largest Pride event in the nation. Panelists tell about their tenacious and creative struggle to overcome barriers, arbitrary requirements, and public hostility to hold the first event in 1984, and this fight continued for years. Thirty years later, LBLGP Inc. is part of the citys identity and a generous source of philanthropy. The organization owns property and continues to grow and evolve along with the city and the LGBT people who call Long Beach home.

2. Refugees in the Neighborhood

Room T-1334 9:00-10:30 Moderator: Mary Marki, History, LBCC Presentations: Daughter of Fortune: A Mothers Survival of the Killing Fields and a Daughters Guilt, Michaela Mehr Arab Spring in Egypt, Emad Samir Faltas, Egyptology, LBCC Capturing Local Histories for LBCC Students, Mary Marki, History, LBCC Telling the Story of the Chinese Cultural Revolution to Students Laura Wan, Emerita, LBCC

The panel will examine the idea, purpose and process of capturing local oral histories from within our community which examine and record the stories of human struggle and resilience from community members who have lived through extraordinary circumstances.

3. Cambodian Aesthetic in Long Beach

Room T-1312 9:00-10:30 Moderator: Karen Quintiliani, Anthropology, CSULB, and co-founder of Cambodian Community History and Archive Project Presentations: Pre-1975 Cambodian Music, Sophea Seng, Graduate Student, Asian and Asian American Studies, CSULB
This presentation details ritual, royal, and popular Cambodian music prior to 1975. Community members reconstruct images of the homeland Cambodia through music, an emotional and historical basis for reconstructing personal histories of community empowerment in Long Beach.

Importance of Khmer Language to Local Cambodians, Kristen Althizer, Graduate Student, Applied Anthropology, CSULB

Many Cambodians have learned English since arriving in the U.S. but it is still imperative that they use their first language, Khmer, to express deeper ideas and meaning.

Cambodian Theatrical Dance Performance, Caydee Manning, Student, Anthropology, CSULB

Cambodian theatrical dance performances are not merely forms of entertainment. They reflect and inform the communitys identity as a transnational populace. Theatrical dance is key to establishing a sense of continuity with the past as well as a distinct identity, and the establishment of meaning within this diasporic community.

An Exploration of the Film, From the Heart of Brahma, Robert Douglas, Graduate Student, Anthropology, CSULB

From the Heart of Brahma depicts the life of Prumsodon Ok, a Cambodian Classical Dancer, teacher and community leader focused on reviving, revitalizing and innovating thousand year old tradition almost lost to the Khmer Rouge genocide. His personal avant-garde work combines traditional Cambodian dance with queer influences in an attempt to single handedly preserve, yet question the role of tradition in modern society.

4. Building Sustainable Communities Through Community Participation

Room T-1310 Moderator: Gary Hytrek, Sociology, CSULB Presentations: The Struggle for Social Justice in Post-1980 Long Beach Lauren Madden, Sociology, CSULB 9:00-10:30

The processes of urban restructuring and geographically uneven development in post-1980 Long Beach has engendered spatial and social injustices. This research looks at how two social movement organizations have struggled for social justice in Long Beach through more inclusive community participation as well as for greater economic and political opportunity.

Building a Movement: the Long Beach Living Wage Eric Romero, Urban Planning, UCLA

This research concentrates on gaining insight into the different ways the successes of the Long Beach living wage campaign have strengthened and further developed community ties, interests, and efforts focused around advancing social justice in Long Beach.

Health Disparities and Community Response in West Long Beach Roxana Delgado, Sociology, CSULB

The presentation provides an overview of the health and environmental impacts of the Goods Movement in West Long Beach. Using data and research from secondary sources, the research examines the correlations between air pollution and health risk. Drawing upon oral interviews, the paper examines the efforts of community residents to organize and empower the community to improve the health and environment of their community.

Session II 10:40-12:10
5. Documenting LGBTQ History in Long Beach
Room T-1300 10:40-12:10 Moderator: Porter Gilberg, Executive Director, LGBTQ Center of Long Beach Presentations: Queering Community: Queerness, Memory, and Contact in Long Beachs Gay Ghetto Jodi Davis, Women and Gender Studies, CSUF, and Doctoral Candidate, Cultural Studies, Claremont Graduate University
Long Beach plays host to one of Southern Californias largest LGBTQ neighborhoods. The Gay Ghetto exists on a stretch of Broadway from Alamitos Avenue to just beyond Redondo Avenue including a few blocks north and south that features bars, coffee shops, and businesses that cater to the LGBTQ population. This research will explore how the Gay Ghetto is imagined and experienced by its inhabitants, visitors, community organizers, and business owners. Exploring a neighborhood that is formed, on the surface, through an identity-based call for community, the research will examine how community is deployed and understood by its inhabitants, visitors, community organizers, and business owners.

Documenting the Lives of Emerging Leaders: Oral History Interviews with Pride Pioneers Karen S. Harper, Independent Researcher

The presentation analyzes the process of conducting oral history interviews as part of the preparation for Coming Out in Long Beach, the HSLBs exhibit on the history of the local LGBT community. Harper conducted whole life interviews with two of the key organizers of the citys annual Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade and Festival. She will describe the process of interviewing these significant individuals, what she learned about their lives, and how their words were integrated into the exhibit.

Documenting Long Beachs LGBT History: Pre-existing Sources and New Ones Kaye Briegel, History Emerita, CSULB and Vice President HSLB

The presenter proposes to describe the HSLBs LGBT History project to collect, exhibit and create an archive about the emergence of the local LGBT community. Briegel will analyze the research materials she found, the ones the project Steering Committee identified, and the material they created by conducting formal oral history interviews and following other leads. She will relate this history to the contemporary development of Long Beach.

6. Strategies for Building a Village

Room T-1334 10:40-12:10 Moderator: Julie Bartolotto, Executive Director, HSLB Presentations: Not So Family Friendly & Breast Feeding Activists Online Maricela DeRivera, Community Activist

Going from an employee of the City of Long Beach and an active community volunteer, to suddenly entering the world of being a stay-at-home mom was a culture shock for the presenter. DeRivera runs an online support group of over 200 local moms, serves on boards and connects people to resources, widening the understanding of community. Many neighborhood groups are not addressing the needs of a large group of stakeholders, moms. How we build community today is different than it was 20 years ago and we must adapt. DeRivera will discuss truly building community, by meeting the community where they are.

Coastal Cuties: Family Cooperative in Long Beach Ambyr Hardy, Anthropology, CSULB

In a world where mothers still grapple for their proper place and where traditional social networks are often missing, Coastal Cuties, a local mothers group embrace the adage It takes a village to raise a child. This presentation discusses how Coastal Cuties works across neighborhood boundaries, to build a sense of community for the families who join. Using ethnographic methods the presenter explores moms groups as a form of social activism, and will discuss their value as social capital. This participant-observers view of Coastal Cuties highlights how and why these mothers come together for mutual support and gives a new perspective to the conversation about womens social networks.

California Heights Community in Action John Royce, Community Organizer, and Past President California Heights Neighborhood Association (CHNA)

The presentation documents how CHNA became one of the most active neighborhood organizations in Long Beach. Royce will highlighting the formation of the original association in 1927 to petition the City of Long Beach for paved streets, sidewalks, and ornamental street lighting, as well as the call for historic district designation in the 1980s. CHNA encourages residents to more eagerly consider themselves stewards of history, protecting their neighborhoods historic fabric, future value and relevance as a contributing force in the greater community it belongs to.

7. Far Flung Neighborhoods

Room T-1312 10:40-12:10 Moderator: Julian DelGaudio, History, LBCC, and Director of LB Community Studies Project Presentations: Long Beachs Pre-Neighborhood Era Steve Iverson, retired Historical Curator, Rancho Los Cerritos

Before modern Long Beach, a series of proto-neighborhoods occupied the region. Native American villages gave way to the ranchos, to colonies of settlers, and to growing towns with distinct characteristics. In between these there were pastures, fields, farms, and dairies. Iverson will introduce the background context that will provide some ideas about what came before the neighborhoods discussed at the conference.

Long Beachs Los Cerritos Geraldine Knatz, Creator Port of Los Angeles archives, and author of Long Beachs Los Cerritos

Based on her forthcoming book, this presentation will cover the history of the Los Cerritos Colony and the early beginnings of the Los Cerritos neighborhood. The colony of small farms and dairies established a school district and water district prior to the City of Long Beach. The presentation will emphasize the significant contribution of two particular families, the Teel family in the Los Cerritos Colony and the Los Angeles-based Vignes family in the Los Cerritos neighborhood.

Long Beachs Forgotten Neighborhoods Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach Larry Strawther, Classic Television Writer (Happy Days, etc.), and author of A Brief History of Los Alamitos and Rossmoor

Although rarely reported, the communities of Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, and Seal Beach have played a large role in the history and success of Long Beach. The success of the Los Alamitos Sugar Factory led the factory owners to purchase the 8,000 acre Montana Ranch which significantly affected the development of Lakewood, LBCC, and the LB Airport. Strawther will explore connections which played a huge part in making Long Beach one of the first main routes of the Pacific Electric Trolley.

Lunch 12:10-1:10 Session III 1:20-2:50

8. Rum, Race & Rebellion
Room T-1310 1:20-2:50 Moderator: Geraldine Knatz, Creator Port of Los Angeles archives, and author of Long Beachs Los Cerritos Presentations:

Signal Hill: The Neighborhood That Got Away Craig Hendricks, History Emeritus, LBCC

In 1910 Signal Hill supported several dozen small farms, leased from large local ranches and largely worked by Japanese-Americans and MexicanAmericans that supplied local neighborhoods with produce, fresh eggs and chickens. It also contained several fresh water reservoirs that serviced Long Beach. In June 1921, Signal Hill changed forever with the discovery of oil and gas several thousand feet below its crest. Wells began producing millions of barrels of crude, and thousands of drillers, entrepreneurs, construction workers and others flooded into the two square mile zone. Hendricks will explore the incorporated of Signal Hill in 1924, and its fabulous new wealth.

War & Race in the Making of East Long Beach Julian DelGaudio, History, LBCC, and LB Community Studies Project

This paper explores the intersection of real estate developers, defense contractors, and the mass implementation of restrictive covenants in the expansion of the cities of Long Beach and Lakewood from 1940 to 1970. Military driven demand for housing was filtered through a largely privately owned housing development strategy that made mass use of not just industrial sized building techniques, but also mass discriminatory practices that excluded minorities from the major East Long Beach and Lakewood housing booms. The result was the creation of strongly conservative neighborhoods wedded to Cold War internationalism on the one hand, and private enterprise l on the other.

Evading the Prohibition Police in Long Beach, 1920-1933 Nicholas Johnson, History Student, LBCC

9. Mapping Long Beach

Room T-1334 1:20-2:50 Moderator: Kristi Fischer, Past-President Historical Society of Long Beach Presentations: East 7th Street Collaboration: Mapping Data Using GIS Joanne Ancheta, Graduate Student, Geographic Information Science Program, CSULB

The East 7th Street Collaboration is a neighborhood group under the auspices of the Rose Park Neighborhood Association. The project brings together maps, U.S. Census data, the City of Long Beach building permit archive, and information from Ancestry.com. Through their website, the Collaboration attempts to display historical data and further investigate this historic and densely populated area.

East 7th Street Collaboration: Local Digital Archive Gretchen Swanson, Rose Park Neighborhood Association Board Member, and Masters in Public Health

This part of the East 7th St. Neighborhood was annexed to the city of Long Beach in 1909 in an effort to link the downtown to the east side. Its value to the city today remains unchanged. Collaborators hope that their project could serve as a model to others when addressing contemporary urban planning and land use issues from a historical perspective.

Spatial History of Long Beach Larry Rich, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Long Beach

Using a live demonstration of ArcGIS (Geographic Information System) Software, the presentation walks through the history of Long Beach using a series of historic maps contrasted with current aerial photography.

10. Life & Times of Phineas Banning

Room T-1312 1:20-2:50 Moderator: Christian Taylor, Graduate Student, History, USC Presenter: Julia Sheldon Banning, Great-Great-Granddaughter of Phineas Banning, and California History enthusiast

Overview of the life & times of Phineas Banning from 1830 to 1885 with focus on his Wilmington residence and its 150th anniversary in 2014. The presentation will include remarks on Phineas Bannings home and role in the development of the Los Angeles harbor area from the 1850s to the 1880s.

Session IV 3:00-4:30
11. Marginalized Neighborhoods
Room T-1311 3:00-4:30 Presenter: Gwen Shaffer, Journalism and Mass Communication, CSULB
Students enrolled in the Journalism Senior Seminar at CSULB create multimedia stories (broadcast, audio slideshows, text and interactive pieces) that cover marginalized neighborhoods throughout the city. Specifically, students report and produce stories that raise awareness of neighborhood issues and concerns in four Long Beach communitiesNorth Long Beach; Central Long Beach; Downtown; and West Long Beach. In doing so, they give voice to some of the poorest and most underserved residents of the city.

12. Harbor Area

Room T-1334 3:00-4:30 Moderator: Craig Hendricks, History Emeritus, LBCC, and Secretary, HSLB Presentations: Who Owns the Port & Why Should We Care? George Cunningham, Journalist and author of a forthcoming book on the Port of Long Beach
When we talk about the history of the Port of Long Beach, we are talking about the story of the people who made the port what it is today, the ensuing benefits and problems that resulted from the actions of those people, and the story of how that port relates to the community that it serves. The common thread that connects all of those pieces is a parcel of real estate. Today that piece of real estate encompasses 3,200 acres of land. But who owns it? Who controls it? Who reaps the benefits? Who can sell it? And who has control over who gets access? The presentation will explore the multi-faceted ownership of the Port.

Patterns of Imports & Exports 1940-Present Vicky Madera, Student, LBCC The Japanese on Terminal Island Daniel OConnor, Student, LBCC

13. Neighborhoods Transformed

Room T-1312 3:00-4:30 Moderator: Allene Symons, Communications and Media Studies, Santa Ana College Presentations: Colorado Lagoon Christine Whitcraft, Biology, CSULB, and President, Friends of Colorado Lagoon
Colorado Lagoon is a dynamic, central feature of the Alamitos Heights and Belmont Heights. Once the upper portion of a large coastal wetland ecosystem, it is now an 18-acre tidal water body connected to Alamitos Bay via a 1,000foot box culvert. The presentation will discuss how the Lagoon was dredged, separated from Marine Stadium, and went from being the 3rd worst water-body quality in the state, to its restoration as the gem of its neighborhoods. The story of the advocacy, restoration, and eventual planned rejuvenation of the Colorado Lagoon is a tribute to the hard work of dedicated communities, the strength of local partnerships, and the resiliency of the Colorado Lagoon ecosystem itself.

You Can Put Lipstick on a Pig Long Beachs Jungle From Oceanfront Slum to Pillar of Propriety and Prosperity Mary Hinds, Fellow, CORO Foundation for Public Affairs The Jungle was home to carnival workers from the nearby Pike, prostitutes
and other seedy sorts, The Jungle was also a neighborhood, with shops, family apartments, and places for its children to play. Today, the area is home to City National Bank and the prestigious Keesal Young & Logan law firm. This paper traces the history of the area, which mirrors the evolution of downtown Long Beach and the dramatically changing face and mores of the City over the past 70 years. It also spotlights a neighborhood where families lived, children played, and local shops took care of their needs alongside sin and debauchery.

Wine & Cheese Reception Room T 1200

4:30-5:30

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Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Port of Long Beach Murphy, Murphy, & Murphy Long Beach City College Long Beach City College Foundation Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc. School of Social Sciences & Arts The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach Long Beach Petroleum Club Timothy J. Friden Trust Kristi Fischer Karen Harper Baba Ghanouj Signal Hill Petroleum

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Historical Society of Long Beach Membership Levels & Benefits

Becoming a member is a great way to get involved with the Historical Society of Long Beach! Your membership helps to sustain the HSLB and provides ongoing affiliation that supports our important year-round work.All members receive discounts to HSLB events and programs, & discounts on books and custom photo orders.

Student / Senior

With current student I.D. Seniors are 60 years and older.

$30

Friend $60
Complimentary 8x10 historical photo.

Supporter $100
Complimentary 11x14 historical photo.

Sponsor $250
Framed 8x10 photo and HSLB publication.

Patron $500 Benefactor

Framed 11x14 photo and HSLB publication. Two tickets to Annual Historical Cemetery Tour. Framed 11x14 photo and HSLB publication. Four tickets to Annual Historical Cemetery Tour. Private reception for four at HSLB.

$1,000 $2,500

Carrousel Benefactor

Framed 11x14 photo and HSLB publication. Six tickets to Annual Historical Cemetery Tour. Full page ad in Annual Historical Cemetery Tour program. Acknowledgement on HSLB website. Private reception for six at HSLB.

Silver Spray Benefactor

Framed 11x14 photo and HSLB publication. Eight tickets to Annual Historical Cemetery Tour. Full page ad in Annual Historical Cemetery Tour program. Acknowledgement on HSLB website. Private reception for Eight at HSLB.

$5,000

Cyclone Racer Benefactor

Framed 11x14 photo and HSLB publication. Private tour for fifteen at Annual Historical Cemetery Tour. Full page ad in Annual Historical Cemetery Tour program. Acknowledgement on HSLB website. Private reception for eight at HSLB.

$10,000

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Visit the HSLB during gallery hours: Tues, Wed, Fri 1-5pm, Thurs 1-7pm, Sat 11-5pm 4260 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach , CA 90807 ( 562) 424-2220 www.hslb.org

Current Exhibitions
Coming Out in Long Beach On display until May 2, 2014 This exhibit documents the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of the LGBT community in Long Beach. Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach. Through the Pages of Long Beach History Permanent display This timeline exhibit demonstrates subjects included in the Long Beach Historical Newspaper Collection. Sponsored by the Long Beach Navy Memorial Heritage Association.

Upcoming Events & Exhibitions

HSLB Annual Meeting May 2014

Queen of the Beaches Opening Summer 2014 The HSLBs outstanding historical collections will be used to mount an exciting and informative exhibit entitled Queen of the Beaches. The show explores the nostalgia and mythology of Long Beach as a seaside resort and convention center.
Long Beach & World War II Sharing Day July 2014 In 2016, as a part of a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the HSLB is planning an exhibition and a series of programs. These activities will focus on how that event impacted sailors, officers, and Long Beach families. We encourage people to share personal and family items with us for collection and research. We will accept donated items and scan or photograph items that our historians think are significant, but contributors want to keep. See, Sip, & Savor Summer 2014 See, Sip, and Savor is one of the HSLBs most popular events a unique historical walking tour where a small number of guests are welcomed into several lovely homes in Belmont Heights. This is an event you wont want to miss. 19th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour Saturday, October 25, 2014

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Thank you for faithfully sponsoring the Long Beach Community Studies Conference since its inception.

Murphy, Murphy, & Murphy

(714)-821-5550 10801 Walker Street Suite 200 Cypress, CA 90630 www.murphy3.com email:info@murphy3.com

To provide the best in professional services with an authentic personal approach 14

Thank you for steadfastly sponsoring the Long Beach Community Studies Conference since the inaugural event.
The Long Beach City College Foundation values lifelong education as vital to a dynamic, productive society and recongizes that Long Beach City College serves as a gateway to the future for our diverse community. The Foundation will provide resources to enhance the Colleges ability to sustain its position a community innovator and leader. Long Beach City College Foundations mission is to raise funds and provide personal support that contribute to Colleges outstanding and evolving learning environment. 15