Hello from the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center's Archive!

The CPMCC is thrilled to announce that the Archive Team is making significant strides toward establishing an onsite resource center dedicated to the community. Led by Archivist, Lulu Urdiales, and supported by Archive Assistant Diego Jimenez, the team has been diligently cataloging, organizing, and preserving all materials in the collection. This effort is focused on ensuring that the collection is not only accessible but also primed for future use, allowing visitors to engage with it in meaningful ways.
The ultimate goal of the archive team is to create a welcoming, fully accessible space where the community can directly engage with and learn from the rich history housed in the collection. Whether exploring The Takeover’s pivotal role in Chicano Park’s history through the Tommie Camarillo Collection or delving into Chicano/a history via a library of textbooks and resources, the archive team is dedicated to fostering a space that serves as both an educational and cultural hub.
We are excited to invite the community to visit and explore the collection firsthand soon. Stay tuned for updates on when the resource center will be open to the public!
Oral History Collection
A major goal for the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center archive collection is to further develop the Oral History Program highlighted here on the wall. The focus of this program will be to capture the stories of the community. The program will be designed for the community and future students to learn about oral history ethics and techniques while fostering a connection with local community elders through an internship structure. This program is designed to engage students with their Chicano/a roots, cultivate a greater awareness and appreciation of their cultural heritage, and enrich their educational experience. It will also empower the elders within the community to share their experiences and stories. In commemoration of The Takeover, this program will focus on the elders in the community who participated in the Takeover and/or were instrumental in the history of the community. In addition to the artists and community leaders whom the elder’s actions have influenced.
Ever wish you could hear the stories your grandparents never had the chance to share? Now’s your chance to make sure those stories—and others like them—aren’t lost to time. Join us in this oral history project that empowers you to preserve the voices, experiences, and histories that often go untold. Whether you’re sharing your own story, recording others, or helping with the research and documentation, you’ll be fighting against the erasure of crucial histories. We invite you to be a part of this movement to ensure that the rich, diverse narratives of our community are recorded and passed on for generations to come. Together, we can fill the gaps and create a history that truly reflects us all. Your voice matters!
To get involved and learn more email us directly or fill out the form below.
Material Donations
If you have papers, documents, photos, and/or other items of historical significance to the Logan Heights and Chicano/a community that you would like to donate to the Archives, we would like to hear from you!
How does it work? First, take a look at our Collection Development Policy to determine if your materials fall within our collecting scope.
Then contact us by email or phone so one of our staff can evaluate your potential donation against our collection policies and guide you through the process.
If we are able to accept your donated items, you’ll fill out a Deed of Gift form which allows for a legal transfer of ownership to the Archive. We encourage all donors to sort through and organize their materials prior to donation to make sure there aren’t materials you wish to retain or are out of our collecting scope, and that any context for these materials you wish to include are documented properly.
How to Get Involved
As we think ahead to the future of the archive, we plan to develop the space as an onsite resource room. We want your input. What would you like to see in the space? We invite you to consider what would be most beneficial to you?
Contact Us Directly at:
(619) 432 – 1207
[email protected]
[email protected]