University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

East side story project: the Website

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East side story project: the Website

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Content Copyright 2019 Melissa Dueñas
EAST SIDE STORY PROJECT: THE WEBSITE
by Melissa Dueñas
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL
FOR COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS (SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM: THE
ARTS)
December 2019
ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract 2
Acknowledgments 3
Introduction 4
Section One 7
Section Two 13
Section Three 23
Conclusion 34
Bibliography 35
Appendix
Index I: The History Web Page Wireframe 37

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ABSTRACT
East Side Story Project (ESSP) is a multi-platform documentary that explores Chicano
identity and culture through the lens of the East Side Story (ESS) albums, a twelve-volume oldies
music compilation released in the late 70s and early 80s. The cultural history of oldies music is
one that is left out of American popular culture narratives and even goes under-documented
within Chicano-specific histories that focus on music and lowrider culture. This thesis serves to
contextualize the tradition of oldies music in the Mexican-American community and the cultural
legacy of ESS. In addition, it details the role of ESSP as a vehicle for collective memory and the
various digital media employed, including the resulting website prototype that works in
conjunction with the current Instagram archival account and the web series in development. The
website will not only serve as a converging homebase but a space for expanding on stories and
details that do not fit into the structure of the web series or Instagram archive. By combining
these three media elements, ESSP creates broader public access to a community-centered
platform that allows individuals to participate in the writing and sharing of this living history.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge those who have made not only this thesis,
but East Side Story Project possible. All the interviewees, who trusted me, who let me in and
shared their stories. The countless individuals from the Chicano community that I’ve met who
have thanked me for my commitment to this history. My friends from the soul music community,
my immediate family and ESSP producer Juan Rodriguez who’ve helped me with all the
miscellaneous behind-the-scenes tasks over the years. My thesis committee members Keith
Plocek, Sasha Anawalt and Josh Kun for their unwavering faith in me and my work. Lastly, my
deepest gratitude to all of the musicians, singers, writers and producers of this beautiful soul
music that has touched the Chicano community in ways we cannot always articulate, but we feel
every time we play this music.

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INTRODUCTION

When I was in elementary school I’d sneak into my older brother’s room. There I’d poke
at his cassette stacks like a Jenga game, pulling out artists like Mary Wells, Brenton Wood, The
Intruders…
I remember seeing and playing an East Side Story tape from my brother’s collection. The
music and artwork wasn’t significant to me at the time, in the sense that it seemed natural to pair
lowriders and Chicanos on the cover of an oldies music compilation. This was a style and
aesthetic embedded into the very cultural fabric of my family and community.
Oldies music and more generally soul music became a consuming passion in my life as I
grew older. I became a vinyl collector, DJ and even hosted my own online oldies radio show
called Lowrider Sundays for three years. This path led me to DJ an art opening at Galeria de la
Raza in San Francisco for an exhibition called “Q-Sides” in 2015.
Artists Vero Majano, DJ Brown Amy, and Kari Orvik reimagined the covers from the
East Side Story compilations to include queer representation. It was here I started to think more
critically about what these albums signified. They weren’t just albums – they were and are icons
of Chicano culture, which is why the subversion of them by the artists was so striking and
powerful.
From this experience I was left wondering more about the history of the East Side Story
compilation: who the people on the covers of these albums actually were, where the pictures
were taken, who put this series together and why. All questions the Q-Side artists did not have
answers to.
I scoured the internet for a blog post from some record nerd. I asked community
historians and older vinyl collectors. But it turns out no one really knew. In order to identify

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people on the covers I created a meme with the album covers, questioning viewers, “Is this your
tío” superimposed at the bottom. Turns out the kids, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of these
folks were active on social media, and having their relative on the cover of ESS was a source of
family pride.
This was the start of East Side Story Project (ESSP) back in 2015, an endeavor I initially
created to archive and write a comprehensive history of the compilation. However, after meeting
ESS families even the ESS creator, I realized two things that forever changed the course of the
project. First, history is never complete; there are always holes. As a cultural historian and
documentarian my job is to try my best to make these holes smaller, but they are inevitable.
Second, I had been so caught up in the dates, locations and names I lost sight of what first
prompted me to critically engage with this series, which is what they represent as a symbol of
Chicano culture.
In this thesis I argue that ESS is a continuing symbol of the hybrid culture created by
Mexican-Americans in LA. Through these iconic albums this project explores the personal micro
narratives of ESS to highlight the larger cultural, social and political frameworks they intersect. I
assert that the most effective way to engage communities with this history, and to tell these
stories, is through a multi-platform endeavor that utilizes video documentary, interactive web
design, and social media.
In Section One I contextualize oldies culture within the framework of Los Angeles
history and Chicano identity. I define what oldies are and how this term originated. Then I
discuss how this music has been embraced by Chicanos as part of a hybrid cultural identity that
has been influenced by African-American culture, Mexican culture and American popular
culture.

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In Section Two I describe how the East Side Story compilation fits into this history as an
icon of Chicano cultural aesthetics. I go through the chronology of ESS based on my current
research, outlining key figures in terms of contributors to the album design. I also highlight one
family, the Estradas, to exemplify how personal ESS stories inform broader cultural narratives.
In Section Three I explain the initial impetus for East Side Story Project and the
subsequent shift to a multiplatform documentary. I break down the purpose of each respective
medium employed by the project, in terms of community engagement and narrative function. In
the end I argue how the transmedia nature of ESSP ultimately contributes to a more complex
understanding of Chicano identity and culture, an understanding that is just not possible with one
sole medium.

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SECTION ONE

Elevator Music for Chicanos

“Oldies is elevator music for Chicanos,” music historian Ruben Molina explained to me.
(Molina 2017) Even though this is a formal interview I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. As a
Chicana who grew up listening to oldies, I agree. Molina is right, it is elevator music, not in the
sense that it’s mindless muzak, but that it’s unquestionably present.
This is part of the reason why oldies music is difficult to define for most people in the
Chicano community. It’s been the soundtrack to our picnics, cruises, romances and heartbreaks.
Whether it’s the love call of Brenton Wood’s “Me and You,” the grooving strut of Gene
Chandler’s “Duke of Earl,” or the punctuated harmonies of Patti Drew’s “Tell Him,” these songs
all share a deep sentimentality, a bittersweet yearning that is at the core of oldies music. To fans,
this is music based on a feeling, an indescribable emotional quality, not on a rigid definition.
What most characterize as the oldies sound is what vinyl collectors refer to as “sweet
soul.” These are the slower and moodier 60s b-sides from artists who received some national
fame like Barbara Mason and Mary Wells, and groups that were only regional celebrities like
Rosie and the Originals and Sunny and the Sunliners. In other words, oldies is not the 60s soul
from popular artists like The Jackson 5, The Supremes or Smokey Robinson. Although, to make
matters a little more confusing, one of Robinson’s later tracks “Agony and the Ecstasy”
(1975) is considered an oldies classic.

Again, there are no hard rules. There are certainly more than a handful of outliers that
don’t fit neatly into these parameters. The Fuzz’s string-laden “I Love You for all Seasons”
(1971) and Big Jay McNeely’s R&B ballad “There’s Something on your Mind” (1959) are a few
others that immediately come to mind. What is or isn’t oldies, is all based on an unspoken

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sentiment that is shared by Chicanos collectively. Oldies music isn’t a genre; or a static canon;
it’s a Chicano perspective, an experience of soul music.
This music has been passed down like “family treasures,” Reyes and Waldman wrote
back in 1998 in the introduction to their book Land of 100 Dances: Chicano Rock ‘n’ Roll from
Southern California. (xix) They continue, speaking of Chicano communities, “old records,
especially ballads, are not a fad, but an integral part of life.” (Reyes, Waldman xx) More than
twenty years since their words have not been lost on millennials or even Gen Z. These latest
generations continue the tradition of listening to oldies. They enjoy the music on digital
platforms such as Spotify and YouTube, but some even go as far as to collect it on vinyl.

Oldies But, Goodies

There is no one single moment in history that signals the beginning of the Chicano love
affair with soul music. The chronology of the term “oldies,” however, usually gets credited to
Los Angeles DJ Art Laboe, who is said to have coined the phrase “oldies, but goodies.” Laboe
debuted on KPOP in the mid-50s and shortly after started hosting live from different Scrivener’s
Diner locations throughout LA. It was here in about 1957, according to Laboe, that his fans
started requesting songs that were a few years old. No DJ had ever done this at the time, but
Laboe set a precedent early on for catering to his listeners. He would announce on air “you
pick’em, you dedicate’em, and you get’em.” (Thayer 87)
Although Laboe had a diverse audience, he realized in the early 60s that “the oldies
became anthems for the lowriders,” or in other words for the Chicano youth specifically. He
explained, “you’d see a car go by with all the metallic blue just shining, and on the side it would

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say ‘Earth Angel,’ or ‘In the Still of the Night,’ or one of those 50s song titles, mostly ballads of
the Black artists like the Flamingos and so on.” (Thayer 87)
Laboe, who is still an active DJ, is not Chicano. Nor was Dick “Huggy Boy” Hugg,
another beloved oldies DJ, whose R&B heavy show “Dolphins of Hollywood” aired on KRKD.
“Before that we never got on the radio at all, these guys were our voice,” says Gene Aguilera,
oldies fan and community historian. “Art Laboe and Huggy Boy were the Chicano music
ambassadors who owe their career to the Latino community” (Kubernik 17). Aguilera is not
exaggerating by any means. Laboe and Hugg would not have had careers that spanned decades if
not were not for their loyal Chicano fanbase. Laboe, who is 94, is still in fact benefiting from this
loyalty as an on-air DJ, as well as oldies concert host and promoter.
White DJs, white-owned radio stations and white-owned record distribution companies
were the norm, as Johnson points out in Spatial Entitlement: Race, Displacement, and Sonic
Reclamation in Postwar Los Angeles. (328) While there were some black and brown folks at the
helm in Los Angeles, such as record store and label owner John Dolphin, and producers and
managers Eddie Torres and Billy Cardenas, these men were the exception not the standard in
LA. As for oldies DJs, Chicanos themselves wouldn’t take the mic until the 80s and 90s with
Mucho Morales on KRTH and KRLA, Sancho on KPCC and JL Martinez on KGF. (Reyes,
Waldman 46)
All of these men received mutual respect in the Chicano community; Laboe and Hugg
Boy were revered even. We can acknowledge them for their help disseminating and elevating
Chicano culture, but we need to remember they were not the real movers and shakers. It wasn’t
Laboe who thought of the concept of oldies. That came from his audience. Laboe and Hugg did
not create the cultural frameworks from which they profited. (Johnson 328)

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Pachuco Boogie

The cover of the compilation, Art Laboe’s Memories of El Monte (1960), memorializes
how the audience for oldies, or what was considered rock ‘n’ roll and R&B at the time initially
was – diverse. On stage in the foreground, we see a young Laboe smiling, looking directly at the
camera. In the background, a sea of black, brown and white faces—some cheering, some
laughing, some caught in an awkward moment.

Figure 1. Art Laboe’s Memories of El Monte LP cover

This was an average crowd at the dances Laboe hosted at El Monte Legion Stadium
despite the efforts of city ordinances and even families to keep young folks segregated. Many
attendees have reported a pretty easy mix on the dance floor, even if many of these interactions
did not go beyond the Legion. Dance-goer Richard Rodriguez recalled, “When I went to El

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Monte, I felt that I could date anybody I wanted to; I could dance with anybody I wanted to.’’
Macias adds, this “new cohort increasingly participated in cross-cultural socializing, as well as
occasional drinking and fighting in the parking lot, where young people also engaged in necking,
and more, in the backseats of cars.” (179)
On Laboe’s “Memories of El Monte” compilation is the track “Pachuko Hop” (1952), by
Chuck Higgins. This was a crowd favorite and ode to the Mexican-American youth Higgins met
when he played at East LA union halls. The rhythm and blues sound is far from anything
Chicanos would consider oldies today, but it is a pre-Laboe example of the cultural exchange
between black and brown communities in LA. (Lipsitz 140)
Even earlier is Edmundo “Don Totsi” Martinez Tostado’s “Pachuco Boogie” (1948),
arguably one of the first Chicano songs. Raul Diaz, a Totsi band member, recalled that they
“wanted to play Chicano music, not come one like some clowns, but at the time the scene was
dominated by people like Desi Arnaz and Xavier Cugat and the music was really bland.” (Lipsitz
139) Tostado’s genius was creating something quintessentially Chicano; a synthesis of African-
American scat singing, blues harmonies and “caló,” or Mexican-American slang. In the song you
can hear words like “ese” and “vato” both of which are still used in informal Spanish today.
(Lipsitz 139)
The sonic hybridization found in both “Pachuko Hop” and “Pachuco Boogie” are just a
few examples of a decades long cultural dialogue between African- and Mexican-Americans in
LA. For generations both groups have been borrowing and adding to each other’s respective
culture, from zoot-suits, to lowriders, to soul and hip-hop. Both have utilized these modes of
cultural expression — music, fashion, language, dance and car customization — as a means to

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create space in a city that has historically sought to segregate, criminalize and oppress them.
(Johnson 327)

Low and Slow

When we take into consideration this decades long exchange of cross-cultural influences
between black and brown communities, the Chicano love for soul music doesn’t seem so out of
place. But the question remains why oldies became infused in the Chicano community in a way
that is not seen in the black community. “We definitely had a similar struggle, a similar history,
but for whatever reason, Blacks are always redefining their culture every decade,” says record
collector Jose Manuel Valle. “Chicanos are more about tradition. We like holding on to our
traditions.” (Thayer 89). Writer Don Snowden similarly connects this affinity for romantic music
to tradition, but in relation to the ballads of Mexico that might have been enjoyed by their
parents. (Macias 183)
However, Chicano traditions are not analogous to Mexican traditions. Being ni de aqui, ni
de alla, Chicanos forged an identity born out out of displacement. They felt neither fully
“Mexican,” nor fully “American.” As a result, hybrid traditions, or what Lipsitz has explained as
“cultural bricolage” has emerged. (135) The two most notable and long-lasting products of this
being oldies and lowriders.
Both have worked in aesthetic tandem since the early days of cruising in the 50s. Oldies
are the musical essence of lowrider culture. They are the pulsing heartbeat behind the deliberate
pace of leisure. They are the romance and drama of plush and chrome. This is “slow and low,”
sights and sounds that are both decidedly not subtle; a lifestyle that has remained integral to the
Chicano community.

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SECTION TWO

East Side Story

In the early 70s, two miles southwest from El Monte Legion Stadium at the Starlite
Swapmeet off Rosemead, Anthony Boosalis took up his sister’s advice and started selling oldies
records in addition to posters. Within a year he was vending vinyl exclusively. With a
predominantly Chicano clientele, Boosalis recalled it didn’t take him long to identify the oldies
they were after. “Every time they asked for a song I would take a mental note and these
accumulated in my mind.” (Boosalis Aug. 13 2019) Still Boosalis did not think to create a
compilation series with these most requested oldies until a former employee, Randy Isbel,
suggested it. Even then Boosalis sat on the idea for a year or so before creating East Side Story
(ESS) in 1978. (Boosalis Aug. 13, 2019)
Creating an oldies compilation in and of itself was not a novel idea. There were already
vinyl packages devoted to older songs, most notably Laboe’s Oldies But Goodies and Hugg’s
Rare R-B Oldies, which were released in the early 60s. But ESS was markedly different for two
distinct reasons.
The first was the song selection. Hugg and Laboe’s LPs contained mostly doowop and
R&B. Yet by the late 70s Chicanos were also listening to more of the “sweet soul” sound, as I
discussed in Section One. The second differentiation was the album art. Previously, oldies
compilations, with the exception of Memories of El Monte, came in plain sleeves or were text
only.
ESS incorporated a Chicano aesthetic into the design itself. On each cover, red and green
stripes border a white background, a color scheme that referenced the Mexican national flag. The
title displayed at the top reads East Side Story in a graffiti style lettering that drips as if it has just

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been sprayed on a wall. Under the text is a photo that varies with each volume, but that
thematically remains consistent. The images are of Chicanos posted in nondescript parks and
alleys, posing proudly with lovers, friends and lowriders.

Figure 2. Huggie Boy’s Rare R-B Oldies Vol. II album cover (left); Figure 3. East Side Story Vol.
3 cover (right)
As can be gleaned from Boosalis’ marketing design, lost was the diversity of fans in the
early Laboe days; oldies culture was now strictly a Chicano phenomenon. Fan and DJ Robert
Reyna described how the ESS artwork made an impression on him for that very reason because
“not too many album covers had Chicanos at the time.” (Reyna 2017) Molina explained what
this did was “say, ‘Hey, man this is for you.’” (Molina 2017) This change was a bold and
intentional move. On the back of the albums were liner notes Boosalis wrote to his audience,

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“the East Side Story volumes are dedicated to the Low Riders and to those who appreciate the
‘soul type’ oldies. Never before has there been a collection of oldies that was created especially
for the Low Rider.” (East Side Story 1979)
Boosalis tested his prototype for his bootleg series on the cheapest format: 8-tracks.

When he realized his compilation would be lucrative, he began to release them on LP. (Boosalis
May 2016) Over the years his operation exceeded the boundaries of the Starlite swapmeet. By
the end of the 80s Boosalis had sold ESS albums wholesale to record distributors and
independent stores as far north as San Francisco and as far east as El Paso. He also had even
released them as a cassette series. (Boosalis Aug. 13, 2019)
Like the majority of people in the record industry at the time, Boosalis was not Mexican-
American; he was white, Greek to be specific. Unlike Laboe and Hugg, other non-Chicanos who
built their careers off oldies nostalgia, Boosalis was never embraced by the Chicano community.
He was an unknown, perhaps because he had not obtained a copyright for the songs he used on
the compilation. When we spoke Boosalis admitted he used a fake San Jose address and record
label name on the earlier compilations to deflect attention. In the mid-80s however he did obtain
the copyright for many of the songs after being approached by Laboe’s label Original Sounds and
a few other labels. (Boosalis Aug. 19, 2019)
When I met Boosalis in 2016 through record collector and DJ Mike Noriega, it was clear
his relationship with the Chicano community was strictly business. I expected him to fill in some
of the holes of the ESS history, which he did to a degree, but when it came to the specifics of the
people and places of the photos I actually knew more through my grassroots research. The people
were not his family, friends, not even his neighbors; they were his customers and, in the case of
the cover art, his models. (Boosalis May 2016)

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ESS Collaborators

According to Boosalis, he and his brother-in-law Eddie Paul Whitney would drive around
Greater East Los Angeles looking for potential candidates. When they found someone who fit the
aesthetic they were after, they would ask if they wanted to be on the cover of an oldies
compilation. If they agreed, Boosalis and Whitney would take a photo right there on the spot,
which explains the candid nature of the photos. (Boosalis Oct. 2016)
Whitney is the one credited on the back of the ESS albums for the “front cover artwork
and composition.” (Boosalis East Side Story) Boosalis had final input, but otherwise admitted the
whole design, the color scheme, lettering, photo layout, was in fact Whitney’s genius. Whitney
who was an all around creative renaissance man, former stuntman, pinstriper, car builder to name
a few, passed away in 2016. At that time he was no longer married to Boosalis’ sister. (Boosalis
Aug. 19, 2019 and Garson)
Some of the participants have corroborated this method of being approached by strangers
to have their photo taken, but a few others have pointed to Randy Isbel as their coordinator.
(Bernal 2016) Isbel sold records for Boosalis at the Santa Fe Springs Swapmeet for a few years,
but the two have lost contact since. (Boosalis Aug 19, 2019) At this point in my research I have
been unable to find Isbel.
Eva Bernal started to work at the swapmeet when she was a teenager and worked for
Isbel briefly. She says Isbel asked her if she wanted to be a model for the cover with some
friends. Bernal is pictured sitting in the back of a ‘53 Ford truck on ESS volume six. On ESS
volume five was her boyfriend’s brother Raymond Garibaldi, whom she recommended to Isbel.
(Bernal 2016)

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Figure 4. East Side Story Vol.4 cover (left); Figure 5. East Side Story Vol 6. cover (right)

The truck Bernal is sitting in, and the upholstery shop it’s in front of, is owned by Jose
“Yoya” Ruiz. He is on volume four, and his son Jose “Jr” Ruiz on volume two. Originally from
Tijuana, Ruiz was a notable lowrider in the East Los Angeles community. His upholstery shop,
now located in Montebello, was a popular hang for lowriders back in the 70s. Ruiz has asserted
Boosalis promised him financial compensation for helping coordinate his friends for the covers.
Boosalis has denied this agreement. (Ruiz 2016)
Boosalis left the record business in the early 90s to pursue real estate full-time. In the late
90s he leased the ESS to a white-owned label, Norwalk Records that was, and still is ran by the
Walker-Sneed family. (Boosalis Aug. 13, 2019) They legitimized the entire series by obtaining
copyright for the remaining songs that did not have one and by swapping out the tracks they
could not get one for. As a result the original tracklist changed and some popular songs were

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replaced with what diehard fans considered “filler.” Under Norwalk’s control the compilation
was also released as a CD boxset. (Boosalis Aug. 19, 2019)

ESS Por Vida

Up until a few years ago Boosalis had no idea ESS was an underground icon. The original LP
collection fetches up to a thousand dollars on sites like eBay. The album art has influenced countless
artists, musicians and rappers, who have referenced the iconic layout in their work. The albums even have
been put up on digital media platforms like Spotify. It was actually after Boosalis’ daughter showed him an
uploaded track with ESS artwork on YouTube that he realized that they were still embraced by Chicanos.
(Boosalis Oct. 2016) He only understood the extent of their impact after being interviewed by me and
Noriega on Dublab in 2016. In this last year, in collaboration with Norwalk, Boosalis has started to reissue
the vinyl series with the later tracklist.
It’s clear that it’s more than the music that makes ESS continually relevant. It’s what the
iconography on ESS represents to Chicanos. The cultural aesthetic displayed is not just some
novel anachronism of music, cars and fashion – it’s a style Chicanos can uniquely call their own.
But more than that, it’s the familiarity of it all. As Ronald Ramirez owner of Going Underground
Records explains, speaking of the people in the ESS photos, “I just remember seeing guys that
looked family members of mine.” (Ramirez 2017) The candid nature of the photos gives an
undeniable authenticity to the series that is certainly a part of their lure. “They were just anybody
on the streets, they weren’t models,” as DJ and fan Roy Serna described. (Serna 2017) These
were everyday Chicanos, in everyday places.

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Figure 6. ESS fans Raul Sanchez, with his ESS vinyl collection (left); Figure 7. ESS inspired
tattoo by tattoo artist Felix Capone (right)

ESS Families: The Estradas

Carlos Estrada, pictured on ESS volume seven, was one of these everyday Chicanos.

Even though the photo was taken in the late 70s, he dons a zoot suit, complete with a long chain
that extends down to his knees. Next to him stands a beautiful young girl wearing a black disco
style dress, a lowrider fixed directly behind them.
Four years ago I had my first interaction with the Estrada family. Carlos’ niece Sarah
Estrada responded to a social media call out I put up. What I had done was create memes with
the ESS images and questions like, “Am I your tía?” “Is this you tío?” “Is this your mom and
pops?” superimposed on the bottom. I shared the photos via Facebook and Instagram and they
were reshared by friends, DJs, music enthusiasts, but most importantly by digital archivist

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Guadalupe Rosales of @veteranas_and_rucas. It was to Rosales’ repost of the meme that Sarah
replied, “The man in the picture is my tio Carlos. Rest in peace.” (July 20, 2015)
At the time of the posting Sarah was in her early 20s. In other words she was not alive
when the photo of her uncle Carlos was taken, yet she, like the rest of her family, holds it with a
sense of pride. Carlos is no longer alive, but his image is forever enshrined on ESS. No one in the
remaining Estrada family knows the exact story of how Carlos made it on the cover, but Sarah
put me in contact with her uncle Eduardo Estrada to tell me what the family did know.
Eduardo told me how the Estrada family sold baby cribs at the Santa Fe Springs
Swapmeet in the late 70s. Even though he was supposed to be helping his father at their booth, a
music loving and clever Carlos would find a way to sneak off to the record vendors. It was here
that he was propositioned with the opportunity to be on the cover of an oldies compilation by
“the white guys, my dad called them the gabachos,” Eduardo said. (2017)
In 2017 Eduardo took me to Veterans Memorial Park in Commerce, California, the site of
his brother’s album cover. He pointed out the tree and baseball field that still exist at this park
and appeared in the photo of his brother. This park was a common hangout for Carlos. He was
from a gang called Brown Neighborhood and this was their turf. (Eduardo Estrada 2017)
Although Carlos was from part of Brown Neighborhood, he was more of a ladies man
than a tough guy. He would always dress sharp — pristine creases, shined shoes and not a hair
out of place. This was his default look, even if he was just going to the store or in this case
cruising around the swapmeet. Eduardo is certain that his style is why Carlos was approached
about the photo. (Eduardo Estrada 2017)

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Figure 8. East Side Story Vol. 7 cover

The young girl on the cover, Delphine Martinez, was one of his many crushes. Martinez
told me they were just friends, although Carlos did manage to steal a few kisses from her. “When I
actually did this photo album, these were already oldies,” Martinez told me. Speaking of the
songs on ESS she continued on, they “were put out in, I want to say, the '50s, probably, maybe
the early '60s, some of them, I don't know, but [these were] before I was even born,” (Martinez
2017) Carlos and her shared a love for music. She recalled him introducing her to songs she
didn’t know and even dedicated “I’m Your Puppet,” by James and Bobby Purify to her on
Laboe’s radio show. (Martinez 2017)
A few years later the two would lose touch and Martinez would find out Carlos was sick.

She visited him in the hospital, but assumed he got better. She never knew he would be
bedridden for the rest of his life. (Martinez 2017) In this sense, ESS volume seven doesn’t just

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memorialize a beloved Carlos; it also captures a stark transition in his life. It was around this
time Carlos was starting to experience symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
When I met their mom, Maria Estrada, in 2017, she honed in on details of the image I
hadn’t picked up on before. What I thought was a cool lean is actually Carlos’ inability to stand
straight. Apparently at this time he was already walking with a cane. (Maria Estrada 2017) Both
Maria and Eduardo also pointed out the wrinkles in his suit that make for a somewhat disheveled
appearance, a sign Carlos’ illness was affecting his ability to properly iron his clothes as
meticulously as he would have liked. (Eduardo Estrada 2017)
Carlos spent the rest of his life being cared for in his family’s modest Commerce home.

Eduardo told me music never stopped bringing a smile to Carlos’ face. Sometimes he would even
ask Eduardo to get ready in his room and play his favorite oldies, “Angel Baby” being one of his
classic go-tos. In these moments he lived vicariously through his younger brother watching him
get creased up before he went out on the town like he once used to do himself. Carlos contracted
pneumonia and died in 2003. (Eduardo Estrada 2015)

23

SECTION THREE

East Side Story Project (ESSP)

Carlos’s story illustrates how a new generation had embraced and continued the legacy of
Chicano cultural tropes such as zoot suits, oldies and lowriders. Both of these aesthetic
mainstays, as I have discussed in Section One, were formed to create a unique hybrid identity
that utilized multiple sources of influence: American popular culture, traditional Mexican culture
and African-American culture. This is just one example of how through these personal ESS
stories intersections of identity, race and cultural politics can be further explored.
The East Side Story Project (ESSP) attempts to investigate these micro and marco
elements through the utilization of a multi-platform framework: video documentary, social media
and interactive web elements. In this way the story is shared in a manner that is more true to the
collective and iterative nature of this unfolding history. My ongoing research since 2015 has
illustrated that ESS is not a singular static story, but a living network: a web of narratives that
grows with each community interaction. As with an actual web, holes are inevitable, but my job
as a cultural documentarian has been to make them transparent and ultimately part of the story.

The Social Media Archive

This project first started as a social media archive back in September 2015 as a means to
engage the Chicano community. Through the Instagram account @eastsidestoryproject, I have
met many ESS families and fans for whom the albums are personally significant. Social media
offers a way for community members to interact publicly with and contribute to a living and
collective history immediately. Instagram has also been a method for me to document and share
my ESS research in real time. Moving forward I want to expand the content to be more inclusive

24

of oldies history at large, including bios and archival photos of artists but also other key people
and places.

The Documentary

In the fall of 2016, after receiving an overwhelming interest from the Chicano community
and meeting Boosalis, I decided to make this project into a documentary. I had a successful
Kickstarter campaign to fund the development of an ESS web series. In 2017 my team filmed for
the first episode and cut a teaser, which we screened a LACMA in January 2018. Currently the
first episode is still in post-production.

25

Figure 9. and Figure 10. @eastsidestoryproject Instagram screenshots

The working concept of the East Side Stories web series is to bring a journalistic
approach and character-driven narratives to the music documentary genre. The story follows me
as I directly participate as a guide and investigator. As I thread together the history of ESS
episode by episode, the intimate backstories of the participants, creators and collaborators are
revealed, contributing to a more complex understanding of Chicano identity and Los Angeles’
history of cultural politics. Although documentary is a passive medium in terms of viewer
engagement, it allows for a deeper dive into stories that is just not possible on social media.

The Website

Since the Fall of 2018 I have been developing a new website for ESSP at the University
of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. This came from
a need to expand upon ESSP’s engagement and storytelling in ways that are not always
possible with social media and video documentary.

The video series has never been intended to be a comprehensive history of ESS. There are
twelve volumes and multiple families, places, contributors and collaborators, and structurally not
all them can or will make it in the documentary. Furthermore, some of these locations and
participants need to be verified still and in some cases found. Instagram, which is by nature more
interactive, has been a great way to find some of these people, but it is still limiting in how
information is presented.
This website is our new converging home base. There are “About” and “News and
Interviews,” “Contact” sections like a conventional website. However, there will be three other

26

sections, “The Map,” “The Albums” and “The History,” that expand on the details of the project
that don’t necessarily fit into the documentary, and engage our audience with novel interactions.

Web Page: About

The About page has a simple clean aesthetic. This is done purposefully so viewers can
focus on the first image. This image is one of the ESS albums framed in the location of the photo,
Veterans Memorial Park. In the top left corner is a menu icon where users can navigate to the
other pages. If they scroll down they can read more about East Side Story Project (ESSP).
The text about ESSP in minimal but helps provide a framework of the site in relation to the
Instagram archive and documentary.

Web Page: Contact Us

The Contact Us page, like the About page, is minimal for easy navigation. The Instagram
handle and e-mail address both change color when you hover over them to indicate they are
hyperlinked for efficient accessibility. The background image is the back of an ESS album that
has been written on by one of its previous owners. This photo evokes communication, pride and
fandom in relation to ESS and oldies culture.

27

Figure 11. East Side Story Project Homepage

Figure 12. East Side Story Project Homepage after scroll down

28

Figure 13. East Side Story Project Contact page

Web Page: Press and Interviews

The Press and Interviews page is where all current write-ups about the projects are archived and
future ones can be easily added by duplicating the established template in the code.

Figure 14. East Side Story Project Press and Interviews page

29

Web Page: The Map

Currently I have verified seven out of twelve locations for the ESS covers. I have names
for four more locations, but am currently unable to confirm this information. As the name of the
series suggests, they are all located generally on the eastern side of Los Angeles, but not all are in
what’s considered East Los Angeles proper. The map is not a complete view of Los Angeles, but
rather purposely emphasizes this eastern side, highlighting neighborhoods of Chicano
communities that often go unnamed or unnoticed when displaying the geography of LA.
Users are able to hover over the pins on the map and see a preview image of which album
is located there. If they click on the image they are able to see a 360 video of what the site looks
like today and see the name of the specific location. Pins are not numbered by volume and site
details are not given without user interaction. This is intended to give users an opportunity to
organically maneuver around the map. As we find and confirm the rest of the ESS they will be
added utilizing his same framework. At the bottom of the page is a chatbox where users can
discuss this history in real time.

30

Figure 15. The Map web page

Figure 16. The Map web page. Album preview when users hover over pin on map

31

Figure 17. The Map web page. 360 view when users click on pin on map

Web Page: The Albums

One can easily find images of the ESS albums via Google, but the quality of these photos
is very poor. In addition, there is no one place on the internet to view both sides of all twelve
volumes. This is important, as the cover art is a continuing factor of ESS’ relevance, and as
mentioned before the tracklist changed when Norwalk started their lease with Boosalis.
On this page, users will be able to “shuffle” through a stack of images of the LPs. When
they grab an LP, it moves to the front of the stack. The user can then click on this image and in a
pop-up a modal a larger view will appear. As the LPs are also becoming increasingly rare and
expensive, this gives the audience a chance to interact with them in a way they might not be able
to non-virtually.

32

Figure 19. The Albums web page

Figure 20. The Albums web page. Album close-up in pop-up window after user click.

33

Figure 21. The Albums web page. Album close-up in pop-up window after user click to see back
of image.

Web Page: The History

Over the years I’ve garnered many new followers on social media who are unfamiliar
with the purpose of ESSP, and many don’t know the historical and cultural framework in which
it is operating. In this section of the website is a multimedia article that tells some of the history
of ESS and contextualizes oldies culture within Chicano identity and Los Angeles history
through the use of photos, text and video. This article is not meant to detail everything that will
be in the documentary, but to provide substantial context of these key themes. (See Index I for
complete outline of this section)

34

CONCLUSION

This thesis was and is certainly not an end in itself. ESSP is an ongoing endeavor that
precedes this work and will surpass it. However, this moment is critical in framing a new
iteration of ESSP as transmedia. This redesigned website will provide a solid foundation from
which the project can expand, interweaving personal stories and cultural history in a way social
media cannot, and integrating the web series in a manner that is more interactive.
As my first large-scale project, this process has been filled with fits of inspiration,
movement, disillusionment and even stagnancy. I’ve remained committed to this story for four
years because I’ve realized the context of the ESS compilation goes deeper than my initial vinyl
nerd curiosities and oldies fangirl nostalgia. ESS represents the cultural experiences of
generations of Mexican-Americans who continue to activate an identity of confluence.
In this thesis I’ve demonstrated the historical multiplicities that weave through ESS and
the importance of cross-platform media in storytelling. My hope is that more cultural narratives
will be explored in a way that is multi-faceted like ESSP. In this way history writing becomes
more of a collective conversation rather than a top-down funnel of static information. Through
approaches such as this, space is created not just in the types of histories we are telling, but in the
hands and voices that shape their form and content.

35

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bernal, Eva. Interview by author. January 20, 2016

Boosalis, Anthony. “Creator Mr. B interviewed by Mike Noriega & Lowrider Sundays — The
East Side Story Story.” Interview by author, Mike Noriega, Monica Robles, Dublab Radio, May
8, 2016. https://www.dublab.com/archive/mike-noriega-wguest-creator-mr-b-the-east-side-story-
story-05-08-16

Boosalis, Anthony. “Lowrider Sundays with Mr B. the East Side Story Creator.” Interview by
author and Monica Robles, Lowrider Sundays, October 2, 2016.
https://www.mixcloud.com/LowriderSundays/lowrider-sundays-with-mr-b-the-east-side-story- creator/

Boosalis, Anthony. Interview by author. August 13, 2019.
Boosalis, Anthony. Interview by author. August 19, 2019.
Boosalis, Anthony. East Side Story compilation series liner notes.
Estrada, Eduardo. Interview by author. July 24, 2015.
Estrada, Eduardo. Interview by author. May 27, 2017.
Estrada, Maria. Interview by author. May 27, 2017.
Garson, Paul. “Ode to Eddie Paul.” Hot Rod Hotline, https://www.hotrodhotline.com/ode-eddie-
paul#.XVsEL5NKhhB.

Johnson, Gaye Theresa. "Spatial Entitlement: Race, Displacement, and Sonic Reclamation in
Postwar Los Angeles." In Black and Brown in Los Angeles: Beyond Conflict and Coalition,
edited by Kun Josh and Pulido Laura, 316-40. University of California Press, 2014.
http://www.jstor.org.libproxy2.usc.edu/stable/10.1525/j.ctt4cgfx4.17.

Kubernik, Harvey. "Tales of Vinyl from The Duke of Boyle Heights." Record Collector,
November 2014, 16-21.

Whitney, Eddie Paul. “LIFT Interview's Eddie Paul.” Interview by LIFT and WHGA, October
27, 2010. https://youtu.be/7FwUnZKTvnE.

36

Lipsitz, George. "Cruising Around the Historical Bloc: Postmodernism and Popular Music in
East Lost Angeles." In Time Passages: Collective Memory and American Popular Culture, 133-
60. University of Minnesota Press, 1990.
http://www.jstor.org.libproxy2.usc.edu/stable/10.5749/j.cttttz1b.9.
Macias, Anthony F. Mexican American Mojo: Popular Music, Dance, and Urban Culture in Los
Angeles, 1935-1968. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2008.

Martinez, Delphine Jessica. Interview by author. June 16, 2017.

Molina, Ruben. Chicano Soul: Recordings Et History of an American Culture. Lubbock: Texas
Tech University Press, 2017.

Molina, Ruben. Interview by author. May 5, 2017.

Molina, Ruben. The Old Barrio Guide to Low Rider Music, 1950-1975. La Puente, Ca.: Mictlan
Publishing, 2005.

Ramirez, Ronald. Interview by author. June 29, 2017

Reyes, David, and Tom Waldman. Land of a Thousand Dances: Chicano Rock N Roll from
Southern California. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2009.

Reyna, Robert. Interview by author. April 2, 2017.
Ruiz, Jose. Interview by author. April 2016.
Sandoval, Denise M. "The Politics of Low and Slow/Bajito Y Suavecito: Black and Chicano
Lowriders in Los Angeles, from the 1960s through the 1970s." In Black and Brown in Los
Angeles: Beyond Conflict and Coalition, edited by Kun Josh and Pulido Laura, 176-200.
University of California Press, 2014.
http://www.jstor.org.libproxy2.usc.edu/stable/10.1525/j.ctt4cgfx4.11.

Serna, Roy. Interview by author. June 29, 2017

Thayer, Allen. "Bittersweet Harmony." Wax Poetics, 2011, 82-93.

37

APPENDIX

INDEX I: THE HISTORY WEB PAGE OUTLINE AND TRANSCRIPTS

INTRO SLIDE

TITLE: THE HISTORY

TEXT: A brief history of oldies culture and the origins of the East Side Story albums. To
explore, scroll down. Mute/Unmute sound with icon in corner/

BACKGROUND VIDEO: Close-up of 45 vinyl record playing on record player

Figure 22. Screenshot of The History Intro slide

38

SLIDE ONE

HEADER: WHAT ARE “OLDIES” ANYWAYS?
BACKGROUND VIDEO: VOX POP OLDIES DEFINITION
[[VIDEO TRANSCRIPT]]

INTERVIEWEE ONE - ROBERT REYNA: They weren’t really called lowrider oldies.
Oldies were just oldies.

INTERVIEW THREE - MARYANN AGUIRRE: when I was growing up, I heard oldies
when my dad was outside fixing the car, when my mom was inside cooking and cleaning.

INTERVIEWEE TWO - TONY DIAZ: It's pretty much everything I grew up on and
grew up around. It goes back to my childhood.

INTERVIEWEE FOUR - GUADALUPE ROSALES: The people I grew up with like, my
cousins, my uncles, my friends.

TEXT: Oldies have been the soundtrack to both mundane rituals and celebratory life events;
from cleaning house on Saturday mornings to a cousin’s epic quinceñera. This is music that is
tied to some of the most intimate and vulnerable of memories – budding romances, tender
embraces, even lonely tears. Songs that are the commemorative anthems for loved ones passed
on and lovers lost. The ubiquity of oldies music is why it’s difficult to define for most people in
the Chicanx and the extended Latinx community.

39

Figure 23. Screenshot of The History slide one

SLIDE TWO

HEADER: DEFINING OLDIES

BACKGROUND VIDEO: A PERSON LOOKING THROUGH SOUL LPS

TEXT: Today what most characterize as the oldies sound are the slower and moodier 60s b-
sides. Tracks that come from artists who received some national fame, like Barbara Mason and
Mary Wells, as well as groups that were only regional celebrities, like Rosie and the Originals
and Sunny and the Sunliners.

In other words, oldies music is not the 60s soul from popular artists like The Jackson 5, The
Supremes or Smokey Robinson. Although to make matters more confusing, one of Robinson’s
later tracks, “Agony and the Ecstasy” (1975) is considered an oldies classic.

40

Again, there are no hard rules. What is or isn’t oldies, is all based on a sentiment that often goes
unspoken, but is shared by Chicanx and to an extent Latinx communities collectively. Oldies
music isn’t a genre; nor is it a static canon. It’s a perspective, an experience of soul music.

SLIDE THREE

HEADER: “OLDIES, BUT GOODIES”

BACKGROUND IMAGE: ARCHIVAL KPOP LABOE SIGN IN FRONT OF SCRIVNER’S

TEXT: There is no single moment in history that signals the beginning of the Chicanx love affair
with soul music. The chronology of the term “oldies,” however, gets credited to Los Angeles DJ
Art Laboe, who is said to have coined the phrase “oldies, but goodies.” Laboe debuted on KPOP
in the mid-50s and shortly afterwards started hosting his show live from different Scrivener’s
Diner locations throughout LA. It was here that his fans started requesting doopwop and R&B

Figure 24. Screenshot of The History slide two

41

songs that were a few years old. No DJ had ever done this, but Laboe set a precedent early on for
catering to his listeners by playing these songs.

Figure 25. Screenshot of The History slide three

SLIDE FOUR

HEADER: MEMORIES OF EL MONTE

BACKGROUND IMAGE: MEMORIES OF EL MONTE LP COVER

TEXT: It’s on the cover of Laboe’s compilation Memories of El Monte (1960) that we get a
glimpse of the original audience for oldies, or what was considered rock ‘n’ roll and R&B at the
time. A diverse sea of young folks; some cheering, some laughing, some caught in an awkward
moment, but all gathered at the El Monte Legion Stadium for the same reason.

42

This was an era when zoning laws in LA openly and intentionally segregated communities; when
many still looked down upon interracial dating. Laboe’s dances did not exist in a utopian bubble
exempt from these tensions. However, despite the reported scuffles between groups there was
also peaceful mixing out on the dance floor. Here young individuals had a choice, they could
dance with whomever they wanted regardless of race; whereas in similar venues throughout LA
they simply did not an option– they were segregated.

Figure 26. Screenshot of The History slide four

SLIDE FIVE

HEADER: PACHUCO BOOGIE

BACKGROUND VIDEO: A HAND FLIPPING THROUGH CHICANO R&B RECORDS

TEXT: But these cross-cultural interactions and collaborations precede (and surpass) Laboe. You
see them not only in the zoot suit fashion that both young Mexican-American and African-
Americans donned in the 40s, but also in the rhythm and blues they were dancing to at that time
as well.

43

In 1948 Edmúndo Martinez Tostado, aka Don Totsi, created something quintessentially Chicano
with “Pachuco Boogie” and “Chicano Boogie.” These songs represent a hybrid identity, a
synthesis of African-American scat singing, blues harmonies and caló, or Mexican-American
slang. His contemporary Lalo Guerrero produced music in a similar fashion. His songs like
“Marihuana Boogie” (1949) code switch between English, Spanish and Chicano vernacular,
words like vato and hina over a driving boogie-woogie beat.

This did not go without acknowledgement by African-American rhythm blues musicians. In the
early 50s, artists like Joe Houston and Chuck Higgins’ wrote songs like “Boyle Heights,”
“Pachuko Hop” and “Chicano Hop” with the pachuco audience in mind. A musical shout-out that
is echoed in a different era and genre, but with same intention, on “Low Rider” by War (1975).

Figure 27. Screenshot of The History slide five

SLIDE SIX

44

HEADER: BLACK AND BROWN

BACKGROUND VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MARYANN AGUIRRE
[[VIDEO TRANSCRIPT]]
AGUIRRE: Oldies tell a story about family about resilience, of our history as folks of
color, as oppressed people, as working class folks. So even the fact of collecting
records, play oldies, you know playing lowrider oldies, is fighting against that erasure of
our culture.

TEXT: In Los Angeles specifically, the cultural exchange between black and brown communities
has continued well beyond the pachuco era. A decades-long dialogue of influence that is
certainly undeniable albeit implicit at times. From the cruising on Crenshaw and Whittier, to the
rap music of Dr. Dre and Kid Frost, oldies culture is just one more layer in this living history.

Many soul artists have enjoyed long-lasting performing careers because of their Chicanx fan-
base who continue to flock to oldies concerts, some of which are put on by Laboe. At these
events you will find a noticeably older crowd of fans, but that doesn’t mean younger generations
aren’t carrying on the oldies tradition. In fact, Chicanx millenials and Gen Z not only embrace
this music, but some even collect it on its original vinyl format.

45

Figure 28. Screenshot of The History slide six

SLIDE SEVEN

IMAGE: STARLITE SWAPMEET PRESENT DAY SIGN
HEADER: EAST SIDE STORY
TEXT: In the early 70s, two miles southwest from El Monte Legion Stadium at the Starlite
Swapmeet off Rosemead, Anthony Boosalis took up his sister’s advice and started selling oldies
records in addition to posters. Within a year he was vending vinyl exclusively. With a
predominantly Chicanx clientele, Boosalis recalled it didn’t take him long to identify the oldies
they were after. Still Boosalis did not think to create a compilation series with these most
requested oldies until a former employee suggested it. Even then Boosalis sat on the idea for a
year or so before creating what would become East Side Story (ESS).

46

Figure 29. Screenshot of The History slide seven

SLIDE EIGHT

BACKGROUND IMAGE -- HUGGY BOY OLDIES COMPILATION COVER
TEXT: Creating an oldies compilation wasn’t an innovative idea in itself. There were already
vinyl packages devoted to older songs, most notably Laboe’s Oldies But Goodies and Dick
“Huggy Boy” Hugg’s Rare R-B Oldies.

With the exception of Memories of El Monte, previous compilations came in plain sleeves or had
text only graphics, but ESS’ cover design was markedly different.

47

Figure 30. Screenshot of The History slide eight

SLIDE NINE

BACKGROUND VIDEO MONTAGE: ALBUM COVERS W/ PLAYING AUDIO OF
INTERVIEWEE EXPLAINING HOW THEY WERE IMPACTFUL
[[AUDIO TRANSCRIPT]]

INTERVIEWEE ROBERT REYNA: Not too many albums had Chicanos on the cover,
or brown people. When you looked at the cover, there was a reflection of you.
TEXT: For the first time ever Chicanx and lowriders graced the cover of an oldies compilation.
This was an intentional marketing move on the part of Boosalis who had taken the photos with
the help of his brother-in-law. After selling at the swapmeet for some seven years Boosalis knew
exactly who his clientele was and what they wanted to hear; a note he makes clear on the back of
the original LPs.

48

Figure 31. Screenshot of The History slide nine

SLIDE TEN

BACKGROUND IMAGE -- ESS ALBUM WITH WRITING FROM FAN ON IT

TEXT: Although Boosalis was an outsider, his foresight could not have been more poignant.
Oldies are the musical essence of lowrider culture. They are the pulsing heartbeat behind the
deliberate pace of leisure. They are the romance and drama of plush and chrome. This is “slow
and low,” an aesthetic tandem of sights and sounds that are both decidedly not subtle, a lifestyle
that remains integral to the Chicanx community.

TEXT: Boosalis was right about another thing, ESS has in fact lived on as an underground
classic. The artwork has influenced countless artists, musicians and rappers, who have referenced

49

the iconic layout in their work. The various formats of ESS i.e. 8-track, cassette, and vinyl, are
sought after by fans and music collectors alike.

With more convenient ways to enjoy this music digitally it’s clear that it’s more than the tracklist
that gives them their cult appeal. This isn’t just some novel anachronism of music, cars and
fashion. The iconography of ESS reverbates in contemporary spaces because of what is
represents to the community – a stylistic blend that Chicanx can uniquely call their own.

Figure 32. Screenshot of The History slide ten

Abstract (if available)

Abstract East Side Story Project is a multi-platform documentary that explores Chicano identity and culture through the lens of the East Side Story (ESS) albums, a twelve-volume oldies music compilation released in the late 70s and early 80s. The cultural history of oldies music is one that is left out of American popular culture narratives and even goes under-documented within Chicano-specific histories that focus on music and lowrider culture. This thesis serves to contextualize the tradition of oldies music in the Mexican-American community and the cultural legacy of ESS. In addition, it details the role of ESSP as a vehicle for collective memory and the various digital media employed, including the resulting website prototype that works in conjunction with the current Instagram archival account and the web series in development. The website will not only serve as a converging homebase but a space for expanding on stories and details that do not fit into the structure of the web series or Instagram archive. By combining these three media elements, ESSP creates broader public access to a community-centered platform that allows individuals to participate in the writing and sharing of this living history. https://www.eastsidestoryproject.com/

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Asset Metadata

Creator Dueñas, Melissa C. (author)

Core Title East side story project: the Website

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism (The Arts)

Publication Date 06/15/2020

Defense Date 12/15/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Chicano history,Los Angeles,lowrider culture,Music History,OAI-PMH Harvest,soul music

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Plocek, Keith (committee chair), Anawalt, Sasha (committee member), Kun, Josh (committee member)

Creator Email melisduenas@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-254995

Unique identifier UC11673395

Identifier etd-DueasMelis-8072.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-254995 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-DueasMelis-8072.pdf

Dmrecord 254995

Document Type Thesis

Rights Dueñas, Melissa C.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA