Assignment 4,5,6 THE PEOPLE OF SAN LORNEZO

These past weeks of collecting primary research has been a challenging task of chasing down people that can lead me into the right direction. The process of gathering information began with Doris Marciel and the Hayward Historical Society. Their contributions gave me an understanding of the neighborhood and who was moving into San Lorenzo. Conducting a interview with Doris was a rather easy process since she is a well respected historian of this town and had much history to share. Much of the ethnic division of the town began with World War II evacuation of Japanese from the West Coast into internment camps. ( Images pg. 30) In 1942, over 100,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese living along the coast were called to relocate into "War Relocation Camps," following the attack at Pearl Harbor. The social uniqueness of San Lorenzo explains the ethnic immigration into San Lorenzo and ultimately why were they excluded from living in the villages.
My search for the covenant to San Lorenzo Villages began with the Scott Bohannon, the grandson of Dave " Big " Bohannon. Over numerous email conversations ,he was able to direct me to the records office in Alameda and contact a lady named Mariam. However, obtaining this document proved to be a disappointing challenge because of the numerous names of corporations needed, information which was not disclosed. Deeds to properties can be over hundred pages long of sophisticated rhetoric, but the women at the Alameda Records and Administrative building proved to be helpful ! This is the closest document I could obtain that outlined the requirements and restrictions during the 1946 expansion of San Lorenzo Villages, but at $2.00 per scan, this had to suffice.
The Japanese evacuation of WWII created many vacancies in local business and jobs in San Lorenzo. This absence allowed other migrants to inherit the typical unskilled jobs in San Lorenzo. " The bulk of Filipino migrants between 1907 and 1945 was compromised of young males who went to Hawaii, California, and Alaska and became part of the pool of cheap, unskilled labor. They were hired to fill in for the Chinese and Japanese who used to do these jobs..." We have learned from previous readings that the usefulness of considering different religious and regional identities allow the further understanding the level of diversity in California.
The Protestant identity and value's of 1945 San Lorenzo was strong and apparent in the newspapers and advertisements of the upcoming town. I invite you to step back into time and view San Lorenzo's ideal community by clicking on my primary document video!!! This is a portrayal of Protestant prosperity and ethnic limitations to a complex diverse region. Much thanks Diane Curry of Hayward Historical Society and Joe C. of CSU East Bay Library for helping me get this posted !