Kisha Gomez Lopez, a 15-year-old sophomore at BLCI in Chula Vista, shared her rich cultural background and personal experiences in a detailed oral history interview. Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Chula Vista, Kisha identifies as Chicana. She discussed her early exposure to her community’s activities, such as gardening at her school, and her significant encounters at Chicano Park, where she first connected with the term “Chicano,” sparking a deep interest in her cultural identity.
During the interview, Kisha delved into the challenges and triumphs of her immigrant family, emphasizing how her parents, originally from Mexico, navigated life in the U.S. with limited English skills. This background has instilled in her a strong sense of resilience and a commitment to academic and extracurricular endeavors. Kisha’s involvement in BLCI from the third grade played a pivotal role in shaping her educational trajectory, exposing her to college-level concepts from a young age and nurturing her aspirations.
This interview enriches the research on the impact of early educational interventions in immigrant communities and how these experiences foster cultural identity and academic ambition among youth. The insights gained from Kisha’s story highlight the transformative power of community support programs and the importance of cultural heritage in personal development. The interview was held via Zoom so it can be recorded in good condition.
This oral history project was undertaken by Hannah Choi, a senior Business Economics major at UCSD. I had an opportunity to have an oral history by taking ETHN 120D. This class was a quite different format from my other classes. I enjoy visiting BLCI sites every week, I can see the valuable workshops they provide to students. Also from lectures, it was a lesson in empathy and perspective. I was very happy to be able to provide helpful resources to BLCI students as my final project.
