In 1985 a University of Southern California graduate student in Visual Anthropology went to Fillmore, California to learn more about the town which had passed a resolution to make English the official language for City business. (It was repealed in 1989.) This in a town that at the time was approximately 70% Latino. The student and Artchange Director, Ellen Frankenstein, did not do her master’s thesis on the resolution, but about the immigrant process, or like what it means to come to a new country and cross borders. What resulted was a fifteen-minute, award winning documentary which focused on the story of Ben and Manuela Aparicio.
While in Fillmore, not only was Ellen filming, but also taking photos of the life of the town with a classic twin lens (TLR) Rolleflex camera. The photos run the gamut including City Council meetings and church services, weddings and proms, quinceaneras, 4th of July Celebrations, United Farm Worker demonstrations, and people in cafes and laundromats. Over 800 photographs.
With the help of the The Fillmore Historical Museum these photos are being shared back with the community. What stories will they trigger? We’re looking forward to what we find out and to understanding what these images mean to the people that might be in them and their family and friends so many years later. We hope too, we can generate and add to a conversation about what it was like to live in Fillmore then, how much the community has changed and what’s ahead. Check back for more image and updates.
