How People and Communities Helped Shape Pasadena

Tuesdays, Jan. 17 to Feb. 21, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, local historian Roberta Martinez will discuss the fascinating history and surprising connections in the complex interactions between community and culture in Pasadena and other cities in the San Gabriel Valley – from the native Tongva tribe to modern-day arrivals from throughout the U.S. and the world.

By News Desk

“Pasadena Here I Come: How People and Communities Shaped Pasadena” will be the theme of the winter term of The Masters Series, a six-week series that embraces lifelong learning, presented by the Pasadena Senior Center via Zoom.

• Jan. 17: Before Pasadena was Pasadena: Indigenous peoples and pioneers, homesteaders and squatters in the San Gabriel Valley.
• Jan. 24: Pasadena, Crown of the Valley: The visionaries, entrepreneurs, boosters and health-seekers who formed a city.
• Jan. 31: The Lure of Pasadena: How myth and opportunity drove exponential growth in the early 20th century.
• Feb. 7: Beyond Jackie, Rosa and Martin: Black pioneers with Pasadena connections.
• Feb. 14: Hispanos, Californios, Chicanos and Latinx in Pasadena: An almost invisible community history.
• Feb. 21: The Creative City: The talent that arts, science and educational institutions brought to the area.

The cost for the six-week course is only $75 for members of the Pasadena Senior Center and $90 for nonmembers.

Roberta Martínez is an actor, writer and historian, and an expert on the history of Pasadena’s Latino community. This year she curated the e-pub exhibit “Latinx Heritage in Pasadena” for Pasadena City College. Her book “Latinos in Pasadena” was published in 2009 by Arcadia Publishing.

To register for the Zoom series, visit pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Lectures & Classes, then Masters Series Lifelong Learning. Everyone who registers will receive email instructions for joining each week’s Zoom class online.  For more information, call 626-795-4331.