(Re)Building in Southern California
The Historical Society of Southern California
HSSC Programing Calendar 2025-2026
Description of 2025-2026 Theme
This year’s theme for the Historical Society of Southern California is “(Re)building,” a concept that resonates deeply with the times we live in.
In the aftermath of devastating fires that swept across the Los Angeles region, we are turning our attention to how communities—both physically and metaphorically—are rebuilding. From infrastructure to identity, the process of (re)building captures the resilience, creativity, and unity that continue to define Southern California.
More urgently, as many communities across Southern California face marginalization or active harm from governmental systems and policies, we aim to provide a vital space for dialogue and reflection. Our theme challenges us to consider how rebuilding is not merely a matter of repair, but an act of empowerment—of reclaiming voice, agency, and collective strength.
True to our mission, the Historical Society remains committed to “uplifting underrepresented voices, empowering community partners to tell their own stories, and creating an inclusive narrative about the history of Southern California and the West—a narrative that embraces both agency and anguish.” The idea of (re)building aligns with our broader goal: to foster a dynamic and inclusive sense of community among scholars, activists, local historians, and all those who care about the past and future of our region.
The 2025–2026 theme invites us to reflect on this defining moment in history as participants and witnesses. Together, we will explore the many ways community has been and continues to be forged, challenged, and transformed—and how, through conversation and collaboration, we can shape a more just and connected future.
FEBRUARY 2026: AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
Reclaiming Me: Lessons from a First-Generation Mexican Daughter
Author: Adriana Martinez
DATE: Tuesday February 24, 6:00pm-8:00pm (PST) via Zoom
Adriana Martínez is a lifelong advocate of higher education among youth growing up in poverty, including first-generation students born to immigrants. Her passion stems from her experiences growing up in a working-class, lower-income family in the housing projects of urban Los Angeles. Despite the hardships, Adriana credits her hard-working Mexican immigrant parents for providing her with opportunities they never had.
Adriana attended Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights and went on to Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. After several years in Washington, D.C., she returned to Los Angeles and earned an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In her memoir she shares lessons that she hopes others may learn from to overcome obstacles, and in the process, discover who they are and what they love.
Adriana has enjoyed writing since she was a young girl, winning Young Authors Conference competitions in grammar school for her short stories. During her Stanford years, she published poetry in Spanish in a student publication she co-founded, and also earned an “Excellence in Literature” award for an essay at the National Association of Chicano Studies (NACS) Conference. She established the nation’s first traditional Mexican folklorico dance company and children’s program during her time in Washington, D.C.
Adriana has raised two college-age children alongside her husband while managing her professional career, which spans diverse sectors and organizations with a focus on increasing socio-economic opportunity for under-resourced communities. She has remained civically active with various community organizations concentrating on increasing higher education access for underserved students, and immigrant justice. She lives in Los Angeles County with her husband.
Reclaiming Me: Lessons from a First-Generation Mexican Daughter
Available Now on Amazon! CLICK HERE
An inspiring memoir about a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants. Adriana Martínez grew up in the housing projects, made it to Stanford University and beyond, and has spent a lifetime searching for inner peace and happiness on her own terms. Reclaiming Me: Lessons from a First-Generation Mexican Daughter is a deeply personal story with universal lessons about self-discovery, self-affirmation, and self-love.
This empowering book, at times heartbreaking and always lyrical, is rich with lessons for anyone searching for genuine self-fulfillment, and especially for first-generation and immigrant youth growing up in poverty. Through her story, Adriana explores important issues, including identity, self-esteem, personal loss, and mental health. Using vivid examples from her life, she provides valuable advice for youth growing up as she did who aspire to a better life. Her stories provide evidence that constant reflection, self-evaluation, and practicing love and forgiveness will bring meaning and joy to our lives.
Adriana inspires her readers to reflect, discover, and embrace who they truly are – not once, but throughout their lives. This authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability has been her path to leading a life of gratitude, courage, and resilience.
Adriana Martínez graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School. She’s loved writing since she was a young girl, winning Young Authors Conference contests in grammar school. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and has two grown children.
For more information about Adriana Martinez please go to her website at: https://adrianamartinezauthor.com/
