Silence and Erasure: Life Histories of Mexican-Origin Girls in California Reformatory Schools, 1942–1955

• In Event: Schools as Carceral Sites

Abstract

This paper contributes to this discussion by bringing in a sociohistorical narrative that further exposes state-authorized violence against youth of color in the U.S. This case study specifically examines the experiences of Mexican-origin young women in a California reformatory school during the 1940s and 1950s. From 1913-1962, the Ventura School for Girls operated during a key period in California’s formation of the state’s juvenile justice system. While very limited records and documentation about the school exists, this ethnographic study centers the experiences of former students, now in their senior years through the use of oral history and archival research.

Author

• Maria C. Malagon, California State University - Fullerton
  Presenting Author