In 1995, Matt Garcia first wrote about the founding of Claremont-based Padua Hills Theatre, the longest-running Mexican-oriented theater in United States’ history (1931-1974). With the benefit of time and an expanded archive, he now sees the theater in a wider context, from the international travel of the theater’s founder, Bess Garner, to the Hollywood careers of Padua’s brightest stars. At its best, Padua Hills constituted a sincere appreciation of California’s Mexican roots and a bulwark against anti-Mexican racism. In this presentation, Garcia reflects on the totality of the theater’s history and what it can teach us about intercultural exchange and the place of Claremont in the study of Mexican culture on both sides of the border. This talk is co-sponsored by the Center for Writing and Public Discourse, CMC’s History Department, and the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies.

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