Reynaldo Arellano, also known as Rey, born on June 3rd, 2004 in the County of San Diego is a 14 year old male of Mexican-American descent, aspiring to one day graduate from a four year university because he believes it is the first step to a successful career and will allow him to give back to his community. He is currently a 9th grade student who has been a part of the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) for 3 years. He loves to play volleyball, video games, and hang out with friends whenever he can. I met Rey during my weekly visits to the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI), but I especially got to know him during the 9th grade workshops that I volunteered for, as a part of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Race and Oral History Class. These workshops mainly focused on personal development and included activities such as taking a day trip to Chicano Park and asking the students to take a picture of the mural that best describes where they come from. My interview with Rey took place at the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) where we talked about the importance of family, sports, education, and community building through more after school college readiness programs like BLCI. As a young adult of Mexican-American descent myself, who also came from a low-income community, listening to the way Rey described his connection to Barrio Logan was an eye-opening experience for me because it made me reflect upon how big of an impact the community, or rather communities, that surrounded me played a part in shaping who I am today. I was born on September 27th, 1999 in a small farming town in North San Diego County named Fallbrook; however, my family moved to Hemet, California when I was about 5 years old. I strive to learn and explore beyond my community and hope to one day open a non-profit organization that contributes to communities of minorities, inspiring people like me to imagine greater possibilities.
June 4, 2019
Reynaldo Arellano Oral History
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