About Us

2007/2008 OCMAHS Executive Board

History

The Orange County Mexican American Historical Foundation was founded in 2003 by Yolanda Morelos Alvarez, Christina Duron, Mary Garcia, Carol San Roman Skaggs, Fred Ortiz and JoAnn Martinez. This core group of dedicated volunteers organized an organizational mixer at the Artist Village, Santa Ana on September 6, 2003. This gathering generated a larger group of volunteers including most of the current officers.

After numerous community meetings at the El Modena Community Center and at Yolanda Alvarez's house the group filed for non-profit status. As part of this process the group changed their name to the Orange County Mexican American Historical Society (OCMAHS).

The Society has a growing digital collection of historic photographs of Mexicans in Orange County. The collection strength is in twentieth century images. Many of these images have been showcased in the annual OCMAHS Images of Orange County calendars that have been published and sold since 2005.

The organization holds quarterly general meetings with invited speakers. Under the leadership of President, Harvey Reyes, a strategic planning process has enabled OCMAHS to focus its energy on selected activities. Highlights of 2006 include the renting of office space in downtown Santa Ana and the purchase and implementation of catalog software for its expanding digital collection. In 2007, OCMAHS again published the Images of Orange County Calendar for 2008 and held several successfully events including a lecture by Gustavo Arellano on the 1936 Citrus Strike, co-sponsored and participated in the first Orange County Barrio Symposium and a Veteran's Salute luncheon at the Delhi Center.

Yolanda Morelos Alvarez

The primary force behind the founding of OCMAHS was Yolanda Moreno Alvarez. For years Ms. Alvarez, a native of Santa Ana, photographed historic Mexican neighborhoods in Orange County. She created Fire in the Morning, a wonderful presentation which incorporates these images. Ms. Alvarez began presenting at local school, historical societies and interested community organizations.

Yolanda Morelos Alvarez, middle

.Her passion for documenting the Mexican history of Orange County was what started the formation of OCMAHS. Ms. Alvarez was the first elected President of the Orange County Mexican American Historical Foundation. The organization recognizes her efforts and is indebted to her for her extraordinary leadership in the development of OCMAHS.