Category Archive: 1960s

“Capital within a Capital”: Covert Action, the Vietnam War, and Creating a “Little Saigon” in the Heart of Northern Virginia

“That flag is the symbol of the spirit of the refu­gee,” Springfield resident and Vietnamese American talk show […]

Diving into Integration: Sammy Lee, Historical Memory, and the Complexity of Housing Segregation in Cold War California

Even with the clearest of minds, personal and historical memory ebb and flow. Recollections of our own past […]

Not Bowling Alone: How the Holiday Bowl in Crenshaw Became an Integrated Leisure Space

In May 2000, the New York Times reported the upcoming demolition of the Crenshaw District’s Holiday Bowl. Built […]

A Dive into the Deep End: The Importance of the Swimming Pool in Southern California

[Let Summer begin! This week we focus on the role of pools and beaches in American, specifically, SoCal […]

White Racial Innocence Goes to War: Forrest Gump at 20

1994—it wasn’t that long ago.  Or was it?  It was a time before iPhones, YouTube, Monica Lewinsky, WMDs, […]

Shifting Lanes: The Demise of the Southern California Autotopia

To understand the City of Angels, Joan Didion once wrote, one needed to immerse oneself in the freeway […]

Memorial Day Reveille

We here at ToM hope that your Memorial Day weekend has gone swimmingly.   Over the years, our writers […]

From Bauhaus to Your Mouse: Fred Turner’s Brilliant New Book on the Origins and Politics of Interactive Media

Democracy is a funny word.  In the strictest sense, it means “government by the people,” with decisions made […]