Frank P. Barajas to speak on ‘Early Farm Worker Housing on the Oxnard Plain’ on April 1

Frank P. Barajas. Photo by Marie "The Photographer" Oviedo

VENTURA — Frank P. Barajas, professor of U.S. History at CSU Channel Islands, will present the lecture “Early Farm Worker Housing on the Oxnard Plain” at 6 p.m. Monday, April 1 in the Topping Room at the E.P. Foster Library, 651 E. Main St., Ventura. The program is part of the 2013 CSU Channel Islands Lecture Series at the library.

Barajas specializes in the history of Southern California. He has published peer-reviewed essays on agricultural labor in Ventura County, the Sleepy Lagoon Trial, the Oxnard schools, and the 2004 implementation of a civil gang injunction in the City of Oxnard. In addition to his book, “Curious Unions: Mexican American Workers and Resistance in Oxnard, California, 1898-1961,” Barajas has published opinion essays in Amigos805, The History News Service, The Bakersfield Californian and the Ventura County Star.

The series is a new initiative inviting the public to learn more about the research and work of CI professors and to engage in discussions on a variety of timely, thought-provoking and regionally relevant topics. Faculty lectures are also held monthly at the Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks, the university reported in a media release.

“We’re excited to be able to share the fascinating work and dynamic presentations of our faculty with the public in Ventura and Thousand Oaks through our Library Lecture Series,” Dr. Karen Carey, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, Arts & Sciences at CI, stated in the release. “We hope these lectures give members of the community the enjoyment of being a CI student for an evening in a free, convenient setting.”

“We are thrilled to partner with CSU Channel Islands for this series,” said Sara Roberts, Senior City Librarian at E.P. Foster Library. “Our community can only benefit from these educational opportunities.”

At the conclusion of their hour-long presentations, the speakers will engage in Q&A with the audience.

All lectures are free and open to the public, with complimentary parking behind the E.P. Foster Library. Visit http://www.vencolibrary.org/locations/epfoster or call the library at 805-648-2716 for more information.