The Long Beach Chicano Community History Committee, comprised of former Centro de La Raza (Centro) employees Ron and Phyllis Arias, Theresa Marino, Carmen O. Perez, Margie Rodriguez, and Armando Vazquez-Ramos, worked closely with Historical Society of Long Beach staff to develop the exhibition.

Photographer John A. Taboada, a former CSULB student who chronicled the Centro’s activities between 1970 and 1985, passed away during preparation for this show. His legacy photographs are the basis for the exhibition which includes nearly 100 images, artifacts, and ephemera broken into sections on John A. Taboada, la escuela (school), culture, people, MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán or Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán), Chicano Political Caucus, and activism.

The Centro, also known as the East Long Beach Neighborhood Center, was established in 1969 as one of five neighborhood centers in Long Beach. The federal War on Poverty funded the centers through the Long Beach Commission for Economic Opportunities, also known as the Long Beach Community Action Program. The Centro was designated to serve the Spanish speaking population of Long Beach. It was established under the administration of Family Service of Long Beach, and operated through a representative and democratically elected community advisory board.