This collection of over 2000 vinyl records represents the collected music of educator and dance hall impresario Candelario Mendoza. In 1949 Candelario began a moonlighting career in radio while teaching. He worked as a Spanish radio announcer for KPMO – an AM radio station local to Los Angeles. At that time, Spanish broadcasts were relegated to only 1-3 hours in the early morning. The rest of the day was designated for English only broadcasts. As such, his broadcasts provided Mexican workers in the citrus groves and elsewhere in the community with music that "helped them prepare for a day of strenuous labor. [Moreover, it] allowed many Mexicans to stay abreast of the various trends in Latin America." This is very important because it created a link to people's homes and pasts in Mexico, and it reinforced and strengthened their cultural practices, language, and traditions here in the United States. His career in radio continued for 15 years and was very successful. In fact, in 1950 he took on yet another job as a nightclub music consultant, emcee, and booking agent at Pomona's then famous Rainbow Gardens. He did this for approximately 12 years. Not surprisingly, prior to 1950, "rarely [did] a black or brown face appear in the audience" (Garcia 192) or as performers at Rainbow Gardens. Again, this was a reflection of the time period. Nevertheless, Mr. Mendoza had a very successful career in this venue mixing Latino and non-Latino musical genres. As such, the Latino presence within Rainbow Gardens began to increase as did the success of the club, while its non-Latino patrons began to wane until completely ceasing to go to the nightclub altogether. Although his career as educator contributed significantly to the Chicano community, his career in the music industry helped bridge the gap between Mexicans' home abroad (in Mexico) and their home within the United States. The music as well as the experience of attending Rainbow Gardens fostered a sense of unity amongst the community as well as a sense of familiarity and cultural continuity. Thanks to his efforts, Chicanos/as were able to create a social space at a time when space was limited. Please see the biographical note in this finding aid for a more complete history of Candelario's life.

The collection is organized into the following series: