
When Molina examined the collection, he discovered it had belonged to Julia Juarez, a member of the Rhythm-Aires – a group of teenage Chicanas from Azusa who were known for hosting parties in the early 1950s. He found a hand-drawn Rhythm-Aires logo on one record sleeve, along with a list of friends’ nicknames referencing their hometowns, like “Kenny De Ontario” and “Victor De Pomona.” Oscar Garza, a journalism professor at USC and a long-time record collector, calls these markings “Chicano hieroglyphics,” explaining they show the friends who shared the memories connected to each song or album. Molina viewed the records and their handwritten notes as a glimpse into the everyday lives of Mexican American youth – “stories from the bottom up,” as he puts it. This collection directly inspired his new book, “The Dreamy Side: Rhythm & Blues and Chicano Culture in 1950s Los Angeles.”