Dolores Rodriguez

Dolores Rodriguez Oral History Interview – California Social Welfare Archives

An interview with Dolores Rodriguez, MSW, as she discusses her development as a Latina social worker (1957-present), the first ever Chicano/Latino Adoptions Unit in Los Angeles County, pivotal programs she was involved with, and opportunities for practice in the field.

Interviewer: Carlos Sosa, MSW, Date: 6/30/10

(01:20)- Initial Professional Training
(04:15)- Latino children and child welfare
(07:55)- Los Angeles and the adoptions arena
(11:12)- Los Angeles County and the first Chicano/Latino Adoptions Unit
(18:45)- Wednesday’s Child
(19:40)- Chicano/Latino Unit program supporters
(21:10)- Chicano/Latino Unit recruitment
(24:30)- Worker’s perceptions of adoptive families
(27:45)- Internal opposition to the Chicano/Latino specialized unit
(30:50)- Initial community response to Chicano/Latino adoptions program
(34:35)- Family life and role models
(40:30)- Difference between education and social work in confronting social issues
(43:12)- Post retirement and most memorable parts of your career
(55:30)- Impact of merger between Department of Adoptions and DCFS
(1:02:00)- Regrets?

The California Social Welfare Archives (CSWA ), established in 1979, is a non-profit organization operating under the auspices of the USC School of Social Work and affiliated with the University Libraries. It collects and preserves documents and personal histories of significant contributors to the evolution of social welfare ensuring their availability to future generations — students, teachers, historians, and researchers. Collection activity includes gathering and archiving social welfare materials of historical significance, conducting oral history interviews with contributors to social welfare solutions in California, and creating events to publicly recognize significant contributors to California social welfare.

Visit us at www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/libraries/cswa and http://www.socialworkhallofdistinction.org.