From the Watts Uprising to budget protests, advocacy and access continue to shape university’s identity.
By Andrea Ambriz, Staff Reporter
When Cal State Dominguez Hills first opened its doors on Apr. 29, 1960, it marked a milestone for residents in the South Bay. Founded on principles of social justice, the university’s mission centered on expanding access to higher education for historically marginalized communities and people ignored by the system.
Last month, six decades to the day, CSUDH celebrated its 65th anniversary with a special exhibition that invited the campus community to reflect on the university’s roots and explore the possibilities for its future.
Curated by the Gerth Archives and Special Collections, the exhibit featured historic photographs, documents, and artifacts in a museum-style display—tracing CSUDH’s evolution from its early days to the present. Gregory Williams, director of the Gerth Archives, told The Bulletin that he found the university’s physical and cultural transformation especially fascinating.
“I appreciated the small college’s architecture,” Williams said, noting that some of the newer buildings on campus have affected the university’s charm. “There were some very interesting architectural elements.”
Change, however, has always been a constant theme at CSUDH.
A campus founded on promise
CSUDH was established on what was once part of Rancho San Pedro—the historic land grant awarded to Spanish soldier Juan José Domínguez—and first held classes at a temporary location in Rolling Hills Estates. Following the 1965 Watts Uprising, the campus relocated to its permanent home in Carson to be closer to the communities it was built to serve—the move was meant to symbolize the university’s commitment to its founding principles.
“It didn’t develop as fast as the rest of LA,” said Williams, recalling the early years.
Professor emeritus Miguel Domínguez, who taught in the Modern Languages Department and founded the Chicano studies program, described CSUDH as his little pueblo—or “town” in Spanish.
“You hear that among Mexicanos when they reminisce about their pueblo, and they smile, and it brings warm memories,” Domínguez said, adding that the university’s primary objective was always “to serve an underserved community.”
Over the decades, CSUDH has served a significant population of first-generation college students, immigrants, and students from lower-income backgrounds. Although CSUDH is primarily a commuter campus, the university continues to be shaped by generations of Toro alumni—including faculty and staff.
The university’s ties to the local community remain strong, with more than 65 percent of Toro alumni living within 25 miles of the Carson campus, according to the university.
“[CSUDH] played a part in entire populations’ education,” Williams said.
Jessica Scott, chair of the Loker Student Union Board of Directors, said the university’s mission to serve a culturally and ethnically diverse student body remains clear today.
“There’s definitely a lot of different personalities and identities here on campus,” she said. “And I love to see them all.”
The push for change
Student-led activism has played a prominent role on campus since the beginning. From marches and walkouts, to demands for better services and community spaces, Toros have never been shy about letting the university know where they stand on the issues most important to them.
One notable example was the establishment of the Loker Student Union. For many students, it may be hard to imagine the campus without LSU. In addition to the food court and lounge facilities, the building is home to many of the university’s cultural and identity centers.
However, it wasn’t too long ago that Toros were petitioning the university to raise the funds for LSU’s development. The building first opened in 1992, and after a series of renovations, re-opened in 2007.
“Students had to ask for money for the student union,” Williams said. “That’s why it took forever to build.” He emphasized the central role that students have always played in shaping the university.
More recently, as California State University wrestles with a system-wide budget crisis, Toros have rallied alongside CSUDH faculty and staff to demand greater accountability and transparency from university administrators. This past February, students joined campus union leaders to protest layoffs and what they described as wasteful spending by the university.
“Student life is the most important,” he said. “The role of students determined how Dominguez Hills developed.”
The challenges still ahead
As CSUDH looks to the future, it does so while navigating the financial headwinds facing the entire CSU system. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dominguez Hills was experiencing enrollment declines, and although numbers have partially rebounded, recent drops have strained university resources.
As a result, fewer course offerings have made it harder for students to get the classes they need—while faculty and staff face heavier workloads, further compounding the university’s budget challenges.
At the same time, the university has tried to maintain its identity as an institution serving an underserved community.
One example is the Toro Health Pathways program, a partnership between the College of Health, Human Services and Nursing and local institutions. The program helps students transition from college to careers in health care.
Still, the impact of reduced funding is being felt across campus—through cuts to staffing, services, academic departments, and majors.
“Definitely our budget cuts—making sure that we’re keeping our staff satisfied in their budget,” said Scott, the LSU board of directors chair.
Despite these pressures, CSUDH continues to grow physically, with new buildings rising across campus. According to Domínguez, the modern languages professor emeritus, the university still remains rooted in its founding mission and commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion—even amid uncertainty.
He said: “If you look at how rich we are because of the different instances of culture, imagine how rich we are with other cultural influences.”