The Baja California History Seminar and the City of Ensenada are hosting a free book presentation tonight, April 29, at the Centro Social, Cívico y Cultural Riviera de Ensenada. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the venue’s Salón Casino and features the historical novel “El Yugoslavo que llegó de Alaska” by Francisco Tarin Perisky.
The book chronicles the life of Antonio Periškic Kusturin, a Yugoslav immigrant who made his way to Baja California by way of Alaska. His story is one thread in the peninsula’s often overlooked history of European immigration, which brought settlers from Russia, Italy, China, and the Balkans to the region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Part of a 35-Year Lecture Series
Tonight’s presentation falls within the Baja California History Seminar’s 35th Annual Cycle, a long-running series dedicated to regional history and author engagement. The seminar has spent more than three decades bringing historians, writers, and researchers to Ensenada for public talks on the peninsula’s past.
The venue itself carries historical weight. The Riviera de Ensenada, located at Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas 1421 in the Zona Centro, was originally built as the luxurious Hotel Playa casino in the 1930s. After decades of disuse, the building was restored and now serves as Ensenada’s primary cultural center, hosting exhibitions, performances, and lectures throughout the year.
How to Attend
Admission is free and open to the public. The Riviera is an easy walk from most downtown Ensenada hotels and sits along the city’s main waterfront boulevard. For those driving, street parking is available nearby on Lázaro Cárdenas and surrounding side streets.
The Riviera’s regular hours on weekdays run until 11 p.m., so attendees should have no trouble arriving for the 7 p.m. start time. No registration or ticket is required.
This story was first reported by Ensenada.net.