LONG BEACH, Calif. — A new exhibit puts focus on the workers who built and shaped the port.

What You Need To Know

  • The Port of Long Beach was founded in 1911 and has grown into the second largest port in the U.S.

  • The Port supports over 360,000 jobs throughout Southern California and 1.4 million across the U.S.

  • This free exhibit will be on display from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Nov. 15 at the Port of Long Beach Administration building Lobby at 415 W. Ocean Blvd.

The Port of Long Beach isn't just a global trade hub — it's a story of hard work and resilience, and for Bobby Olivera Jr., family.

"There's been a steady presence of my DNA in the San Pedro Bay complex and the Port of Long Beach — really, since the turn of the century," Olivera Jr. said.

Founded in 1911, the port has grown into the second largest in the U.S., spanning over 3,200 acres and handling millions of cargo containers each year.

"Go into your bedroom and look around. Pick up some of the items that are very precious to you," Olivera Jr. said. "99% of the time, that item came through the Port of Long Beach."

The port has been a vital source of employment for ages, supporting over 360,000 jobs throughout Southern California and 1.4 million across the U.S., as the Long Beach Business Journal reported.

However, for Olivera Jr., a future at the port wasn't always in the cards.

"I did everything I could to get away. I joined the Marines, moved away and worked in 13 other ports," Olivera Jr. said. "Funny enough, when I got out of the Marines, the last place they put me was at the Long Beach Navy Shipyard."

Now — decades later — Olivera Jr. is using his position as Harbor Commissioner to spearhead a new exhibit honoring the workers who, he said, shaped the Port of Long Beach.

Olivera worked closely with the Historical Society of Long Beach on this exhibit, which, according to project specialist Brian Chavez, was a labor of love.

"We have a collection of over 100,000 images — so it's a huge archive," Chavez said. "It did take a bit of research because most of the history of Long Beach that has been recorded is usually structural history. It's usually a picture of a building or a picture of a completed railroad, but never of the worker. To be able to find that was a challenge, but we did it!"

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Nearly every photograph in this exhibit showcases the unsung heroes who built and maintained the port — a true testament to the workforce that's kept the port operating for more than 110 years.

"In any great industry, in any great endeavor. It's not the suits and tie at the top," Olivera Jr. said. "It's the workers from the bottom up that really make things thrive."

Honoring their legacy now — and for generations to come.

This free exhibit will be on display Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Nov. 15 at the Port of Long Beach Administration Building Lobby, 415 W. Ocean Blvd., in the downtown Long Beach Civic Center.