Mexicans in San José

by Nannette Regua, Arturo Villarreal, Foreword by Stephen Pitti

Overview

Since the founding of California's El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe in 1777, people of Mexican ancestry have contributed to make San José a rich cultural, political, and economic epicenter. Mexican miners who worked in the local mines helped San José become one of the top mercury producers in the world. In the 20th century, Mexicans labored in the "Valley of Heart's Delight," as the Santa Clara Valley region was called, picking, canning, drying, and packaging fruits and vegetables for America's dinner table. They paid homage to their cultural heritage as they formed ballet folklórico groups, established mariachi bands, painted murals, and wrote literature. Through grassroots organizing and collective action, countless heroines and heroes, such as labor leader Cesar Chavez, dedicated their lives to improving conditions in their neighborhoods and communities. In 1999, the City of San José acknowledged the contributions of Mexicans with the grand opening of the Mexican Heritage Plaza, a cultural center for the performing arts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738569307
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	07/08/2009
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,048,029
Product dimensions:	6.56(w) x 9.28(h) x 0.35(d)

About the Author

The daughter of a farm worker, college history instructor Nannette Regua and college ethnic studies instructor Arturo Villarreal, a San José native and former field worker, honor the contributions of Mexicans in their community. Through the generosity of community members who shared their familial and personal photographs and local archival collections, the authors document the vibrant history of Mexicans in San José.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Acknowledgments 7

Introduction 7

1 The Early Years 9

2 The New Almadén Quicksilver Mines and Spanishtown 23

3 Cannery and Agriculture Work 35

4 East San José 51

5 Chicano and Youth Movements 65

6 Leadership and Organizations 79

7 Religion and Family 97

8 Arts and Entertainment 113

Bibliography 127

Editorial Reviews

Title: Pizarro: New book highlights the contributions of Mexicans in San Jose

Author: Sal Pizarro

Publisher: Mercury News

Date: 7/16/09



Evergreen Valley College professors Nannette Regua and Arturo Villareal have completed a yearlong labor of love in "Mexicans In San Jose," the latest volume in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series.



The pair listened to more than 50 hours of community stories while compiling the book, and from their students and other residents they solicited photos of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans working and living in the Santa Clara Valley.



The book starts with the city's settlement in 1777 and works its way through to the opening of the Mexican Heritage Plaza in 1999.



"I want readers of this book to come away with pride about the many historical contributions and values we Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have brought to San Jose," Regua said. "We see the book as a form of cultural recognition, encouraging confidence and pride among the population that helped build this city."



The authors will be signing the books from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Casa Vicky Mexican Restaurant, 792 E. Julian St.

Title: Book Commemorates Mexicans in San José
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: Our Disctrict Newsletter
Date: February 2009

When a teenager named Arturo Villarreal was toiling in the fields and canneries of San José, he had no idea he was making history by helping his native city blossom into the flourishing metropolis it is today. He also had no idea that 40 years later, he would be making history—quite literally—by writing about it.

The idea for the upcoming book, Mexicans In San José, came to Evergreen Valley College (EVC) Professor Nannette Regua when she saw a similar image book by Arcadia Publishing called Filipinos in Stockton. Turns out, no one had done a photo history book of Mexicans in San José. So Regua sold the idea to the publisher and talked Villarreal, a professor of Ethnic Studies and Anthropology at EVC, into co-authoring the book.

Unsung heroes-those who sweated and toiled in the industries that built San José's economy and infrastructure-are the subjects of their book. "Women, in particular, were extremely effective as community organizers and church leaders, so women are a major focus of the book," says Regua.

To find relevant subjects, the two professors asked community leaders for recommendations.

They have also been soliciting photos of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans working, meeting, organizing, teaching, celebrating and socializing, from the larger San José community as well as from their students at the college. With one-third of its population being Latino, EVC is a natural starting point.

"I want readers of this book to come away with pride about the many historical contributions and values we Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have brought to San José," says Regua, an adjunct professor of History. "We see the book as a form of cultural recognition, encouraging confidence and pride among the population that built this city."
Villarreal agrees: "When you know your history, your rightful place in society, you feel empowered by it."

Regua and Villarreal are in the final stage of writing the book, which will be released in September. It will feature sections on Arts and Entertainment, Church and Family, Leaders of Organizations and San Jose's cultural history dating from 1777. Those with pictures of agriculture and cannery work can still submit and are encouraged to contact Professors Regua and Villarreal at 408-274-7900, extensions 2053 and 6609 respectively.

From the Publisher