Latinos find a place of their own
Organization is transforming a house to serve as its headquarters
Latinos have been part of San Jose since its founding in 1777, but they never had a place of their own at History Park until now. But the addition of the La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley to History San Jose’s roster of partner groups is also a testament to the city’s diverse ethnic tapestry. The historical society will make its headquarters at the Chiechi House, a 19th century Italianate-style home that sat in Willow Glen for a century until it was donated to History San Jose in 1973. History Park itself, like much of San Jose, is on land that was originally inhabited by Native Americans before the Spanish settlers arrived.
“You have a Mexican organization moving into an Italian family home on Ohlone land,” said Margie Chiechi, a member of the family who once owned the house. “How much more diverse can you get?”
Not much, but retired attorney Fernando Zazueta, who is La Raza Historical Society’s president, said the goal of the group is to shine a spotlight on the accomplishments of all the various nationalities that fall under the Latino umbrella and have contributed to San Jose. The group is raising money to renovate the house and use it for offices and meeting space, as well as adding a library devoted to Latino history. It’s off to
a good start: Milpitas City Councilman Bob Nuñez presented a $25,000 donation from the Nuñez Community Foundation.
History Park is already home to organizations devoted to Chinese, Portuguese, African-American and Vietnamese history and culture. History San Jose CEO Alida Bray said ever since she arrived nearly two decades ago, the most common question she has gotten is “Where are the Mexicans?”
“It took us a while, but we finally got them here,” she said. “What History San Jose is about is honoring our cultural heritage in the valley. We really want as diverse a representation as we can have here.”
FAMILY TRADITION OF SERVICE >> One Latino family being honored for its own history is the Guels of Sunnyvale. They will be honored with the La Familia Award at the 29th annual Hispanic Foundation Ball next month.
Luis and Alicia Guel were married in 1949 and have called the Bay Area home since the 1950s. The couple’s tradition of community service started during the turbulent 1960s, when they became involved with grassroots Chicano theater shows for El Teatro Campesino and later served as volunteer instructors with the folklorico group Los Lupeños de San Jose. They also volunteered with Teatro Vision and Club Estrella, a nonprofit social club that promotes Mexican-American heritage.
Alicia died in 2003, but they passed on their passion for giving to their eight children, who have continued volunteer efforts at several nonprofits throughout the valley.
The Guels should have quite a crowd to congratulate them, too. Hispanic Foundation CEO Ron Gonzales announced Friday that the Oct. 20 fundraiser at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose is already sold out.
IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT >> When ALearn and Silicon Valley Education Foundation merged last March, they mashed up the two nonprofits’ names to make a temporary moniker while Campbell marketing and branding firm R2i conducted a regional survey to figure out a name for the new organization. After six weeks of meetings, they learned that Silicon Valley Education Foundation had built a good reputation for its work advocating for STEM education for underserved communities.
So instead of disposing of its hard-earned brand identity, the new organization will keep the old name, along with SVEF’s logo and signature green color. No surprise that an education foundation went with the smart answer.
HONOR FOR OLYMPIC ICONS >> San Jose State announced last year that it was pushing this year’s Inspiration to Innovation gala from the spring to October, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ historic black power salute at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. And the other track shoe dropped this week as the university announced that the iconic duo will receive the prestigious Tower Award at the Oct. 18 gala.
Smith and Carlos were San Jose State track stars who helped the school earn its Speed City nickname, and after winning the gold and bronze medals, respectively, they made their unforgettable statement on the medal stand. At the time, they were reviled by many for their action and were evicted from the Olympic Village. Today, their protest is considered a defining act for athletes during the Civil Rights Movement.
It’s fitting that the fundraising gala at which they’ll be honored will take place at the Event Center on campus, not far from the 23-foot high sculpture that memorializes the pair’s historic moment. More details on the gala, part of a series of events celebrating the 50th anniversary, are available at www.sjsu.edu/inspirationtoinnovation.