James E. Gonzales II

James Ernest Gonzales II passed away in his sleep on July 15, 2022. Born in Los Angeles on June 15, 1946, James was an attorney and community activist his entire life. He was the eldest son of James Ernest Gonzales and Anna Jean Manzanares and the brother of Carla, Yolanda (deceased), Anita and Anthony (deceased).

He was a student activist and organizer for Ethnic Studies and Chicano Rights at Cal State Northridge (then San Fernando Valley College), and against the Vietnam War as a draft counselor. He started his career as an organizer with the United Farm Workers. He helped organize the first successful contract campaign among grape workers. He graduated from the UCLA Law School in 1974 and started his career with California Rural Legal Assistance in El Centro, CA, where he worked on poverty law and immigrant rights cases.

Among many career triumphs, he argued in front of the California Supreme Court and won stronger protections for inmates of the Imperial County Jail. When Legal Aid programs were defunded by Reagan in the early 1980s, he received a personal commendation for his service from then-Governor Jerry Brown.

In addition to serving as an attorney for the federal government, Stanislaus County and the City of Fremont, James helped to found and led several community and civic organizations, starting with a MEChA chapter during his college years, the Mexican American Political Association in Hayward, CA and the

Modesto Peace Life Center. He proudly demonstrated for peace every Thursday with friends in Hayward, CA. He never stopped believing in the power of working for change, and was fond of saying “Never give up.” He was a world traveler and a famously devoted father and is succeeded by his daughters Shanthi Gonzales, of Eureka, CA and Lalitha Gonzales of Oakland, CA, his long-time partner Rosemary Gallegos of San Leandro, CA and dozens of nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews. He was predeceased by ex-wife Hemlata Reve Gonzales in 2017.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday August 20, 2022 at First Presbyterian Church in Castro Valley (2490 Grove Way) at 2 pm. There will be a service where all are welcomed to share their memories, followed by a repast and live music and dancing, per his wishes. RSVP to https:// tinyurl.com/4zr47yhr to participate virtually rather than in person. Donations in honor of James can be made to the Center for Constitutional Rights, the Alameda County Food Bank, La Clinica de La Raza in Oakland or the South Hayward Parish.