Press Releases

For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Alka Joshi
650-224-7580 cell
408-270-6413 direct
alka.joshi@evc.edu

Book Commemorates Mexicans In San Jose

SAN JOSE, CA, November 20, 2008 -- When a teenager named Arturo Villarreal was toiling in the fields and canneries of San Jose, 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 Jose, came to Evergreen Valley College 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 Jose. So Regua sold the idea to the publisher and talked Villarreal, a professor of Ethnic Studies and Anthropology, into co-authoring the book.

Unsung heroes, those who sweated and toiled in the industries that built San Jose’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 Jose 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 Jose,” 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.”

The book will feature sections on Arts and Entertainment, Church and Family, Leaders of Organizations and San Jose’s cultural history dating from 1777.  Those with photographs, anecdotes or interview subjects to share are encouraged to contact Professors Regua and Villarreal at 408-274-7900, extension 2053 and extension 6609 respectively.

###

ABOUT Evergreen Valley College

With student learning as its primary focus, Evergreen Valley College’s mission is to empower students to expand their human potential and to succeed in a global, multicultural society. The College, which sits on a picturesque 175-acre site in the eastern foothills of San Jose, provides access to comprehensive and flexible post-secondary education to prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for balanced and productive lives and to improve the workforce and quality of life in our community.