Skip to main content

Before Silicon Valley: About

About

Image
Hero about

In 2002-2003, the City of San José contracted Suzanne Guerra to revise and update the National Register nominations for the De Anza Hotel and the Palomar Ballroom for a development project downtown.  While still significant for its architecture and construction, the National Register nomination for the Palomar Ballroom had included only minimal documentation on the LatinX community with which it was historically associated. The City of San José had not previously developed a historic context for Mexican Americans in the 20th Century. This left the question of the level of significance to be determined.   Documentation of historical resources, buildings, structures, objects, sites, and cultural landscapes typically include archival and oral history research.  Oral history projects are framed within an historic context based on archival research, which considers events, places and people.  

A thorough search of regional archives revealed the lack of documentation on the local Mexican American community available in any regional archive or published history. Though the histories of many agricultural industries have been written, agricultural and cannery worker communities have not been as well documented.  In order to address the lack of documentation on worker communities, our contracts, pursued by Guerra & McBane LLC, now specified that oral history interviews were always accompanied by the digital retrieval of personal archives and that a copy of the final studies and reports would be donated to a publicly accessible repository. 

Based on our initial research from 2003-2005 we framed a project concept that we called Cherries to Chips: A Regional History of Santa Clara Valley Communities.  We envisioned a comprehensive history of agricultural worker communities of the Santa Clara Valley and its transformation from one of California’s major agricultural landscapes into the internationally recognized technological incubator known as the “Silicon Valley”.  In 2004-2006, The Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History of the SJSU History Department gave our project $3,000 to conduct oral history interviews with Mexican cannery workers in Santa Clara County. 

Image
del Monte

From 2006-2007, we received a $25,000 contract from the local museum History San José, to conduct research for their new online exhibit entitled Cannery Life, documenting the soon to be demolished Del Monte Cannery No. 3.  What we learned on this project would eventually cause us to refocus our efforts on the Mexican agricultural and cannery population during the period from 1920 to 1960, a time when labor and social organizing was at its peak, agricultural industries were dominant, and migration and immigration were influenced by world events such as the Great Depression, the Mexican Revolution and two World Wars. At that time, History San José had no contacts in the Latino community and no one spoke Spanish, so we were able to retain more control over the structure of the project as long as we met their timeline. We implemented some new strategies in our research. Utilizing a number of trained Spanish speaking SJSU students from Margo McBane’s California and Local History classes at San José State University, we were able to form a bilingual research team and tap into their social networks to identify fifteen cannery employees.  Video interviews were conducted in Spanish and in English, with Spanish transcripts translated into English. Many of the workers had retained personal artifacts, along with photos of the workplace, which they shared with us, and we facilitated their donation to History San José.  Over the years, many of these same students that worked this project became the corps of researchers for our later efforts, continuing to work after graduation.    

The insights gained from our research encouraged us to revise our project concept, and in 2007 it became the Before Silicon Valley Project: Mexican Agricultural and Cannery Workers in Santa Clara County, 1920-1960, envisioned as a national traveling exhibit with website and online exhibitWe also began to identify several overall themes and an approach that framed the 20th century Mexican American history we were retrieving within recent research in Labor, Women’s, American History, Ethnic Studies and the Long Civil Rights Movement. In 2007, we received $7,500 from the Farrington Historical Foundation to continue collecting and processing Mexican cannery worker interviews.  In 2010, we received a $29,000 Global Institute SJSU Grant that enabled us to further develop the exhibit concept.

Image
sid

In 2011, sponsored by San José State University, and co-directed by Dr. Ann Fountain, professor of World Languages and Literature and Dr. Margo McBane, History lecturer at SJSU, we applied for an $80,000 NEH Planning Grant but received only a $40,000 Grant to design and plan a traveling and online exhibit. This was the first grant from NEH ever received by SJSU0. We then pursued local grants and contracts to make up for the shortfall in the NEH Grant that would  enable us to conduct and process 25 additional oral history interviews based on the new exhibit themes.  During 2011-2012, we received a  $12,000 Castellano Family Foundation grant to continue collecting and processing Mexican agricultural workers oral history interviews. 

 

That same year, The County of Santa Clara contracted Guerra & McBane, LLC to conduct Oral Histories in Support of Cultural Resources Study of Sites Associated with Cesar Chavez National Heritage Trail. We interviewed family and associates of César Chávez in Spanish and in English, and documented the role of Guadalupe Church with Fr. McDonnell Hall as a center for community organizing and training. This research contributed to a proposed National Historic Landmark nomination on César Chávez and agricultural labor rights. 

Image
Sid

Ten years after Suzanne conducted the first study of the Palomar, in 2012, The City of San José contracted Guerra & McBane LLC to research, plan and create an interpretive exhibit to mitigate the demolition of the Palomar Ballroom, listed on the National Register.  Oral history interviews would form the core of our research this time.  Reaching out again to community contacts, we conducted interviews with musicians, singers, band managers, venue managers, entertainment writers and former patrons.  These interviews enabled us to profile the history of the Ballroom as a regional center for social, cultural and political activity, and San José as a regional hub for the Mexican American community in Northern California. 

Image
ballroom
Image
panel

In 2016, local interest in our cannery worker research was growing.  We were asked for 2016 Hispanic Heritage Month to give a talk on San José Mexican Cannery Women at the Eastside Branch of San Jose Public Library.  Over 150 people attended, with one of the attendees asking us to present the same talk for Women’s History Month at the San José Women’s Club Annual Meeting. In 2017 we continued our research and representation back to the community with a California Humanities funded Quick Grant Project Cannery Workers, Cannery Lives Community Conversation for Hispanic Heritage Month.  We had an Oral History/Photo Scan Day in SJSU Special Collections in late September. In early October we represented the oral history information back to the community through Community Conversations held at two branch libraries of San José Public Library.  These Public Programs included a cannery worker panel, a scholar talk and mini-documentary program. Programs were very well attended, with friends and family of interviewees and the general public, and expanded on our network of community contacts.  

After reviewing the original NEH proposal with our advisors in 2014-2016, we did additional research and completely revised our proposal in preparation for applying for an NEH Implementation Grant to create the traveling and online exhibit. After several unsuccessful applications to the NEH Implementation Grant for Museums and Historical organizations, with the offer of Kathryn Blackmer Reyes to host the Website on the AAACNA (Africana, Asian American Chicano, and Native American) Cultural Center web page,  we decided just to pursue an Online Exhibit. In 2019, through the San José Parks Foundation, we then applied for and received $202,000 from the County of Santa Clara’s Historic Grant Program for the bilingual BEFORE SILICON VALLEY PROJECT Website hosted by the SJSU Library.  Further funding from The Silicon Valley Community Foundation and individual donors allowed us to complete the mini-documentaries for the online exhibit.

Image
bike tour

From the beginning of this Project it has been important to us to bring all the information shared with us back to the communities from which it came. Funded by the The San José City Abierto Grant and California Humanities “Humanities for All” Grant,  starting in 2023 we held 6 public programs. To commemorate César Chávez Day, in April through May 2023, with over 300 people attending, we helped to organize a Cannery Worker Commemoration at The Gardner Community Center, in the heart of the Mexican cannery worker neighborhood.   After this success, we held five more Public Programs, attracting over 300 people in total, featuring a similar format:  a Scholar Speaker, a featured Mini-Documentary, and an introduction to the Website.  These public programs covered the topics of “Mexican Civil Rights in the 1950s”, “Mexican Women Cannery Workers”, “Mexican Orchard and Field Workers” and “Mexican Bands and Music, 1920-1960”.  They were held at Mt View Historical Association in collaboration with Los Altos History Museum, The History Center at De Anza College, Gavilan College, and The Fire Hose at History San José sponsored by The La Raza Historical Society.

For Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, attracting over 200 attendees, we held in one day a 10 mile Bicycle History Tour of Mexican Sites in San José as well as a Mexican Tardeada/Family Dance featuring a taco truck and a 15 piece orchestra (with players from the descendants of the original Bernie Fuentes Band).

Directors

Margo McBane, Ph.D. (2007-2024) Project Lead Director: Oral History Supervisor, Mini-Docs Supervisor, Website Supervisor, Online Exhibit Supervisor, Grant Writing Supervisor, Scholar Speaker

Kathryn Blackmer Reyes (2019-2024) Project Co-Director: Library Coordinator, Oral History Translator/Interviewer, Scholar Speaker

Ann Fountain, Ph.D. (2010-2016) Past Project Co-Director:  Grant Writer, Translator

Suzanne Guerra (2007-2024) Project Co-Director: Exhibit Text Co-Writer, Photo Curator, Social Media Historian, Grant Writer, Scholar Speaker

Fernando Pérez (2017-2023) Project Co-Director: Media, Social Media and Video Supervisor

 

Mini-Documentaries

Noah Blough: Sound Consultant

Juan Antonio Cuéllar:  Music Advisor

Suzanne Guerra:  Photo Curator, Editing Advisor, Grant Writer

Barbara McBane, Ph.D.: Editing and Sound Consultant

Margo McBane, Ph.D.: Script writer, Editing Advisor, Grant Writer

Chris Simon: Mini-Documentary Director

 

Oral History/Photo Collection

Robert Baines (2011): Photographer and Photo Editor

Kathryn Blackmer Reyes (2019-2023):  Oral History Interviewer/Translator

Armando Catalan (2011-2022):  Oral History Photographer, Interviewer/Translator/Transcriber, Photo Scanner

Leslie Corona (2020): Oral History Interviewer/Transcriber

Bard Foster (2011):  Videographer

David Foster(2023):  Oral History Photographer

Liliana Francisco (2011):  Oral History Interviewer/Translator, Photo Scanner 

Stephanie Fryslie (2006): Oral History Transcriber 

Andra and Margarita Garcia Villa

Robert Gliner, Ph.D. (2006):  Videographer 

Suzanne Guerra (2006-2023):  Photo Curator, Grant Writer

Yolanda Guerra (2011-2022): Oral History Transcriber/Translator

Andrea García Villa (2011-2021): Videographer, Transcriber/Translator, Photo Editor, Video Editor

Margarita García Villa (2011-2023):  Oral History Interviewer/Translator, Photo Scanner 

Ema Kawamoto (2011-2023):  Videographer,  Video Editor and Producer

Victor Leoza (2011-2023):  DVD Animator, Graphics Designer and Video Producer

Margo McBane, Ph.D. (1970s-2023):  Oral History Coordinator:  Oral History Interviewer, Photo Scanner, Transcriber, Grant Writer 

Guadalupe Ortiz (2020-2022):  Oral History Interviewer/Transcriber/Translator

Yolanda Ortiz (2011-2012): Oral History Interviewer/Translator, Photo Scanner

Fernando Pérez (2017-2023):  Videographer and Editor

Dana Price (2006-2007):  DVD Producer for Del Monte Project

Darby Price, Ph.D. (2006-2007):  Videographer

Joseph Rivera (2006-2008):  Oral History Interviewer/Translator

Mark Robertson (2007):  Oral History Transcriber

Brea Romero (2006-2007): Video editor 

Rick Romero (2006-2017):  Videographer 

Keith Sanders (2011-2012) : Oral History DVD Producer of Santa Clara Parks / Cesar Chavez Contract 

Manuel Santana (2019-2023):  Oral History Interviewer, Photo Scanner, Transcriber/Translator

Richard Scott (2017):  Oral History Videographer and Mini-Documentary Editor for Cannery Public Program 

Onawa Foster Virostko (2007):  Oral History Photographer for Del Monte Project 

David Foster (2021-2023): Photographer

Yolanda Ortiz: Interviewer, Transcriber/Translator

 

Oral History Interviewees:

Adema, Gabriel
Alvarez, Salvador Enrique
Andrade, Mary
Armendariz, Sally
Brooks, Yvonne
Barrientos, Mary
Carmelia, Evelyn
Cervantes, Elia and Trinidad Rodriguez
Cervantes, Elia
Chávez, Fernando
Chávez, Fernando and Paul
Coronado, Rudy
Cortese, Dominic
Cortez, Frank
De La Grande, Trinidad
Díaz, Richard and Elvira
Duran, Sid
Evans, Harry
Flores, Enedina
Flores, Rose
Gallegos, Herman 
Gomez, Godofredo
González, Guadalupe
González, Mary
Gutiérrez, Elida
Healey, Dorothy
Jones, Angela Lopez
Lopez, Bertha and Jesus
Lopez, Victor
Maldenado, Arbelina
Medina, Rita Chavez
Medina, Rudolfo Chavez
Mendoza, Nellie
Mireles, Irma
Montoya, Jose
Mosqueda, Basilio
Munoz, Albert
Nicholas, Elizabeth
Nunez, Hope and Jose
Mendoza, Nellie
Pantoja, Jose
Pérez, John
Pérez, Rachel
Pérez, Socorro
Reyes, Mary Lou
Rivera, Jose
Rocha, Teresa
Rodriguez, Consuelo
Ross, Fred, Sr.
Rodriguez, Mary Ellen
Rosendin, Henry “Hank”
Sanchez, Beatrice and Julian
Sanchez, Fred
Shanrock, Clay
Tenes, Lily
Tenes, Lily and Rudolfo
Vásquez, Richard 
Villareal, Carmen “Queenie”
Villareal, Leandro and Herminia
Wells, Frances Pacheco
Zamora, John

 

Project Advisors:

Dr. Hal Baron, Ph.D. (2010-2011):  Professor, Emeritus, Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and The Arts, Harvey Mudd College

Dr. Magdalena L. Barrera, Ph.D. (2010-2016): Vice Provost for Faculty Success, SJSU

Dr. Manolo Callahan, Ph.D. (2016): Adjunct Faculty, St. Mary’s College of California

Dr. Alberto Camarillo, Ph.D. (2010-2016): Leon Sloss Jr. Memorial Professor, Emeritus, Stanford University

Dr. Julia E. Curry Rodíiguez, Ph.D. (2014-2023): Professor, Mexican American Studies, SJSU

Dr. Lori Flores, Ph.D. (2016): Associate Professor, History, Stony Brook University

Dr. Gilbert Gonzalez, Ph.D. (2010-2016): Professor, Emeritus, History Department, U.C. Irvine

Theresa Handley (2010-2014):  Retired Director, Ontario Museum of History and Art

Dr. Francisco Jimenez, Ph.D. (2010-2016):  Fay Boyle Professor, Emeritus, Department of Modern Language and Literature, University of Santa Clara 

Dr. David Kahn, Ph.D. (2014-2016): Professor, Emeritus, Radio, Television, Film and Theater, SJSU 

Dr. Glenna Matthews, Ph.D. (2010-2023):  Independent Historian

Dr. Gregorio Mora-Torres, Ph.D. (2020-2023): Mexican American and Planning Lecturer, Emeritus, San Jose State University

Dr. Stephen Pitti, Ph.D. (2010-2023): Professor of History and American Studies; Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Migration, Yale University  

Dr. Vicki Ruiz, Ph.D. (2011-2016): Distinguished Professor of History and Chicano/Latino Studies, Emerita, UC Irvine

Dr. George Sanchez, Ph.D. (2010-2011): Director of the Center for Diversity and Democracy and Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, Emeritus, University of Southern California

Josie Talamantez (2010-2014): Retired Chief of Programs and Legislative Liaison, California Arts Council

Dr. Gabriel Thompson, Ph.D. (2016): Independent Scholar

Luiz Valdez (2010-2016):  Independent Screenwriter, Director of Teatro Campesino and Professor, Emeritus, California State University Monterey Bay

 

Public Programming: 

Adrian Avila:  Poster/Flyer Graphics Designer

Kathryn Blackmer Reyes: Program MC

Armando Catalan:  Program Speaker

Leslie Corona:  Program Assistant

David Foster:  Photographer

Margarita Garcia Villa:  Program MC

Salvador Gurrola, Jr: Photographer

Michael Lara: Program Assistant (Edit and Insert video on why he is involved in the project)

Fernando Perez: Public Programming Co-Coordinator, Videographer, Grant Writer

Manuel Santana: Program MC

Richard Scott: Videographer

Jack Surmani: Videographer

Carlos Velazquez:  Program MC (Insert Social Media video on why he is involved in the project)

Daniel Zapien: Photographer 

 

Scholar Talks:

Kathryn Blackmer Reyes: Scholar Speaker

Juan Antonio Cuellar: Scholar Speaker

Alberto García, Ph.D.: Scholar Speaker

Suzanne Guerra: Scholar Speaker

Glenna Matthews, Ph.D.: Scholar Speaker

Margo McBane, Ph.D.:  Interviewer, Text Editor, Scholar Speaker

Gregorio Mora-Torres, Ph.D.: Scholar Speaker

Fernando Perez: Videographer, Video Editor, Titler

Matthew Perry: Scholar Speaker

Julia Rodriguez Curry, Ph.D.: Scholar Speaker

 

Social Media:

Suzanne Guerra:  Photo Curator and History Advisor

Jeremiah Haze:  Social Media Content Poster

Margarita Garcia Villa: Social Media Content Writer and Content Poster

Carlos Velazquez:  Social Media Coordinator:  Content Writer and Poster

 

Website

Adrian Avila: Website Graphics Designer, Engineer and Builder

Kathryn Blackmer-Reyes:  Liaison Between SJSU Library and Project

Susan Doniger:  Website Text Editor, Website Advisor

Suzanne Guerra: Website Text Writer, Photo Curator, Social Media History Advisor Grant Writer

Margo McBane, Ph.D: Website Text Writer, Photo Curator, Additional Online Information Coordinator, Grant Writer, Public 

Fernando Perez: Website Builder, Media (Scholar Talk Director/Editor, Mini-Documentary Editor) and Website Coordinator

Jean Shiota:  Website Photo Editor, Website Advisor, Scholar Talk Editor for Media Page

SJSU Library Employees: Laurel Eby, Web Services Librarian; Lyna Nguyen, Website and Applications Administrator; Nick Szydlowski, Digital Scholarship Librarian

Karen Warren:  Website Text Editor