THE PRE-STORY: SPANISH/MEXICANS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO SOUTH BAY BEFORE 1920 OVERVIEW

Racial attitudes and tensions between different ethnic groups in the Santa Clara Valley began prior to 1920. Since early colonization in 1777, with the establishment of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe and Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and later Mission San José, Hispanics have had a presence in Santa Clara County. Their first encounters with indigenous people were members of the Ohlone tribelet, who were forced laborers on Spanish mission lands. The creation of Mexico in 1821 transformed the lives of native Californians, who joined the rancho labor force to work in the “hide and tallow” trade that lasted until 1848.  

After the Mexican American War (1846-1848), Mexican political, social, and economic power declined, due to the effects of the Gold Rush (1848-1855). Anglo settlers were increasingly aggressive in seeking to acquire land from the Californios. As a result, Mexicans were forced out of political leadership and into wage labor jobs, reduced to living on the margins of American society. 

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