Before Silicon Valley, a project of San José Parks Foundation, is an oral history-based project that is media driven, providing over 90 media Vimeo clips for public viewing. For the many phases of the Project, we have worked in collaboration with San José State University Library, Arhoolie Foundation and La Raza Historical Society of San José.
SCHOLAR TALKS: We utilized scholar advisors who each gave “Scholar Talks” to provide historical context to the project’s Online Exhibit. Videographer Fernando Julian Perez directed the talks. The “Scholar Talks” are available as “stand-alone” information or as part of the Online Exhibit.
MINI-DOCUMENTARIES: We incorporated parts of the 80 oral history interviews recordings and photographs we collected between 2005 to 2023 into four mini-documentaries to provide overviews for some of the six topics covered in the Online Exhibit. Documentarian Chris Simon edited and directed the mini-documentaries. These mini-documentaries are available as “stand-alone” information or as part of the Online Exhibit.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS: During 2017, to Women’s History Month we held a “Cannery Worker History” talk at Eastside Branch of San José Public Library. To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, we held a “Cannery Work Oral History/Photo Shoot Day” and two Community Conversations on Mexican Cannery Workers at Hillview Branch of San José Public Library and Martin Luther King, Jr Main Branch, San José Public Library. We also conducted a history bus-tour for the California Preservation Society Annual Meeting of Mexican Historic Sites of San José. In 2023, we presented a series of public programs to inform the general public about the Project Website/Online Exhibit. Through funding from The City of San José Abierto Fund and California Humanities, in Spring 2023, to commemorate César Chávez Day, we held a “Cannery Work Commemoration” at The Gardner Center in San José (also funded by San José City Councilman Omar Torres-attracted over 300 attenders). In addition we held Community Conversations throughout Santa Clara County, each attracting approximately 60 attendees: “Cannery Workers, Cannery Lives” featuring Dr. Glenna Matthews, Ph.D. (La Biblioteca Latino Americana Branch, San José Public Library); “Mexican American Civil Rights” featuring Dr. Gregorio Mora-Torres, Ph.D. (The History Center at De Anza College, and Mt. View Historical Society/Los Altos Historical Museum); “Mexican Migrant Work and The Bracero Program” featuring Dr. Alberto Garcia, Ph.D. (Gavilan College); and “Mexican Music and Bands” featuring Juan Antonio Cuellar, Curator at Arhoolie Foundation (La Raza Historical Society, History Parks, San José, CA). In Fall 2023, funded by California Humanities for Latino Heritage Month, we sponsored a 10 mile bike ride of Mexican-Related Historic Sites and a Tardeada (at the Roosevelt Community Center, San José, CA) featuring The Bernie Fuentes Orchestra.