For Sandy Del Rio, making an alebrije has felt a little like returning to her family’s kitchen table. Del Rio, who was born and raised in San Jose, is one of about 20 residents who participated in a free four-part workshop by Teatro Vision, where participants learned about alebrijes and created their own papier-mâché creatures....
ICE observer sues after being handcuffed in San Jose
It never crossed former San Jose resident Yesenia Campos’ mind she would be detained by federal immigration agents for recording activity from a distance. On Oct. 30, 2025, Campos was notified of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity at the South San Jose field office, where immigrants periodically check-in for compliance. She immediately drove...
San Jose conference highlights digital divide facing Latinos
As artificial intelligence reshapes Silicon Valley, Latino leaders are pushing for a bigger role in deciding who benefits from the technology and who might get left behind. That question was at the center of a two-day conference in San Jose, hosted by the New York-based Hispanic Federation, which brought together nonprofit leaders and community advocates...
Fourth annual Lowrider Day returns to downtown San Jose
Lowriders will cruise into downtown San Jose this weekend, bringing a piece of East San Jose’s Chicano culture to City Hall for an afternoon of custom cars, music and celebration. San Jose Lowrider Day returns Sunday for its fourth year, marking the anniversary of the City Council’s decision to repeal a decades-old cruising ban. The celebration...
San Jose event celebrates Chicano identity and history
For some Mexican Americans, identifying as Chicano means carrying the history of a civil rights movement that challenged war, discrimination and police brutality. For others, it is a way to reconnect with Indigenous roots, honor family histories and build solidarity with their communities. Multiple generations of San Jose residents reflected on what the identity means...
San Jose officials to weigh new name for downtown plaza
A name change for one of downtown San Jose’s most recognizable public gathering places is moving closer to a decision, after thousands of residents weighed in on what the plaza should be called. The Parks and Recreation Commission on Sept. 2 is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council on renaming Plaza de...
San Jose rally to commemorate Chicano history
For more than five decades, an anti-war protest known as the Chicano Moratorium has remained a touchstone for activists who fought for greater recognition, equality and an end to discrimination against their community. This weekend, San Jose organizers will once again bring that history to the city while drawing attention to the federal detention of...
East San Jose mural honors community legends
For Guadalupe Cruz, the new mural in Alum Rock is impossible to miss. She passes it nearly every day on her way through the neighborhood, just minutes from the home where she has lived for decades. The mural, unveiled Thursday, honors three figures with deep ties to East San Jose — Heisman Trophy winner and...
San Jose artist preserves fading Mexican art form
The hummingbird hanging beside 13-year-old Autumn Medina isn’t just another painting. Its purple, blue and green feathers remind her of her grandmother, who loved hummingbirds and whose yard was filled with the tiny birds every summer. The painting is in the style of maque y la laca perfilada, a traditional lacquer art form from the Mexican state...
Annual summer jazz fest returns to downtown San Jose
For years, thousands of music fans have packed the Latin Tropical Stage at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, turning downtown into an open-air dance floor where salsa has long been one of the festival’s defining traditions. Christian Vela, associate artistic director with San Jose Jazz, the nonprofit group that hosts the annual festival, wants to keep...