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...
Five finalists for renaming downtown San Jose plaza
San Jose residents suggested more than 600 new names for one of the city’s oldest public spaces. City officials have narrowed the final choices down to five. Officials are asking residents to fill out an online survey ranking the five potential new names for Plaza de César Chávez in downtown. The options are Plaza de...
San Jose stadium to host first live music festival
For more than a decade, PayPal Park has drawn fans for soccer matches, championship games and international tournaments. Next month, the San Jose stadium will welcome a different crowd when thousands of música mexicana fans gather for its first-ever concert. BelicoFest, a festival featuring artists including Tito Double P, Gerardo Ortiz and Santa Fe Klan,...
Silicon Valley immigration advocates say birthright fight isn’t over
For more than a year, immigrant families across Santa Clara County have wondered whether a constitutional right that’s existed for generations would disappear after a Supreme Court ruling. Tuesday’s decision brought relief to many, but advocates said the fight over birthright citizenship is far from over. The U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling rejected...
San Jose residents to help rename Plaza de César Chávez
As San Jose considers a new identity for one of its oldest public spaces, residents are beginning to weigh what — and who — the city’s downtown plaza should represent for generations to come. Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services officials held a Wednesday meeting to kick off plans to rename Plaza de César Chávez, inviting residents...
Santa Clara County looks to fund Latino ‘health promoters’
Latino community health workers in Santa Clara County, known as promotores de salud or “health promoters,” have for years knocked on doors that others couldn’t. Now the county needs them again — and has plans to make them a permanent part of the region’s public health system. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously...
UPDATE: San Jose prepares to strip public tributes to Cesar Chavez
San Jose leaders are advancing plans to start scrubbing late labor leader Cesar Chavez’s name from the city following recent allegations of abuse. The San Jose Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved moving forward with the early stages of taking Chavez’s name off city-owned sites, such as Plaza de Cesar Chavez in...
Silicon Valley social workers meet clients in secret due to ICE fears
As fears of federal agent encounters grow and immigrant families avoid leaving home, workers in Santa Clara County are finding creative ways to meet clients in safe spaces. That community effort has formed an underground support network where social workers who are SEIU 521 union members shift visits to odd hours of the night, connect...
San Jose labor leader’s legacy crushed by ‘painful’ allegations
The San Jose community is grappling with allegations that labor leader Cesar Chavez abused women and children. The claims hit close to home for Northern California’s largest city, which which was home to the late UFW co-founder and civil rights icon. Shocking allegations against Chavez claiming he abused young women and children have drawn condemnation...