Community members of an East San Jose school district are demanding a trustee repay funds or step down from serving on the board. Alum Rock Union School District parents and advocates are demanding Board Vice President Andres Quintero reimburse funds he received from the district to pay for academic courses to earn his Ph.D. —...
East San Jose school district changes how leaders are elected
An East San Jose school district is changing how and when its board members are elected. The East Side Union High School District board of trustees on Oct. 3 unanimously approved switching from at-large elections to district elections and adopted a final district map. The board also determined what years trustees would be up for...
Damaged East San Jose youth center demolished
A vacant former youth center in East San Jose has been demolished more than a month after a fire halted plans for its restoration. Excavators knocked down what remained of the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) building Saturday, breaking the hearts of community advocates who fought to save it. Trustees with the Alum Rock...
Retired East San Jose advocate leaves lasting legacy
When Rose Amador took over as the director of San Jose nonprofit ConXión to Community 43 years ago, it was a flailing organization on the brink of shutting down. Through Amador’s grit and determination, the organization survived budget deficits, a housing market crash, the pandemic and current grant cuts. Her steady hand helped the nonprofit...
Silicon Valley Latina wage gap worst in nation
Latinas in California experience the greatest wage gap in the nation — and it’s unlikely to change soon with the federal government stripping the country’s social safety net. That doesn’t bode well for Latinas in Santa Clara County who haven’t seen much upward movement in wages over the last few years, despite having the largest...
San Jose path could be renamed for Filipino labor leader
A group of San Jose Filipino residents want to ensure their contributions to the labor movement won’t be forgotten. The group is pushing to rename Paseo de San Antonio, a downtown pedestrian walkway, after labor leader Larry Itliong. Itliong was instrumental in fighting for better farmworker rights alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, but isn’t as...
East San Jose community development nets multimillion-dollar grant
Millions of dollars will turn a mostly vacant East San Jose building into a cultural gem. Local advocates describe it as a vital investment to support neighborhoods where some of the city’s most vulnerable residents live. The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza recently received $6 million from the Knight Foundation, a historic...
Meet downtown San Jose’s new City Council team
San Jose’s newest councilman has hired an office staff of fresh faces to restore trust with District 3 residents and bring downtown out of a dark chapter after his predecessor resigned in disgrace. Councilmember Anthony Tordillos has stacked his office with people across a broad range of experience to serve residents seeking help with potholes,...
San Jose ICE arrest prompts calls for better immigrant protections
San Jose officials are calling for stronger protections to immigrant communities after a federal agent in plain clothes arrested a man at an employment center. Rose Amador, retiring CEO of nonprofit ConXión to Community which runs the employment center, said a U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agent walked in Tuesday and identified himself as...
Former East San Jose councilmember seeks her old seat
A former state lawmaker with East San Jose roots plans to run for her previous post on the City Council. Former Assemblymember and District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos announced her campaign Tuesday to retake the council seat in next year’s citywide elections. Campos served on the council from 2001 to 2010 — and was succeeded...