In a Word — Hope: The Mexican Heritage Plaza and the Legacy That Refuses to Be Renamed
Part 12: The Epilogue
From Silicon Valley Latino
Over the past 12 weeks we have had the honor of having Eddie García as our guest historian here on Silicon Valley Latino. Twelve chapters of San José history later, Eddie shares the real story that certain historians chose to ignore. We began this series as students of this forgotten San José history and we finish with new knowledge of how, and by whom, this wonderful city was built. In this 12th and final installment of Raíces — Our Story, Our Narrative, Eddie García brings the series home.
We want to hear from you. What did you learn from this series that surprised you most? What was your favorite installment? Share your thoughts in the comments — your voice is part of this story too.
Missed Part 11? Read 9-9-99: The Day San José’s Mexican Community Finally Came Home. Start from the beginning with Part 1: The Prologue.
Author’s Note
I had the privilege of working as a legislative aide in Vice Mayor Blanca Alvarado’s office from September 1993 to December 1994. I was there during a couple of critical years for the MHPG project. My role was to take notes and help organize community support. At the time, I did not understand the Herculean effort required to secure funding to build the Mexican Heritage Plaza. As I delved into the documentary research, this book project became a labor of love and pride.
I appreciate the trust and support that La Raza Historical Society of Silicon Valley bestowed upon me in writing the story. I interviewed many former MHP leaders who were incredibly generous with their time, personal papers, and insight. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at SJSU special collections, Santa Clara County, and City of San José archivists tracked down hard-to-find documents. The interviews and archives brought to life the fight for the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
The research taught me so much about the resilience and perseverance of Silicon Valley’s Latino community. One of my favorite stories, as told to me by Pete Carrillo, was his and Blanca Alvarado’s visit with powerful Congressional Committee Chairman Louis Stokes. They came home with a photo and $1,000,000 dollars. Their work and vision changed forever how Latino community groups can access the halls of power to benefit the community at home.
Today’s excerpt, from the Epilogue of Mexican Heritage Plaza: A Symbol of Resilience and Perseverance, reminds us all of the importance of the MHP’s name and the power of resilience and perseverance that defines Latinos in Silicon Valley. It is the 12th and final installment of SVL’s Raíces — Our Story, Our Narrative series. The book is available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon: amazon.com — Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Mexican Heritage Plaza: A Symbol of Resilience and Perseverance
by Eddie García
Epilogue
Mexican Heritage Corporation (MHC) President Pete Carrillo also made remarks from the podium on the morning of September 9, 1999. Carrillo summarized the day’s sentiment with two sentences: “This cultural center will offer, in a word — hope. It’s not what we did today that will be remembered; it is what we can offer our children in the future, 20-30-40 years from now.” Nearly four decades after the journey began, Pete Carrillo fondly looked back on the long, torturous path to building a cultural center celebrating the city’s Mexican heritage. “I find looking east from the 18th floor of City Hall — the Mexican Heritage Plaza rears its beautiful and prominent glorious face telling us, ‘This building is here to stay, and yes, we are very proud of its name!’”
Six months after the grand opening, Pete Carrillo stepped down to start his own consulting firm. Over the MHPG’s first decade of operation, the MHC experienced several changes in executive and board leadership. By spring 2011, the city decided to seek a new nonprofit organization to operate the Mexican Heritage Plaza. The city council approved an agreement with the School of Arts and Culture (SOAC) to manage the cultural arts complex. Along with the SOAC contract, the city subsidized the complex’s operations and maintenance at $1.65 million annually for the first three years. Through its 10th year of operation, the city continued to subsidize SOAC’s operations and maintenance. The multi-year city subsidy was the catalyst to create a viable and thriving cultural arts center. With secure operations and maintenance funding, SOAC has raised programmatic funds to provide a wide variety of programs, events, and activities at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Nearly 40 years after Blanca Alvarado gathered the small group of civic leaders in accountant Rudy Vargas’ office to discuss the idea of a Mexican heritage garden, Fernando Zazueta raised concerns about SOAC’s apparent campaign to rebrand the center by dropping “Mexican” from the name. It was not the first time someone was misinformed about the history of the MHP’s name and attempted to change it. Criticism about the center’s name had been around as long as the idea itself. Zazueta sent an email to community leaders, elected officials, and the SOAC’s co-executive directors on March 12, 2025. He wrote in part, “the MHC board wanted to keep the reference to our Mexican heritage, and so we called it Mexican Heritage Plaza. The Mexican and Mexican-American communities would appreciate it if you continued to honor our ancestors and our heritage by keeping the original name.”
The burnt-orange bell tower, maize-colored theater, glass-encased pavilion, colorful garden, and broad terracotta plaza sit majestically at a historic East Side intersection, reminding visitors that San José has a vibrant Mexican history shaped by two centuries of resilience and perseverance. Mexicans and Mexican Americans have played a significant role in the social and economic development of the city without the recognition they deserved. A group of Mexican American civic leaders set out to change that. They also changed the way Mexican Americans and Latinos advocate for resources by leveraging political relationships instead of fighting City Hall. The result of their efforts is a symbol of resilience and perseverance — a magnificent cultural center in the heart of a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood.
In a 2026 interview with the author, 94-year-old Blanca Alvarado confirmed the significance of the cultural art center’s name:
“The naming of the Mexican Heritage Plaza was intentional. A culture and an ancestry that had been historically maligned were reclaimed with joy and pride. The founding of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe is now correctly attributed to settlers from México. Therefore, the naming of the Plaza gives honor to a people, with a rich history, who merit recognition and respect. We the People are strengthened when our institutions and society affirm a sense of belonging and identity.” Blanca Alvarado, 2026, age 94
Get the Book
Mexican Heritage Plaza: A Symbol of Resilience and Perseverance by Eddie García is available in paperback and on Kindle.
Purchase on Amazon: amazon.com — Mexican Heritage Plaza
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Also in Raíces — Our Story, Our Narrative
9-9-99: The Day San José’s Mexican Community Finally Came Home
September 9, 1999. The Mexican Heritage Plaza opens its doors. The spirits of 220 years of presence, resilience, and perseverance gather on the balcony. Todos Juntos with the community. Eddie García takes us to the day they all came home. Part 11 of Raíces — Our Story, Our Narrative.
The Dream Comes True: 300 People, 46 Degrees, and Four Decades of Fighting Finally Break Ground
Gun-metal gray skies. Forty-six degrees. Three hundred people huddled together on an open lot in East San José. December 13, 1997. Eddie García takes us to the morning four decades of dreaming finally broke ground. Part 10 of Raíces — Our Story, Our Narrative.
Show Me the Money: How the Mexican Heritage Plaza Got Funded Against All Odds
$30,000 from a community appeal. Less than 3% of what was needed. Eddie García documents how community members with persistence, tenacity, and an unshakeable belief took the dream all the way to Congress. Part 9 of Raíces — Our Story, Our Narrative.
Sergio Domeyko
Publisher
Co-Founder, COO & Publisher of Silicon Valley Latino, covering Latino business and culture across the Bay Area and beyond since 2011.