San Jose’s Raza community has a rich history and tradition of impactful community organizing that goes back to the 1950s and the founding of the local chapter of The Community Service Organization led by Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Blanca Alvarado, and many others.

The emergence of United People Arriba and La Confederacion de La Raza Unida led by Ernestina Garcia, Sofia Mendoza, Rachel Silva and Joaquin Brito in the ’60s led to further political and economic empowerment, culminating in today having 5 members of La Raza, including three women, serving on the San Jose City Council.

One activist who remains on the front lines is Danny Garza who can be described as a gadfly: “a person who interferes with the status quo.” Whether the issue is environmental racism, quality of life issues, economic development, gang problems or a host of other issues, Danny is the champion of East Side neighborhood associations in the Plata Arroyo, Cassell and Mayfair areas, people who live like the residents of Sal Si Puedes (get out if you can) barrio did 60 years ago:  unequal, forgotten and invisible.

Danny possesses the energy, enthusiasm, and a sense of righteous indignation that calls to mind the line in the Teddy Pendergrass song “Wake Up Everybody”:  “ The World won’t get no better if you let it be.  Wake Up, Everybody!”

Charley Trujillo was raised in Corcoran, in a typical Latino farm working for the family. Charley Trujillo worked in the fields with his family and attended Corcoran High school. Growing up in the 1960s he endured  Corporal Punishment from the educators for speaking Spanish in the classroom. He faced discrimination in school and out of this family and fellow Chicanos. The segregation was emotionally damaging; however, it helped Charley preserve his Hispanic culture despite being a second-generation Latino.

Two weeks after graduating from Corcoran high school in 1968, Charley Trujillo enlisted in the U.S. Army. Charley was not drafted, he chose to sign up for the army for the experience and to mature out of his hometown. He served in Germany as an infantryman in 1969. From there he volunteered for Vietnam. He served there as a sergeant in the infantry, earning both a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal. During his time in Vietnam, a piece of shrapnel landed in his right eye destroying his eye and making him a Disabled War Veteran. He served the U.S. Army from 1968 until 1970.

(bio info gathered form Charley Trujillo’s Wikipedia page, see link below)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Trujillo

Tony’s life journey began in La Isla del Encanto, known to most people as Puerto Rico or Borinquén, what the Taino, the indigenous people of the island called their beautiful island.

While the island is indeed encanto or enchanted, the lives of the people has always been a hard life, characterized by economic exploitation and the marginalization of the people of the island so that the rich American corporations could reap profits and exploit the land and the people.

Tony’s sense of social injustice was with him at an early age and he carried it with him as his family migrated to New York City, where he experienced ongoing discrimination as he grew up.

As Tony grew into young adulthood he realized that he needed to make a huge life change, so he signed up for Job Corps and west to the Bay area where he went through the Job Corps program and was asked to consider college, which he initially found to be a daunting task.

Tony’s family eventually moved to San Jose and the family settled into the Sal Si Puedes neighborhood, where they again lived a life full of discrimination and limited educational and economic opportunity.

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Bill Ramos, Chicano holy man and mentor to the youth of East San Jose and Aztlan

Bill “El Mosco” Ramos, whose spirituality has given him the wisdom and knowledge of his Native American and Chicano ancestry to serve the needs of San Jose’s Chicano youth during the turbulent 60’s through today from his spiritual compound in Ripon Calif, just outside of Modesto.

Driving his yellow school bus, The Mosquitos East Side Action Club transported at-risk youth on field trips and outings while building their self-esteem through long-distance running events.

His work with Dennis Banks, the Lakota activist and leader of AIM, The American Indian Movement, resulted in Bill becoming the leader of the annual 500 mile spiritual run, beginning in 1980 to this day.

Bill is what the Lakota call a wichasa wakan or holy man who continues his spiritual quest by serving the needs of at-risk youth from his headquarters in Ripon.

As a young boy growing up in Depression-era New York City, Fred Hirsch knew racism and discrimination because of his Jewish background.  Beatings, name-calling and harassment created a sense of social justice that he brought with him when he moved to San Jose in the 60’s.

As an active union man, Fred met Chicano activists who successfully addressed police brutality, education reform, health care issues and voting rights for San Jose’s Chicano community in Sal Si Puedes and other barrios.

Taking his organizing skills to the grape fields of Delano, Fred became a trusted adviser and organizer for Cesar Chavez and the United farm Workers Union, going from the urban civil rights battlefields of San Jose to the grape fields of Delano and the Central Valley.

Fred Hirsch is what Jewish people call a mensch, a person of integrity and honor, a human being whose sense of righteous anger made him a beloved figure in Raza communities throughout California and beyond.

Raza Voz and Karl Soltero having a conversation with Teresa Castellanos and Ketzal Gomez, a mother and daughter’s two generations of  social  justice activism. How Teresa has witnessed the  the social justice movement and the changes and evolution of the Mexican-American experience and Raza in general in the USA and particularly in California. And how a new activist, Ketzal Gomez, a member of the new generation called  LATINX is following in her mother’s footsteps with  her commitment to social justice.

Future conversations will continue to focus on themes involving social justice, particularly because of the political climate that we live in today.  Raza Voz feels it is critically important to mobilize Raza to participate in our civic duty by joining community and civic organizations, voting and becoming aware of the issues that are negatively affecting the quality of life of Raza and all citizens.