Mexican Heritage Corporation of San José ABOUT US

The Mexican Heritage Corporation of San José (MHC) is committed to community revitalization through the arts. We are building the Mexican Heritage Plaza/Centro Cultural de San José California, a home for art, music, and theater.

MHC was founded in 1988 by Fernando Zazueta, a prominent local attorney, City Councilmember Blanca Alvarado (now a Santa Clara County Supervisor and former Vice Mayor), and a group of community leaders who felt that Mexican-American culture was sorely misunderstood or misrepresented. Zazueta has been chairperson of the Mexican Heritage Corporation board since the founding.

In addition, our multi-million dollar Mexican Heritage Plaza/Centro Cultural de San José, in the heart of San José's oldest and largest Mexican-American community, will:

Capture the spirit of the Mexican-American community
Create a "gateway" to East San Jose and enhance the Alum
Rock business district
Establish a "landmark" gathering place
Provide a center for learning about history and culture
Create an arts workshop environment that invites artists, students, and audiences to actively participate in the visual, performing, and literary arts
Complement neighboring schools by providing educational opportunities

The San José Redevelopment Agency has committed $27 million to the Mexican Heritage Plaza (MHP). MHC has raised an additional $3 million towards operation, design, and construction.

The Resident Arts Partners will provide programming in the 500-seat state-of-the-art theater. These Partners will maintain office and performance space in the MHP&P when it opens in 1999. Our art gallery and theater will present the work of artists from around the nation. We plan to be a cultural home for the community---a place for weddings, reunions, for public celebration of all kinds.

We've already launched a successful education and concert program, the annual San José International Mariachi Festival and Conference . Every July, we teach hundreds of children and adults the music and dance that originated in western Mexico. The public is invited to our Mariachi Concerts featuring world-renowned musicians, a splendid Mariachi Mass and Procession on Sunday and an outdoor Mariachi Festival in San José's Guadalupe River Park.

Our vision extends well past the boundaries of East San José. The Mexican Cultural Heritage Gardens and Plaza will become a destination for everyone who lives in or visits the Bay Area.

BOARD MEMBERS

FERNANDO ROCHIN ZAZUETA, CHAIRPERSON
Attorney at Law

VICTOR GARZA, VICE CHAIR
Santa Clara County Veterans Services

JOE COTO, SECRETARY
Superintendent, Eastside Union High School District

RICHARD ALEJANDRO, TREASURER
Controller, Silver Creek Valley Country Club

SYLVIA CARRILLO
Human Resources Specialist,
Aptech Engineering Service Company

VAL DELEON
Account Agency, Allstate Insurance

MARGIE GAETA
Manager, Los Danzantes de San José

MARCE MORA
Santa Clara County Social Services

TOM ESTRADA
Vice President, (retired) Rudolph & Sletten Construction

JOSE R. VILLARREAL
Attorney-at-Law, Public Defender, Santa Clara County

DAN PEREZ
Corporate Vice President Solectron Corporation