Mexican Businesses in Downtown San José, WWII to 1960 · Before Silicon Valley

Title: Mexican Businesses in Downtown San José, WWII to 1960
Description: Historically, American settlement was concentrated east of the old Pueblo, with new businesses on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Streets. The ethnic Mexican residents of Santa Clara County considered Market Street the line between the American area and the Mexican Downtown Colonia. Restrictive housing policies had created segregated neighborhoods, and it was commonly understood that public accommodations were racially restricted until the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Stores, restaurants, bars, and shops that served Mexican customers were located on Market Street or the portions of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Streets south of Santa Clara Street. On weekends, Mexican workers from across the County congregated to do their weekly shopping, see a movie, or get a haircut. By 1960, Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals comprised one-fourth of Santa Clara County’s population and were a major factor in the regional economy. Urban redevelopment and freeway construction would displace a large number of residents of the Downtown Colonia, contributing to the closure of many Mexican businesses in the area.
Additional Online Information: San José's Downtown Historic District (U.S. National Park Service); Do You Know the Way to San José?" Ethnic Mexicans, Urbanism, Culture, and Politics in Emerging Silicon Valley
Identifier: B4SV Exhibit Topic Four: Slide 014