03/26/2026
Eddie Garcia’s Book Is Here! A Story of Community, History, and Vision
Eddie Garcia’s new book, “Mexican Heritage Plaza: A Symbol of Resilience and Perseverance,” is now available, published by La Raza Historical Society Publications.
($25; cash, credit/debit, or Venmo). Email: [email protected] or Eddie Garcia page
See his video interview at - https://youtu.be/AWM-4zzwT1o?si=wd8p1Y16UNc5vgec
or enter into your search bar - Mexican Heritage Plaza Book by Eddie Chavez 3.21.2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This 17-chapter history offers a powerful account of how the Mexican Heritage Plaza—located at 1700 Alum Rock Avenue in San José—came to life.
The book end in Chapter 17, “9-9-99,” marking September 9, 1999—the day the Plaza was officially dedicated and opened to the public.
While this moment represents the conclusion of the book, Garcia makes clear it is only the beginning of a larger story: the Plaza as a living space where the history of Mexican people in the region continues to be told.
More importantly, Garcia frames the Plaza as a vision for the future—a place meant to inspire younger generations who will carry this history forward, shaping a future we readers will not live to see.
A trained historian from San José State University (Go Spartans y Qué Viva EOP!), Garcia brings both scholarly grounding and community insight to his work.
He reminds readers that history is not only about institutions or events or about our heroes who sometimes fall, but about people—our ancestors, our abuelas and abuelos, and the generations who built today’s Mexican, Latino, and Raza communities.
He tells the story of our ancestors which is 245 years-long.
He begins in Chapter 1, “El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe,” grounding readers in the founding of the region in 1777. Garcia does not romanticize this history. He acknowledges that the original settlement—made up of Spanish soldiers, Indigenous peoples from Mesoamerica, mestizos, and people of African descent and orphans, mostly girls—was established on lands long inhabited by the Ohlone people.
In doing so, he models an honest and inclusive approach to history that educators and community leaders will appreciate.
This book arrives at a critical moment, as public conversations continue to grapple with the stained legacies of recent heroes.
Garcia shifts the focus from individual heroes to the broader Movimiento—the collective struggle for dignity, identity, and self-respect that has defined nearly 250 years of Mexican and Mexican American history in San Jose, the Santa Clara Region and Northern California.
For educators, this book offers a valuable local history resource. For community leaders, it provides a narrative of organizing, perseverance, and cultural affirmation.
And for general readers, it tells a deeply human story of struggle, resilience, and hope.
Ultimately, “Mexican Heritage Plaza: A Symbol of Resilience and Perseverance” is not just about a place—it is about a people, a history still unfolding, and a call to continue moving forward.
Que Vivan los Campesinos!
Que Viva La Causa!
Que Viva La Raza!
And as our Puerto Rican friends say, ‘Palante!
Book Reviewer: Ramon J. Martinez PhD 3/25/2026
See more history at www.larazahs.org and see 300 YouTube videos at RJ Martinez Mexican History Channel.
(Thanks La Raza Historical Society Publications and Thanks for help- Chat GTP).
La Raza Historical Society is an avenue for the preservation of contributions made by La Raza community in the Santa Clara Valley from 1800s to present.
