Hispanic Migration History: The History of Students (Descendants) in East San Jose
The Mexican Americans in our community who are called Ohlones descended from interracial marriages between Ohlone natives in the Santa Clara Valley and Spanish colonists starting around 1786. These "mestizos" were accepted in Alta California and were able to hold significant social status. There were also other "castas," mixed blooded members of this small, yet ethnically diverse population who could also enjoy such status such as the "mulatos" who were of Spanish and African heritage. The group known as Californios in our community descended from mestizos around 1820, distinguished by being of the Castillian Spanish blood line. In the nineteenth century, they placed themselves above the rest in Santa Clara Valley, believing in only their group of mestizos and regarded others as a lower class or race. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico lost Alta California to the U.S. in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 defined the line between the U.S. and Mexico. The population south of the border became the ancestors of the early migrants within the group of Mexican Americans now categorized as Mexican. The Mexican American group known as Chicanos is a more historically recent culmination of young people who identified themselves as a political voice speaking out against inequalities since around 1960. The Hispanic population in California also includes those from Central and South America. The 2010 U.S. Census breaks down the classifications of Hispanic or Latino as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or Other Hispanic or Latino that includes Dominican, Central American (countries listed), South American (countries listed), Spaniard, and All Other Hispanic or Latino. 23 San Jose is listed as one of the ten places with the highest number of Hispanics or Latinos in the U.S. Census 2010 records. In our East San Jose community, the Hispanic population is mostly Mexican American and Mexicanos. This population in East San Jose is large and continues to grow, while the largest Vietnamese population in the U.S. is also here in East San Jose.
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