César Chávez Day: The Park In Our City’s Heart

Happy Spring, San Jose.

This Monday, we observe and celebrate the birthday of Cesar Chavez on March 31st. 

Dedication of the Plaza

Thirty-one years ago, the city renamed Plaza Park as Plaza De Cesar Chavez.  With the ease of entering an SJPL library card and pin number, millions of San Jose Mercury News articles await to be rediscovered on Newsbank, including the story of the renaming of Market Street's park.  

On October 5th 1993, the San Jose Mercury News reported, "tonight, the San Jose City Council will vote on whether to change the name of the downtown Plaza Park to Plaza de Cesar Chavez.  The arguments against the proposal pale compared with the reasons for honoring in this way the late, much admired farmworker leader and social activist... As a symbol, it fits. Its trees, lawn and that wonderful fountain full of laughing children all speak to Chavez's victories in the hot fields where young children often worked by the thousands to help their families survive."¹  Below is an image from Cesar Chavez's dedication in 1993.  

When San Jose Was Young

The park watched the city grow up around it for 228 years.  According to a 1916 column from the Evening News via Newsbank, the park became the heart of the town in 1797.²  The newspaper once had a recurring column called "When San Jose Was Young," unearthing gems of San Jose history written by an unnamed "Well Known Author and Journalist."

The park had seen San Jose change over from Spain, then Mexico, and ultimately the United States of America.  Below is a map section from the California Room Map collection.  This map was drawn to represent San Jose from the Spanish and Mexican and early American period from 1803-1854. 

 Just five years prior to the renaming of Plaza de Cesar Chavez, the park underwent extensive renovations as shown in the 1988 image below.  

Public Artwork of Cesar Chavez

Chances are if you start in the center of San Jose and head in any direction, you will see a mural or public art depicting Cesar Chavez.  

Further Reading

Looking Back: César Chávez, a Dedicated Life

San Jose Public Library Card holders have access to the San Jose Mercury News online.  Follow this link and enter your SJPL card and pin number to begin.  This database contains articles from as early as 1884 to present, however, for some articles after 1985 there may not be an image of the print edition.  If you would like to view images of the print edition on microfilm for articles after 1985, please visit the California Room on the 5th floor of King Library.

Titles Available in the California Room

• The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: a Biography, by Miriam Pawel
• Cesar Chavez: a Triumph of Spirit, by Richard Griswold
• Remembering Cesar: the Legacy of Cesar Chavez, by Ann McGregor
• The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers Movement, by Susan Ferriss and Ricardo Sandoval
• More materials on César Chávez from the San Jose Public Library catalog
• César Chávez in the California Room Index

Footnotes

1. "IF THE NAME FITS, ADOPT IT RENAME PLAZA PARK, A FITTING TRIBUTE TO CESAR CHAVEZ." San Jose Mercury News (CA), October 5, 1993: 6B. NewsBank: Mercury News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.sjezpt01.sjlibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=news/0EB71BE350B019FF.
2. Evening News (San Jose, California) 67, no. 70, September 20, 1916: Two. NewsBank: Mercury News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.sjezpt01.sjlibrary.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A11342729F00F3900%40EANX-NB-11497C6E0375CDA0%402421127-11497C6E215A2988%401.