A stylish crowd packed into the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose on Saturday night to join La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley for its third annual awards dinner, honoring four community leaders who have contributed to the history of Latinos in the valley.
The honorees were Conxión To Community CEO Rose Amador; Albert Camarillo, a professor emeritus of history at Stanford University; Bob Nuñez, co-chair of La Raza Roundtable de California and a former East Side Union High School District superintendent; and Olga Talamante, vice chair of the board for the Chicano Latina Foundation.
A festive crowd gathered at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose for La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley’s third annual awards dinner on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. The honorees were Rose Amador, Albert Camarillo, Bob Nuñez and Olga Talamante. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
Among the people in attendance were Santa Clara County Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Sylvia Arenas, Santa Clara University Professor Emeritus Francisco Jimenez, La Raza Historical Society co-founder Fernando Zazueta, former state Assembly member Joe Coto, Morgan Hill Assistant City Manager Edith Ramirez, and Bert Garcia, who was the publisher of El Excentrico magazine.
“It’s really important to realize we have a rich history,” said Jesus Orosco, president and executive director of La Raza Historical Society. “We’re here to celebrate both being una familia and we’re also here to recognize some of the people who have achieved great things in our community. … The four people that we honor tonight are proof that ‘sí, se puede.’ “
