Since the founding of California's El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe in 1777, people of Mexican ancestry have contributed to make San Jose a rich cultural, political, and economic epicenter. Mexican miners who worked in the local mines helped San Jose become one of the top mercury producers in the world. In the 20th century, Mexicans labored in the "Valley of Heart's Delight," as the Santa Clara Valley region was called, picking, canning, drying, and packaging fruits and vegetables for America's dinner table. They paid homage to their cultural heritage as they formed ballet folklorico...