Ancestral Voices Exploring Our Cultural History Our Next Speaker Program Local History Links Local Ethnic Heritage Links Speaker Program Archive

Celebrate South County and its rich cultural heritage:

Ancestral Voices is a new lecture series that presents the best regional experts on local history and ethnic heritage to audiences at Gilroy Public Library.

Lectures take place on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m., with dates as listed below. Programs are free and all are welcome. Meetings take place at Gilroy Library, located at 7387 Rosanna Street (corner of 6th and Rosanna), in Gilroy, California.

Tea and coffee are provided, donations of cookies and other refreshments are appreciated!

Need more information? Have a suggestion for a lecture topic?

Please call Catherine Denise Alexander at (408) 842-8208 ext. 3413, for information and suggestions.

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Our Next Speaker Program

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Traditional Mexican Dolls and Children's Books From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Reymundo Espinoza (Date and Time: TBA) Back to Top

 

Links to Local History

Gilroy History:

• Gilroy History from the City of Gilroy Web site.
• Gilroy Museum information and hours.

Santa Clara County Diversity:

• Electronic Resources on Diversity, a series of links provided by Santa Clara University.
• San Jose Ethnic Groups: links to area ethnic organizations provided by SanJose.com.

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Local Ethnic Heritage Links

African American Culture:

• The Inez C. Jackson Historical Library has over 5000 volumes, as well as periodicals that primarily focus on African American history. This collection is the largest in the Santa Clara County and is open to the public.
• Capoiera of San Jose presents an interesting history of this martial arts dance form, which is set to Berimbau music, with Portuguese and Brazilian overtones.
  

Celtic Culture:

• Bay Area Celtic Resources: a site prepared by Rowan Fairgrove.
• The Caledonian Club of San Francisco provides links to all Highland Games in the area. (Click on "Scottish Links" on their home page)
• The Celtic Society of Monterey offers links to musical events and programs.

Chinese American Culture:

• The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project promotes and preserves Chinese American and Chinese history and culture in Santa Clara County.

Italian American Culture:

• The Italian American Heritage Foundation lists events in the San Jose area and a comprehensive list of Italian American resource links.

Japanese American Culture:

• Japanese American Internment in Santa Clara Valley, a special On-line Exhibit produced by Santa Clara University and on display at the Japanese American Resource Center in San Jose.
• The Japanese American Museum of San Jose has links to local events and programs.
• The Japanese American Resource Center in San Jose supports events and programs and is located in San Jose's historic Japantown area.

Jewish American Culture:

• San Jose Jewish Community: an article by Dan Pulcrano, from the March 12, 1998 issue of Metro, that talks about the history of this group in the San Jose area.

Latino American Culture:

• Community Latino Organizations, provided by Latin Bay Area online.
• Latino Heritage Resources from KQED-TV (bilingual).

Native American Culture:

• The American Indian Center of Santa Clara Valley also has a library, story times, and other resources.

Polish American Culture:

• Polonia San Francisco offers links to Bay Area Polish American events and culture in its online Calendar.

Portuguese American Culture:

• The I.F.D.E.S. Portuguese Hall of Gilroy site presents a history of the Portuguese in Gilroy, as well as a calendar with Gilroy events open to the public. They also offer a page of links to Festas (Portuguese festivals), Portuguese radio, and information about the Azores and Portugal.
• The Portuguese Historical Museum is sponsored by the Portuguese Heritage Society of California, with offices in San Jose.
• The Portuguese Band of San Jose was founded at Five Wounds Portuguese National Church in San Jose, which is considered to be the heart of the Portuguese community in Silicon Valley.

Vietnamese American Culture:

• Vietnamese American Cultural and Social Council (VACSC), promotes the social, economic and cultural advancement of the Vietnamese American Community in Santa Clara County.

Speaker Programs Archive

• Michelle Adams and Gilroy teens from "No Limit:" A slide presentation on building homes for the needy in Mexico.
• Condors in the Bay Area: Alive and Well: Rangers from Pinnacles National Monument
  with a slide-talk on the sucessful efforts to keep this species thriving in California.
• GhostTrackers: Gloria Young Author of: There are no Ghosts in Santa Clara County. Spoof or Proof? Paranormal activity in Santa Clara County.
• Mas Hashimoto: Japanese Internment:Local impact on Japanese American Citizens, Courtesy of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL.

• The Outhouse Archaeologist, Mark Huddleston: Gilroy History From the Bottom Up.
  A special talk focusing on the astonishing wealth of hidden artifacts unearthed from Gilroy's past.

• Huichol Indian Art & Storytelling: Modesto Rivera Lemus, Folkteller & Artist/Illustrator;
  Bonnie Larson, Writer

• Kristiane McKee Maas: Wives and Widows: Wedding Gowns & Mourning Dresses.Victorian Vintage Clothing and a Victorian High Tea, with Victorian Roses on Display. Also, A Victorian New Year: Gowns and Traditions, featuring historical clothing, accessories, and anecdotes on the Victorian holiday season.
• Pat Decker Nipper: Nez Perce oral history: Love on the Lewis and Clark Trail. Learn more about Pat Decker Nipper at http://www.PatDeckerNipper.com.
• Bob Pearl: The Appalachian Cowboy on Cowboy Poetry and Storytelling
• Quang X Pham: A Sense of Duty: My Father, My American Journey. Stories of the Vietnamese who came to the U.S. after the end of the war in 1975.

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