Mexican Heritage Plaza

The Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose offers a variety of community resources to those in the area. The plaza is a museum and cultural center that is located at the corners of Alum Rock and King. It is in the heart of a heavily populated Mexican area in the state that was settled in the mid-19th century. The site used to feature a grocery store that suffered from boycotts organized by Cesar Chavez. Today, the plaza features a classroom space, a theater, an art gallery, a pavilion, and an outdoor square surrounded by gardens. The plaza was designed with a traditional Mexican flavor. Events at the plaza include art exhibits, plays and live performance art, corporate meetings, community events, weddings, birthday celebrations, and plenty of other private and public events. The theater features 500 seats, making it ideal for a variety of performances and shows. Surrounding the plaza is the city of San Jose, which is the third largest city in California. The city was originally a farming city but began to grow and industrialize in the 1950's, following an influx of soldiers returning from World War II. During the 1990's, the city earned the nickname the "Capital of Silicon Valley" due to the technology boom that occurred in the area during that decade.