This collection consists of audio and video tapes and transcripts of interviews with San José area Chicano community leaders and activists. The oral history project was conducted by the Mexican American Studies Program and the Chicano Library Research Center at San José State University, now part of the Cultural Heritage Center.

The Chicano Oral History Collection is the result of a joint project between San José State University's Mexican American Studies Department and the Chicano Library Resource Center (CLRC). Planning for a project to document the experiences and history of Santa Clara County's Chicano community through oral history began in the late 1970s when Dr. Sylvia Gonzales of the CLRC investigated the possibility of starting such a project. In 1985 Dr. Samuel Henry, Affirmative Action Officer at San José State University (SJSU), first proposed an oral history project to the CLRC in order to develop a repository of information on the lives of Chicanos in Northern California; however, due to funding issues the project was not implemented.

6 boxes (2.5 linear feet)

Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Access to the Jose Carrasco and Ernestina Garcia interviews is restricted. Requests for access must be approved by the Director of Special Collections.