South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, 2006-2010

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Summary

Creators:
San Jose State University, Special Collections & Archives
Abstract:
The South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, 2006-2010 (bulk 2006) consists of fourteen digital recordings and thirteen transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San José and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Leona Egeland Siadek, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Zoe Lofgren, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Karen Offen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Lee Sturtevant, and Susanne Wilson.
Extent:
4 boxes (2 linear feet)
Language:
English and Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, MSS-2006-06-30, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, 2006-2010 (bulk 2006), consists of fourteen digital recordings and thirteen transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San Jose and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Leone Egeland Siadek, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Zoe Lofgren, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Karen Offen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Lee Sturtevant, and Susanne Wilson. The core collection also includes documentation on the development of the project, research files, oral release forms and other supporting documentation required by the Human Subjects-Institutional Review Board at SJSU.

The project was funded by a CSU Faculty Research Grant from 2005-2006. Danelle Moon, Director at the SJSU Special Collections and Archives, served as the principal investigator for the project. Graduate student assistants, Majorie Bryer, Jane Cooper, Karen Clementi, Amy Fonseca, and Aime McNamara provided research assistance and participated in the interview process. Special Collections staff transcribed the interviews with the exception of Linda LeZotte's transcript, which was funded by the City of San Jose.

Biographical / historical:

The South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project was funded by a CSU Research Grant from 2005-2006. This oral history project resulted in thirteen digital recordings and complete transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San José and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Leona Egeland Siadek, Lee Sturtevant, Susanne Wilson, and Zoe Lofgren.

In this time period, San José and Santa Clara County become known as the "Feminist Capital" of the nation, starting with the mayoral success of Janet Gray Hayes, who became the first elected female mayor in the United States of a city of 500,000. Her political ascendancy represented a watershed for female office holders in the U.S., and this key victory opened a floodgate for female participation in almost every level of California government, from the Mayor's office to the California Assembly, and eventually Congress. As a result Santa Clara County and specifically the city of San Jose became know as the "Feminist Capital of the Nation." This combined with the success of other female candidates across the U.S. led a number of national magazines to run stories on the role of women, feminism, and politics. Time, People, U.S. News and World Report, and even some international papers carried stories highlighting the success of these female candidates. Gray Hayes was featured in a number of articles, alongside Diane Feinstein of San Francisco, Jane Byrne of Chicago, Isabella Cannon of Raleigh, North Carolina, Carole McCellan of Austin, Texas, and Margaret Hance of Phoenix, Arizona. In 1979 the U.S. News and World Report ran a story highlighting the recent victories of women in politics across the U.S. According to this report 750 cities had female mayors out of 18,800 municipalities-women were making clear inroads into politics at all levels. From 1975 to 1979 the number of women in public office increased from 4.7% to 10.9%, with the largest increase at the local and state levels.

These pioneering women worked directly and indirectly for equal rights and equal participation in the political process. Some of them played a key role as the first recognized political figures in San José and the larger Bay Area, while others worked as activists and lobbyist for the Equal Rights Amendment, the environment, civil rights, including outlawing marital and date rape, and reproductive rights. Each narrator was asked to reflect on her political and social experiences from the 1960s to the present, with the objective to document women's experience through the political process, as politicians, and as non-governmental lobbyists and activists. This project provides a deeper understanding of the important role that women have played in Bay Area politics, and will advance historical understanding of the important events, activities, and resulting policies that transformed the political landscape and opened up new opportunities for women, despite the failure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Acquisition information:
This finding aid was created as part of the Survey and Cataloging Project, a two-year San José State University Library grant project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The project began in 2008. The Project Director is Danelle Moon. The Project Archivist is Erin Louthen.
Processing information:
Processed by:
Elizabeth Lopez
Date Completed:
2010
Encoded by:
Elizabeth Lopez
Reviewed by:
Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen

Collection processed and EAD encoded by Elizabeth Lopez. Reviewed by Danelle Moon. Series II added to collection by Victor Rodriguez II, June 2016.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into two series: Series I. Recordings and Transcriptions; and Series II. Interviewee Documentation and Research.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Access to the Donor Agreements in Box 4, Folder is resricted.

Terms of access:

Copyright is 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.

Preferred citation:

South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, MSS-2006-06-30, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Location of this collection:
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0028, US
Contact:
408-808-2062
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Website