Alum Rock () is a district of

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

, located in

East San Jose East San Jose (abbreviated as ESJ), commonly called The East Side and less commonly as the East Valley, is the eastern region of the city of San Jose, California. The East Side is made up of numerous neighborhoods grouped into two larger distric ...

. Formerly an independent town, it is now a neighborhood of San Jose, though some portions are still unincorporated as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

. Alum Rock is one of San Jose's most notable and historic

Chicano Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

Mexican-American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

districts. It is home to

Alum Rock Park Alum Rock Park, in the Alum Rock district of San Jose, California, is California's oldest municipal park, established in 1872 but serving as public land since the pueblo was established in 1777. Located in a valley in the Diablo Range foothills ...

, the oldest municipal park in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and one of the largest in the country.

History

Alum Rock was named after a rock formerly thought to be composed of

alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double sulfate salt of aluminium with the general formula , where is a monovalent cation such as potassium or ammonium. By itself, "alum" often refers to potassium alum, with the ...

in nearby

. In the 19th century and early 20th century Alum Rock was mostly fruit orchard land. During the 1940s and 1950s, developers began building housing and formed the community of Alum Rock. During that time, Alum Rock Avenue and a passenger railroad passed through the town on the way to

. In the 1980s and 1990s, the neighborhood became older and increasingly populated with Latino immigrants as "

white flight White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...

" affected the area of

. Today, Alum Rock remains a distinct community separated from the rest of San Jose. The magnitude 5.6 Alum Rock earthquake occurred just northeast of the community on October 30, 2007, the strongest to hit the region since the

1989 Loma Prieta earthquake The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of t ...

. No significant damage or injuries were reported.

Geography

Alum Rock is a vast district of

, made up of numerous smaller neighborhoods. Neighborhoods include Little Portugal,

Little Saigon Little Saigon ( vi, Sài Gòn nhỏ or Tiểu Sài Gòn) is a name given to ethnic enclaves of expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. Alternate names include Little Vietnam and Little Hanoi (mainly in historically communist ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world ...

, King & Story, East Foothills, Alum Rock Village, Mount Pleasant, among others. Alum Rock is located north of the

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

district, south of the Berryessa district, and east of

Downtown San Jose Downtown San Jose is the central business district of San Jose, California. Downtown is one of the largest tech clusters in Silicon Valley, as well as the cultural and political center of San Jose. History The town was first settled in 1777. T ...

. Alum Rock is bound by the

Diablo Range The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley ...

to the east, Coyote Creek to the west, Mabury Road to the north and Ocala Avenue to the south.

Demographics

Mexican_Heritage_Plaza,_San_Jose_(cropped)

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

reported that Alum Rock had a population of 15,536. The population density was . The racial makeup of Alum Rock was 6,581 (42.4%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 207 (1.3%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 298 (1.9%) Native American, 2,039 (13.1%) Asian, 70 (0.5%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 5,466 (35.2%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 875 (5.6%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 10,977 persons (70.7%). The Census reported that 15,364 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 66 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 106 (0.7%) were institutionalized. There were 3,686 households, out of which 1,895 (51.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,064 (56.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 621 (16.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 335 (9.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 241 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 23 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 444 households (12.0%) were made up of individuals, and 181 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.17. There were 3,020 families (81.9% of all households); the average family size was 4.33. The population was spread out, with 4,383 people (28.2%) under the age of 18, 1,709 people (11.0%) aged 18 to 24, 4,708 people (30.3%) aged 25 to 44, 3,345 people (21.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,391 people (9.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males. There were 3,863 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,393 (64.9%) were owner-occupied, and 1,293 (35.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%. 9,541 people (61.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,823 people (37.5%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

Alum Rock, San Jose, CA, USA - panoramio (4)

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 13,479 people, 3,345 households, and 2,736 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 3,411 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 44.14%

, 2.23%

, 1.71% Native American, 8.70% Asian, 0.39%

, 36.89% from

, and 5.94% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 66.99% of the population. There were 3,345 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.98 and the average family size was 4.17. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,567, and the median income for a family was $53,872. Males had a median income of $31,485 versus $28,154 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $15,359. About 8.2% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Alum Rock Branch, San Jose Public Library

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legislatu ...

, Alum Rock is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Alum Rock is in . Regarding

San Jose City Council The San Jose City Council, officially San José City Council, is the legislature of the government of the City of San Jose, California. As the Mayor of San Jose, Sam Liccardo casts the 11th vote on matters before the council and acts as chair ...

, most of Alum Rock falls inside of District 5, represented by Magdalena Carrasco, though small portions are inside of District 7 and District 4.

Education

Alum Rock is served by the Alum Rock Union School District for elementary and middle school, while high schools are served by the East Side Union High School District. Schools in Alum Rock include: *

James Lick High School James Lick High School is a public high school in San Jose, California, US, located in the Alum Rock district of East San Jose. The school is part of the East Side Union High School District. History James Lick High School opened in 1950 at t ...

* Mt. Pleasant High School * William C. Overfelt High School * Joseph George Middle School * César Chávez Elementary School * San Antonio Elementary School * Dorsa Elementary School * Sheppard Middle School * McCollam Elementary School * Escuela Popular - Spanish/English dual immersion school

Parks and plazas

Parks in the Alum Rock district include: *

*Cimarrón Park *Delano Manongs Park *

Emma Prusch Farm Park Emma Prusch Farm Park is a 43.5 acre (176,000 m²) park in East San Jose, California. Donated by Emma Prusch to the City of San Jose in 1962 to use to demonstrate the valley's agricultural past, it includes a 4-H barn (the largest in San Jose), com ...

Overfelt Gardens Overfelt Gardens are a park in San Jose, California, located in the Alum Rock district of East San Jose. History The land for the park was donated by Mildred Overfelt in 1959, in memory of her parents, William and Mary Overfelt, early San Jose ...

(including the

Chinese Cultural Garden The Chinese Cultural Garden is a section of Overfelt Gardens, in San Jose, California, located in East San Jose. The addition of the Chinese Cultural Garden to Overfelt is primarily the work of Chinese immigrant Frank Lowe, his wife Pauline (who s ...

) *

Park *Plata Arroyo Park *Zolezzi Park

Transportation

The

Alum Rock Transit Center Alum Rock Transit Center (or simply Alum Rock Station) is an at-grade intermodal transit center located at the intersection of South Capitol Avenue and Nuestra Castillo Court in the Alum Rock district of San Jose, California. The light rail s ...

is an important transit center for East San Jose, operated by the Valley Transportation Authority. It is serviced by bus and light rail.

VTA light rail VTA Light Rail is a light rail system in San Jose and nearby cities in Santa Clara County, California. It is operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or VTA, and consists of of network comprising three main lines on stand ...

stations along Capitol Expressway within Alum Rock: * McKee station * Alum Rock station Penitencia Creek station is located right at the border of Alum Rock and Berryessa. The Eastridge Expansion of the VTA light rail plans the construction of another light rail station at Story Road and Capitol Expressway. Both the

Bayshore Freeway The Bayshore Freeway is a part of U.S. Route 101 (US 101) in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It runs along the west shore of the San Francisco Bay, connecting San Jose with San Francisco. Within the city of San Fran ...

(US-101) and the Sinclair Freeway (I-680) pass through Alum Rock.

Gallery

File:Los Delicios in Downtown Alum Rock 0664.jpg, Mexican restaurant in Alum Rock Village File:Alum Rock station of the SJ Fire Department 2.jpg, Station 2 of the

San Jose Fire Department The San Jose Fire Department (SJFD) provides firefighting, rescue and emergency medical services to the city of San Jose, California, United States. The San Jose Fire Department protects the third largest city in California (after Los Angeles and ...

File:Alum Rock Mural (cropped).jpg, Alum Rock community mural File:Downtown Alum Rock 0666 (cropped).jpg, Alum Rock Village File:Baton Rouge Drive in the Alum Rock District of East San Jose 3660 (cropped).jpg, Townhomes on Baton Rouge Drive File:Alum Rock Transit Center 1881 06 (cropped).JPG,

References

External links

Alum Rock branch of the San Jose Public Library systemCity of San Jose, Council District 5
{{authority control Census-designated places in Santa Clara County, California Neighborhoods in San Jose, California Census-designated places in California Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California