The Paseo de César Chávez is a

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the '' sidewalk'' in North American English, the ''pavement'' in British En ...

paseo in

Downtown San Jose Downtown San Jose is the central business district of San Jose, California, San Jose, California, United States. Downtown is one of the largest tech Business cluster, clusters in Silicon Valley, as well as the cultural and political center of Sa ...

, spanning across

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

's campus.

History

Paseo de César Chávez was developed from 1994–1996 by

, along with the Paseo de San Carlos and the 9th Street Paseo, as a part of a major campus revitalization plan. The paseo was created by the pedestrianization of San Carlos Street between 4th and 10th Streets. It was named in honor of the famed California civil rights activist

César Chávez Cesario Estrada Chavez (; ; March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Along with Dolores Huerta and lesser known Gilbert Padilla, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), ...

. Paseo de César Chávez was laid out to serve as the primary north-south pedestrian axis through

's campus. Because of the

Diaz Compean Student Union The Diaz Compean Student Union (officially the Ramiro Compean and Lupe Diaz Compean Student Union) is a student center along the Paseo de César Chávez on the campus of San Jose State University, in San Jose, California. Completed in 1969 and re ...

, it has become an important focal point for events and gatherings on the SJSU campus. In 2008, the '' Arch of Dignity, Equality, and Justice,'' a memorial by

Judy Baca Judith Francisca Baca (born September 20, 1946) is an American artist, activist, and professor of Chicano studies, world arts, and cultures based at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the co-founder and artistic director of the ...

to César Chávez, the namesake of the paseo, was unveiled by

Dolores Huerta Dolores Huerta (born April 10, 1930) is an American labor leader and feminist activist. After working for several years with the Community Service Organization (CSO), she co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with fellow activ ...

, noted California civil rights activist and contemporary of Chávez.Spartan Daily - César E. Chávez Monument Unveiled
/ref>

Location

Paseo de César Chávez is located in central

. spanning across

's campus from San Salvador Street in the south to San Fernando Street in the north. It follows the former alignment of 7th Street The paseo intersects the Paseo de San Carlos, the main east-west axis on campus. It is within walking distance of Paseo de San Antonio station and Santa Clara Street station, on the

VTA light rail The VTA light rail system serves San Jose, California, San Jose and nearby cities in Santa Clara County, California. It is operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and has of network comprising three main lines on stan ...

References

{{San Jose State University

Pedestrian malls in the United States Downtown San Jose San Jose State University

History

Location

See also

References