Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose celebrates milestone NBC Bay Area [Video]

The Mexican Heritage Plaza, home of the School of Arts and Culture and gateway to East San Jose, is now 25 years old.

As the cultural center marks another milestone, new leadership is taking it to the next level.

The center sits on six acres on the same property where Cesar Chavez held his first grape boycott outside the old Safeway. Now it’s home to a slew of community programs, including free or low-cost music and art classes for children.

Pete Carrillo and Fernando Zazueta were part of a team that founded the plaza 25 years ago. They had to fight skeptics, their own community members and some inside city hall who didn’t believe such a center should be on the east side.

“There’s no way to describe the pride that we all feel for what we ultimately achieved,” Zazueta said.

It would eventually become the first redevelopment project outside …