Hispanic Heritage

Morgan Hill’s rich 250-year Hispanic heritage began along the banks of Llagas Creek in 1772, when a Spanish expedition led by Pedro Fages and Father Juan Crespí first set camp. By 1835, after the missions were closed, the territory transitioned under Mexican rule into vast ranchos. Californio pioneer Juan María Hernández was granted the sprawling, two-square-league Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche, the very land where modern Morgan Hill sits.

Across these expansive estates, skilled Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) managed the herds, pioneering the region’s foundational cattle and agricultural economy. These large ranchos were gradually broken up and sold to arriving settlers as Alta California became part of the United States.

By the mid-20th century, the Santa Clara Valley had blossomed into the "Prune Capital of the World." This booming, labor-intensive orchard economy relied heavily on Hispanic agricultural families. Between 1942 and 1964, the federal Bracero Program brought thousands of Mexican agricultural workers to the valley, permanently weaving their roots into the local community.

As the Hispanic community grew, so did its voice. In 1974, Morgan Hill became a flashpoint for the Chicano labor movement when local organizers successfully led a strike of Mexican mushroom workers, securing vital demands for better wages and safer working conditions. Today, that legacy lives on: over 90% of California's agricultural workforce is Latino. In Morgan Hill, these essential workers drive the harvest of everything from strawberries and bell peppers to specialty crops, forming the operational engine of the local farming industry. Over the years, many local Latino farmers have successfully transitioned from seasonal labor to farm ownership, exemplified by operations like the Martinez Family Farms on Fisher Ave.

Behind Morgan Hill’s civic and cultural evolution are pioneering individuals who broke barriers and built local institutions:

• John Moreno: Known affectionately as "the big Spaniard," Moreno joined the police force in 1945 and became Chief of Police in 1950. A true innovator, he modernized the department by starting the police reserves, introducing its first K9 unit, and bringing in its first computer. In 2004, the city named its new police facility the John R. Moreno Police Facility in his honor.

  
  

• Mary Jimenez Pena: The matriarch behind the iconic Sinaloa Café, Mary and her husband Adolfo opened "Club Sinaloa" in 1960. When their original building burned down in 2002, they rebuilt and relocated to Downtown Morgan Hill. In the 1970s, Adolfo’s passion for the charreada (traditional Mexican rodeo) led to the creation of the arena on Condit, still visible from Highway 101.

  
  

• Virginia Mae Days: A hometown trailblazer, Days smashed glass ceilings as Morgan Hill’s first female and first Latina mayor, serving three terms in the 1970s. Her brilliant legal career later led Governor Jerry Brown to appoint her as the first Latina director of CalVet and the first Latina Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County.

  
  

Today, the Hispanic and Latino community makes up roughly 35% of Morgan Hill’s population, helping to drive its civic, cultural, and economic future. It can be seen in government, agriculture, small businesses and local restaurants.  

This vibrant heritage is captured at Galvan Park, where a massive 24-by-10-foot community mural blends traditional Aztec symbols with modern icons of human rights. It can also be found in lively celebrations, such as Cinco de Mayo festivals, mariachi concerts, and historic exhibits. The community's Hispanic spirit remains a vital pillar of the city's identity.

Galvan Park — Community mural blends traditional Aztec symbols with modern icons of human rights.

Sinaloa Café  — 17535 Monterey Rd

John Moreno, Chief of Police 1950-1975