Pio Pico: California's Black, Native American & Mexican Governor July 31, 2010

Enjoy an exciting, free lecture by Fruitvale's own Professor Carlos Salomon! Salomon is an Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies and Director of the Latin American Studies Program at California State University, East Bay. The subject of his talk will be his new biography, Pio Pico: The Last Governor of Mexican California.

Free refreshments will be catered by Dominica Rice, Private Chef. The event will take place in Peralta Hacienda Historical Park's new Center for History and Community, a gathering place in the heart of the Fruitvale neighborhood. A discussion of Pio Pico - whose ethnic roots spanned Africa, the Americas, and Europe - will inaugerate the Center, which exists to celebrate the achievements and advance the interests of one of America's most diverse communities!

Please RSVP to ensure seating.

More on the Book:

Two-time governor of Alta California and prominent businessman after the U.S. annexation, Pio de Jesus Pico was a politically savvy Californio who thrived in both the Mexican and the American periods. This is the first biography of Pico, whose life vibrantly illustrates the opportunities and risks faced by Mexican Americans in those transitional years.

Carlos Manuel Salomon breathes life into the story of Pico, who--despite his mestizo-black heritage--became one of the wealthiest men in California thanks to real estate holdings and who was the last major Californio political figure with economic clout. Salomon traces Pico's complicated political rise during the Mexican era, leading a revolt against the governor in 1831 that swept him into that office. During his second governorship in 1845 Pico fought in vain to save California from the invading forces of the United States.

Pico is an important transitional figure whose name still resonates in many Southern California locales. His story offers a new view of California history that anticipates a new perspective on the multicultural fabric of the state.

Official Website: http://www.peraltahacienda.org