Blanca Alvarado

Blanca Alvarado (born 1931) is an American social activist and former politician. She was the first Latina elected to the San Jose City Council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the first Latina to serve as the board's chairperson.

Early life The daughter of a coal miner who was active in the union, she was born in the Colorado mining town of Cokedale. After the mine's closure, the family moved to the Santa Clara Valley in California. She was educated at San Jose High School; after graduating, she married Jose J. Alvarado, a local radio host. The couple divorced in 1968. Alvarado also served in several committees such as the Children and Families' Committee and Public Safety and Justice Committee. She also served as vice-chair of San Jose's Redevelopment Committee, as chair of the Community Services Committee and as city council liaison for the city's Fine Arts Commission. She played a significant role in lobbying for the Hispanic community of the city including improving representation on the city's decision-making bodies and the development of facilities such as a new Youth Center.

Alvarado was also active in efforts to improve Santa Clara County's juvenile detention system. She established an Office of Women's Advocacy for the county to develop programs to help women develop in their professional and personal lives.

Recognition and legacy In 2002, Alvarado was awarded the Woman of the Year Award by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar, an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation, recognizing her contributions as a member of the board for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. In 2005, she was awarded the Ohtli Award by the government of Mexico. Also in 2005, her achievements were recognized in the United States House of Representatives.

Alpha Charter Schools' Blanca Alvarado School in East San Jose was named in her honor.