John Valdez

Professor Emeritus, John E. Valdez, has taught Chicano in the United States History, Chicano in the United States Political System, and Chicano Literature in the Multicultural Studies Department for 43 years at Palomar Community College in San Marcos, California. He was Chair for 30 years and advisor to the student organization called MEChA throughout his career at Palomar College. John earned three Master’s degree 1) Master’s Equivalency in Comparative Literature from the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 2) Master’s degree from San Diego State University in Language and Policy Studies and 3) Master’s degree from the University of San Diego in International Relations.  

In 2017, he began the Archival Reservation Project dedicated to preserving all relevant educational documents from his archives by donating them to San Diego State University’s Special Collections. All archival documents of M.E.Ch.A de Palomar student history and all educational and relevant materials of the Multicultural Studies Department from Palomar College formed in 1974. 

As member of the Oxford Roundtable from 2006 to 2009, he has presented papers on Multiculturalism in America and American Foreign Policy, the oral history of the Mexican American community from the Mexican Revolution to World War II in Lemon Grove, California, and Cesar Chavez’ life and his fight for social justice. 

Professor Valdez is presently preparing a book and documentary on the first successful desegregation court case won in March, 1931 in Lemon Grove, California. He includes the Lemon Grove Experience, his life growing up in Lemon Grove, and his path of seeking an education. Lemon Grove Oral History Project interviews Mexican American pioneers who settled in Lemon Grove, and sued Lemon Grove School Board in 1931 to stop racial segregation. A special tribute to honor Lemon Grove residents fighting for educational equality for their children. March 2011, 80th anniversary of Lemon Grove Court Case’s first successful desegregation case in the U.S. Also, he is planning a photo exhibit of the Valdez family from Mexico during the Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1929 and family photos of settling in Lemon Grove in the early 1920s.

In 2000, Professor John Valdez introduced the idea of a mural project for the Multicultural Studies Department home room in the Student Union Building SU-17 at Palomar College, San Marcos, California. The mural was named “Adelante MEChA Adelante” by John to capture the sea of students in protest for justice. When the new Multicultural building opened, the mural was placed in the new home room MD-328 where it resides today.