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A political controversy in Salinas

Shoppers and residents walk in the traditionally Latino and less-affluent east side of Salinas. An elementary school in that part of town has been named for controversial 19th century Mexican figure Tiburcio Vasquez, causing an uproar elsewhere in the city.

Shoppers and residents walk in the traditionally Latino and less-affluent east side of Salinas. An elementary school in that part of town has been named for controversial 19th century Mexican figure Tiburcio Vasquez, causing an uproar elsewhere in the city.   (David Butow / For The Times)

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For more than a decade, Jose Castaneda has been on the board of the east side Alisal Union School District. He was also recently elected to the City Council. Some say that’s a violation of state conflict-of-interest laws and want him to quit the school board, but he is resisting, believing there’s more to it than that: anger at his support as a school board trustee for naming a campus for a controversial 19th century Mexican American figure who was hanged for murder but is seen by some Latinos as a cultural hero.

Townsfolk

Members of the community gather at the dedication of a new elementary school in east Salinas named for Tiburcio Vasquez, a controversial 19th century figure who was hanged for murder but is considered a hero by some of Latino heritage.   (David Butow / For The Times)

West side

Moviegoers visit a theater in a new upscale development on the west side of Salinas, the more affluent side of town, in contrast to the east side, which is mostly Latino and working-class.  (David Butow / For The Times)

Jose Castaneda

Salinas City Councilman and school board member Jose Castaneda greets people attending the dedication of the elementary school named for Tiburcio Vasquez. His support for the naming has come under fire.  (David Butow / For The Times)

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Playing pool

Men play pool at the Blue Lake in east Salinas.  (David Butow / For The Times)

Working-class heroes

Shoppers and residents stroll on the east side of Salinas, where one can walk the streets for an entire day without hearing a word of English. School board member and recently elected City Councilman Jose Castaneda is from this part of town. He beat two establishment-backed opponents for the City Council seat without raising a dime or campaigning publicly.   (David Butow / For The Times)

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