founders
Linda and Jose are both available as speakers from the Nebraska Humanities Council. Linda is also available via the Nebraska Arts Council (Interdisciplinary Teaching Artists).
José Francisco García is a 3rd generation descendent from a Mexican family who moved to Kansas City, MO., during the early 20th century. A retired Union Pacific employee and long-time Chicano activist, Jose has studied the movement of people out of Mexico into North America and the effects of this migration on the established culture, particularly in the heartland of America.
Linda M. García-Perez, a 1971 College of St. Mary graduate and a retired Children’s Librarian, is an artist, instructor and storyteller of Latino arts and culture. Linda is with the Nebraska Arts Council’s Artists in Schools and Communities roster; Nebraska StoryArts Board; Nebraska Humanities Council’s Speakers Bureau; City of Omaha Public Art Commissioner; and occasional instructor and docent with the Joslyn Art Museum. Linda and her husband, Jose, have an extensive collection of Mexican folk arts and literature and are co-founders of the Mexican American Historical Society of the Midlands. She was recently nominated for recognition at the 2022 Inspire Awards, for the Excellence in Public Service award. The Inspire Awards honor women in the Omaha community who have excelled as leaders and role models. Winners announced October 26, 2022.