Archive408 exists to collect, document, and create historical, cultural, and political information in and around the rapidly shifting city of San Jose, CA. It is a living archive; that is, the aim is to preserve information from the past and present so that it may be accessible in the future. Through words, images, sounds, and voices, Archive408 will shine light on the sides of the city that are often invisibilized. We invite submissions from individuals with ties to Santa Clara County. BIPoC, women, queers, transfolks, youth, elders, and disabled folks to the front!

We are particularly interested in critical engagement with issues like displacement, white supremacy, colonialism, racism, and histories of activism and corruption. We also wish to surface beauty, resistance, and moments of collaboration. 

We are independently run and are not affiliated with any organizations or institutions.

OCTOBER MONTOYA, Organizer

October Montoya is a mixed, queer and trans media artist from east san Jose.  They are interested in histories of activism and organizing in San Jose/Silicon Valley and its relationship with industry (mining, agriculture, technology, etc.), as well as the role that historical memory, storytelling, and archival practices play in change-making efforts.  Their writing has appeared in White Dads Zine: An Anthology of Creative Stories and Experiences told by PoC Fathered by White Men and Cheers from the Wasteland.  They debuted their poetry zine, Root Rot, in the summer of 2017.

LI PATRON, Organizer

Li Patron lives and writes in her hometown of San Jose, California. She grew up in the Alum Rock neighborhood, and her ancestors came to the region from the Azores and Mexico. From 2015 to 2017, she edited the place-based journal Cheers from the Wasteland, which featured creative work by people with ties to San Jose. She is an active member of the South Bay DIY Zine Collective and has co-organized three local zine fests. She is currently working on a series of essays about San Jose that combine memoir and archival research. Her writing appears at www.romancingthevoid.com.