48 HILLS (SAN FRANCISCO) -- Gonzales is the Journalism Department chair at City College. He also serves as faculty adviser to the City College newspaper, The Guardsman, and this year marks 50 years of teaching journalism — 15 years at San Francisco State University and 35 years at City College.
In 1969, Gonzales was a student at San Francisco State University and a reporter for the school newspaper, Phoenix. He was assigned small projects despite his strong experience. Determined to do more, he wrote a five-part series about a convention that led to the formation of the Mission Coalition Organization. His work ran in Phoenix and his research helped him establish connections in the Mission District.
As Gonzales neared graduation, student strikes resulted in the formation of La Raza Studies at SFSU. Faculty asked Gonzales to develop and teach a journalism course within the new La Raza Studies program.