Before the personal computer, before the microchip and even before the fragrant expanses of prune orchards, there was the Santa Clara Valley. After the Americans took control from Mexico, immigrants began to arrive in droves, quickly turning the humble pueblos into a multicultural society by necessity. In "We May Choose", the hardy descendents of four diverse families find their way to San Jose from far-flung points on the globe, where they mingle with established Californios struggling to preserve their lands and lifestyle. Over the next five decades their linked life stories are, by turns, refreshing and heartbreaking, violent and lifeaffirming, productive and painful. Collectively, the old families and the new lay the foundation for astounding growth in the century to follow.