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Feb 12
Boyle Heights street vendors fundraise to vend legally in their own Mercado
It must have been an elote. No, a tamal. Or maybe a tamal de elote…
It’s been too long to remember the first bite of street food I ever had in Boyle Heights. But perhaps it was from the sweet lady who sold tamales outside of Sheridan Street School, where she stood every morning, surrounded by hungry escuincles like me who opted for her delightful bites of masa, meat and chile over the school’s free pigs in a blanket.
Neighborhood street food vendors are a part of our everyday lives. They are our neighbors, our mothers, our friends, or simply a familiar face. And although not all community members agree with unlicensed street vending, and police have cracked down on them at higher rates recently, they’ve maintained a following. People seek them because they can’t resist their sazón; because it’s a better option than McDonald’s pink slime; or because their food is a reminder of home-coked meals.
Now, street vendors in Boyle Heights are looking for ways to vend without the fear of being ticketed, arrested or wiped away from all their goods. East LA Community Corporation (ELACC) and local vendors are launching “a campaign aimed at providing paths to self-sustainability and better economic opportunities for local microentrepreneurs.” Their efforts will help raise funds for required permits and new equipment so that street vendors can meet their goal of setting up an Evening Farmer’s Market in Boyle Heights.
This Friday, February 3 from 5-10pm, ELACC will hold a fundraiser to help eight vendors who have been displaced by strict police enforcement. Bring cash for tacos, quesadillas, pozole and more, and for the $1 admission at the ELACC house 530 S. Boyle Ave, Los Angeles CA. To donate, visit their page here.
Meet some of Boyle Heights street food vendors in a video produced by ELACC. Stay tuned for some of our videos where we’ll introduce you to Caridad, a street vendor famous for her pozole.
When ELACC comes and removes the trash from in front of my home left by illegal vendors and their customers is the day I support them.
The day the City decides to equally fund and service working class and communities of color, there will be trashcans and clean up programs for anyone littering anything (vendor food or not), will be the day folks like BH citizen will not blame a non-profit for something that is not their job.
It is not the responsibility of the city to clean the corn cobs, tamale husks and plates of rice and beans from the sidewalks left by customers of illegal vendors. You are suggesting that public funds be used to support someone who is privately enriching him or herself who conversely is not paying taxes on that money. Receptacles are available, they are not used (I will agree they need to emptied on the weekends, 1st street is a mess).
If you do not want the vendors in your community, call the Police at 1 877 275 5273. The police must respond to residents complains. Iligal Vendors is a nightmare. Keep them out of BH.
Thank you for this insightful, informative piece on those who are creatively struggling to support their families. In this time of recession those who will survive are those that use all the resources and skills they possess. A business begins with one person’s dream & a lot of courage & sweat equity. Thanks to the support of the ELACC, these individuals will receive the training necessary to run a thriving, clean and much appreciated business. I hope to purchase a tamal from one of them soon!
ELACC continues to build ugly housing, and low grading structures, and now they want to fundraise for illegal venders, when is ELACC going to start respecting the BH community and start supporting a better quality of life in our community. If they can fundraise for illegal venders, I guess they an also fund raise for legal businesses.
Street vending is not a desirable business for the community, or McDonalds, however, we do desire restaurants in the community that abide by all the health department ordinance, builidng and safety, permits, and inspections to insure they are working within the guidelines set up. They also pay local, state, and Federal taxes, yet this illegal street venders believe this does not apply to them, devading taxes is also against the law, that is how Al Capon got cut by Federal government.
The Mexican people’s culture is not illegal street vending, and is definetely not in their culture to go out of their way to do things that are illegal. The Mexican culture is about family, honor, pride and respect, Mexican’s are portrait as uneducated and uninformed, and only jobs they can do is hard labor or illegal street vending, and this is wrong.
The fact is that people come to America seeking a dream of living better, and raising their children in a safe environment and country, with human rights, and laws to protect them.
Councilman Huizar has done everything possible to help this venders keep their business legitimate by alloating an area for them, however, they do not want to pay the permits or be under the ordinance of the Health Department.
An illegal venders makes from $300 to $1200 a day, with no overhead, why would they need fund raisers, that much more than the 78% of Boyle Heights in poverty.
What about the establish businesses that are loosing customers because of the this illegal practice, In speaking with some of the small restaurants, when they have one illegal food vender within a block or two block from their business, they loose 40% of the business, when they have two or more near by they normally close, beause they will loose up to 80% of the business that day.
Remember the restaurants still have to pay salaries, FICA, insurance, rent, and maintain their permits, and more.
This is definetely not fair to hard working business owners, and it is not the American Way of being able to succeed.
In the justifiation that ELACC supports, they will also support all other illegal veding, drugs, marijuana, this are all money makers. What do you think.
First off, I don’t think it’s fair to say that, “…illegal street vendors believe this does not apply to them, devading taxes is also against the law.”
If you talk with street vendors you will find that they are just like you, they want the right to work. They do not have access to jobs especially in this economy.
The WHOLE REASON for the fundraiser is to raise funds for HEALTH PERMITS and LEGITIMATE EQUIPMENT. If you were to talk to a street vendor you would realize that they need to support their families and do not make enough. I have spoken with street vendors that love what they do and want to convert their small cart into a small local business but don’t have the means to do so.
They aren’t trying to take away from established businesses but if Boyle Heights had a vending district this wouldn’t happen. It would allow for vendors to vend to support their families without having to set up shop in front of local businesses – which everyone has the right to support their family- if you want to talk about what the American Dream means then that is the epitome of it.
And I don’t think you can solely blame the vendors for restaurants loosing business but you should blame the disinvestment in low-income communities of color and the economy.
ELACC does not and would never support vending drugs or illegal materials but always will go to bat for those that deserve rights in the community.
Unless ELACC has changed the law, street vending continues to be illegal regardless of who does it PERIOD!!!! ELACC continues to give false hopes to these residents to make them believe they can get permits to vend in public streets and in their place of residence. Their is no such permits. Vendors refuse to comply with health department standards in order to legally vend at certifiied Farmers Market. Many of these vendors are utilizing their Food Stamps to profit, I know of many who depend on them to continue to supply their materials. As a resident we will continue to put pressure on LAPD to enforce the law and will make all the necessary calls to make sure they keep our street free of vendors. At the end of the day, we are the voters who will make a difference and who the Councilmen will listen to because we are the ones that will keep in office not the vendors.
@Terry: If you care to bring such business as “McDonald’s ” to the neighborhood. Why don’t YOU bring them? I don’t see you “trying”, if anything all it sounds like you are doing is complaining!!
@BH4Life: if you don’t want to see street vending in your neighborhood…why don’t you move?? Its simple as that!!
Oh, and for your information: I am the PROUD daughter of street vendors who pay taxes to the city, state and comply to all the city’s health regulations. It is also thanks to their hard work and effort that I managed not only to receive a private school education, but also graduate from UCLA.
@Terry: I did not read your comment correctly. I apologize, but if you are concerned over “legitimate” business. I suggest YOU try to come up with something that would amaze the community.
Also, where so you get your facts that street vendors make that much? From what “study” did you get your “reliable” information from??
Thanks Celestial for sharing and sticking up for vendors! People need to understand that EVERYONE has a right to education and a job!
Street vendors are entrepreneurs and its important to hear from someone like you! A product of an honest living – street vendors can take part in the American Dream too!