June 21, 2021
To Honorable Mayor Sam Liccardo, Vice Mayor Chappie Jones, and Council Members Sergio Jimenez, Raul Peralez, David Cohen, Magdalena Carrasco, Dev Davis, Maya Esparza, Sylvia Arenas, Pam Foley and Matt Mahan:
The Latino Leadership Alliance (LLA) reaches out today to stand in solidarity with the 700+ vendors of The San Jose Flea Market otherwise known by the Latino/a/x community as La Pulga. The displacement of these vendors and negative impact on the lives of thousands of people of color in San Jose should be enough to give pause to this plan, however, we understand that this is a land-use issue and not a social one. And as such, we believe that a public engagement process in a land-use deal of this size should be open and transparent to allow equitable access to the vendors and the community impacted.
We all just witnessed a very public and inclusive three-year-process with the Google project – the largest in our city’s history – that allowed for community and stakeholders to sit at the table and created wins for all involved. And as the second largest land-use deal in our city, we believe that this project, and the vendors impacted, should undergo a similar process to ensure that the City of San Jose is treating all of its projects equitably and taking seriously the issue of displacement of communities of color.
Further, it is our hope that the Council weighs the real value of economic mobility and stability this property offers its vendors and their employees. This economic engine running in District 4 is real and its impact is ensuring that thousands of Latino/a/x, Vietnamese, and so many other communities of color can provide for their families.
The impact of how we proceed today will be felt by countless future generations of people of color in San Jose. We hope that you have the strength and courage to hit pause on this project to ensure the best and most equitable outcome for all involved.
In Community,
Latino Leadership Alliance