ROOTED IN MAYFAIR
By Victor Vasquez
For 28 years, SOMOS Mayfair has stood alongside the families of East San José, fighting, protecting, and building a future where our community thrives. In times of uncertainty, we have been a source of strength. In the face of injustice, we have been a voice of resistance. And in moments of crisis, we have lifted each other.
When ICE came for our neighbors, we fought back—mobilizing to protect our gente.
When our children needed academic support, we launched literacy campaigns to help them succeed.
When our youth sought a space to organize, we created Jovenes Activos to empower them.
When our beloved MACSA building faced demolition, we stepped in to revitalize it.
When landlords tried to displace tenants, we stood our ground.
When workers were exploited, we demanded justice.
When families needed resources, we built family centers to support them.
SOMOS Mayfair exists because our community deserves more—more protection, dignity, power, and love. Change comes from the people. It comes from a movement that centers the oppressed as the leaders of social change and liberation. But the road to that future is not easy.
Our community is under attack. ICE raids have terrorized East San José, forcing families to live in fear. Displacement and rising rents push our people out of their own neighborhoods. Schools close, wages stay low, and social services shrink. Youth face criminalization, health disparities grow, and racist federal policies target us—blaming us for economic struggles we did not create.
That’s why we fight—our survival, dignity, and the future of our gente, especially our children and youth, are at stake. These are not just problems; they are the realities of our communities. But they are also temporary conditions, challenges we can fight and overcome with bold, united action. So, what are we fighting for?
We are not just organizing for better policies but fighting for our lives, families, and future. Every ICE raid, every act of racism, every forced eviction, and every stolen paycheck pushes us further into struggle.
When families are torn apart, trauma lasts for generations.
When gentrification forces us out, we lose the roots that hold us together.
When wages are unfair, poverty deepens, and violence increases.
We refuse to let our community be treated as disposable. We refuse to accept a future in which our people are seen as second-class citizens in our own homeland. We belong here, and we always have. Brown and Indigenous people have built civilizations for thousands of years, cared for the land, and protected each other. We are not foreigners. We are the heartbeat of this place.
SOMOS Mayfair is building a future designed by and for our community—a vision called “Rooted in Mayfair: Building Our Home.” This is our plan for an East San José where every resident experiences self-determination, belonging, and love. To make this vision a reality, we demand:
Community-led decision-making – We shape policies that affect us.
Housing as a human right – No family should be forced out for profit.
Fair and dignified work – No one should be exploited to feed their children.
Schools that reflect our culture – Our children deserve an education that honors their identity.
Stronger community centers – Every center must serve as a space for healing, wellness, and organizing.
Regenerative institutions – Our people need long-term solutions, not temporary fixes.
Youth leadership – The next generation will lead our community forward.
SOMOS Mayfair can only materialize “Rooted in Mayfair: Building Our Home” by uniting and mobilizing community power. Our community is powerful. You are powerful. Mayfair and Eastside residents, this is your movement. It’s time to organize for housing, economic justice, education, and community well-being. East San José belongs to its families, children, and youth, not to corporations, developers, or those who seek to displace us.
Join us.
Organize with us.
Build with us.
Create change with us.
When we stand together, we are unstoppable.
