On Monday, June 3, the delegation dropped the van in which we drove over 3,500 miles and took a flight to Oakland, California. We then drove over to the Mission in San Francisco to meet up with our hosts, PODER (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights). We were welcomed by PODER staff and volunteers and enjoyed a delicious dinner at a staff member's home.

On Tuesday, the delegation met at the PODER offices for an orientation and a history of the struggles in the Mission district. The PODER staff introduced themselves and the different work they do from organizing Latino/a families in the Mission, to fighting against evictions and gentrification, to working with young people in the Mission.

After an introduction to PODER, the delegation took the bay area public transit system, the BART, to San Francisco's Chinatown and the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA). PODER and CPA collaborate on the Common Roots program which brings Latino/a and Asian young people together to work for change in their communities.

CPA introduced the delegation to its work and the history of Chinatown with a community tour.
 

Anita Wheeler, from CPA, shows the delegation photos from CPA events, after introducing CPA's staff and different programs.

The delegation in Portsmouth Square in San Francisco's Chinatown. Portsmouth Square is one of the few common spaces in Chinatown where residents can gather. It is also a place where the delegation could clearly see that Chinatown is being squeezed by San Francisco's financial district.

   

Another stop on the tour was this Chinese Playground, which is an open space for children in Chinatown.

The tour stopped at the site where the famous International Hotel stood. Behind the construction there is a mural documenting the struggle to stop the demolition of the I-hotel.

   

The delegation learned about Single Resident Occupancy hotels or SRO's. These are apartment buildings where many Chinese workers and their families have to squeeze into a one room apartment, where bathrooms and kitchens are shared by many families. CPA works with tenants and workers to improve conditions at SRO's.

Thulisile trying to keep her cool while part of the delegation and our hosts from CPA and PODER are stuck in an elevator inside an SRO. The elevator was stuck for about 20 minutes until the fire department had to come, pry open the door and pull people out.  Residents said that this is a common occurrence in the SRO's.

 

After that nerve wrecking experience, the delegation enjoyed lunch at a local Chinese restaurant and returned to the PODER offices to get a tour of the Mission.
 

Oscar, an organizer at PODER, explaining how working-class people are being pushed out of the Mission by development and gentrification. He pointed out that new housing is not being made for families, but rather for single professionals. Also, the new businesses that are moving in are not providing jobs for working-class residents.

There will soon be a park at this empty lot on  23rd St and Treat in the Mission.  Railroad tracks used to go through this land and it used to be a dumping ground.  PODER organized youth and teachers at Caesar Chavez school and people in the community to demand for a park of the youth in the neighborhood.

 

Jackie Marenco explains how she and her family fought eviction, and won, with the help of PODER and the community.  In this fight they organized boycotts and pickets in front of local businesses the landlord owns.

Balmorris Ramirez explaining how they fought to keep their family run plant and flower shop.  The Ramirez family won this battle with the help of the community and PODER.

 

This is a new luxury apartment building built for single professionals to move into.  There are no units of affordable housing for the community, and these condos are selling for close to a million dollars.  Ironically, because of the economic downturn much of this building is vacant.

Another sign of gentrification are security cameras on this building.  Gentrification also brings increased police and security presence, which many times lead to more harassment than safety for the community.

    Gerri and Lilly explaining the effects of evictions and gentrification on the working class people of color in the Mission.

 

On June 5, 2002 the delegation headed across the bay to Oakland and Richmond to meet up with A.J. Napolis at Communities for a Better Environment's Oakland office, Denny Larson from Global Community Monitor, and Henry Clark from West County Toxics Coalition.  The predominately African American community of Richmond faces numerous environmental hazards from an oil refinery, chemical plants and toxic waste sites.

A.J. Napolis explaining the community organizing work CBE has been a part of in the East Bay against industry.  He presented a video which detailed the way in which young people helped to organize the community to fight for environmental justice.

Henry Clark, director of the West County Toxics Coalition, gives a history of the Richmond community and his 20 years of involvement fighting for economic and environmental justice as well as fighting against apartheid in South Africa.

 

Meyers Drum, a place which takes old metal drums, which were full of toxic waste, and recycles them.  This facility is just down the street from the community.

This is a pool for toxic waste owned by Chevron.  The community fought to get this pool lined to prevent toxic waste seeping into the land and water.

 

Henry Clark showing the delegation General Chemical in Richmond and also telling the story of a July 23, 1993 Oleum spill at this plant which created a toxic cloud of Oleum 10 miles long and 3 miles wide.

After the 1993 accident at General Chemical, this health center was built in part from the fines leveled against the company.  Before this health center, the Richmond African-American community had to travel over 25 miles for health services.

 

Denny Larson, from Global Community Monitor, explaining the Bucket and how it is used to take air samples.

The delegation after a meeting at the Youth Empowerment Center in Oakland, with people from organizations like Let's Get Free, PUEBLO People Organizing for a Better Oakland, YOU Youth of Oakland United, Ella J Baker Center for Human Rights, and the Alliance for West Oakland Development to name a few.

   

 

On Wednesday night June 6, 2002 PODER hosted the Project X-Change Send Off.  Over 80 people came to hear the delegation and send them off to South Africa with their thanks and blessings.  The South Africans presented the struggles in their community and received a certificate for their participation in Project X-Change.  In addition there were cultural performances like Chinese, Aztec and Indigenous Fancy dance, drumming and spoken word.  There was also great food and great music.

 

The Send-Off event filled the auditorium in Centro Del Pueblo in the Mission.

Dancers from the Chinese Progressive Association.

 

Indigenous drummers and two young Fancy dancers performed for the gathering.

PODER's own Teresa 'Tere' Almaguer leading an Aztec prayer and dance for the safe passage of the South Africans home.

 

Patrick Duma receiving his certificate of participation in Project X-Change at the PODER send off.

The Mission's own Loco Bloco with their amazing drumming.

Back to the Project X-Change Page