PLATFORM : Sidewalk Enterprise

In this country, in this city, people were not used to knowing what a vendor was, or seeing vendors around, like in my country. I understand that even with all the work of the task force and with the help of (Councilman) Michael Woo, it’s still necessary to have the help of the whole community in changing this and making this work.

We have had terrible problems with the police. They have confiscated all of our goods. They have taken everything so that we can’t continue to earn a living. (But) since we’ve been in these meetings and talking to the city, when the police come, we talk to them. We say we’re trying to change this law, this law isn’t fair. We’re able to enter into a dialogue with them.

(City) life is really invigorated by street vendors. (People) stop to buy. They stop to look. When they stop and look at our things, they also decide, a lot of times, to go into the fixed businesses and look in those stores, too.