‘Need’ to Overhaul 4th Street Is Elitist

* Re “At a Cultural Crossroads” (Oct. 22):

Once again Santa Ana puppet Mayor Miguel A. Pulido is guilty of being out of touch with his city’s predominantly Latino populace by catering to the elitist business establishment. His vision and political legacy ultimately is to displace the rich diversity found on 4th Street and replace it with a more “desirable” clientele. The mayor should take a closer look at the dislocation of San Francisco’s longtime Mission District residents caused by wealthy “dot-com-ers,” recently profiled in The Times. I genuinely hope Santa Ana residents see beyond the mayor’s political agenda before it’s too late.

CESAR MADRID

Orange

* Your recent article about Santa Ana’s Fiesta Marketplace [being] at a cultural crossroads caused me great concern. This downtown shopping area is a vibrant enclave of Mexican shops that is more authentic than Olvera Street. It is sad that the city redevelopment manager and the mayor see Fiesta Marketplace as a problem area that requires a face lift.

Reading between the lines, their message is obvious: Fiesta Marketplace has been taken over by the blue-collar Mexican immigrant population and that is not a presentable image for the city. So they are contemplating pouring in more redevelopment millions to fix an already thriving commercial area that serves its community.

So far the city has targeted pushcart vendors and signs that make the stores look “too Mexican.” Realistically, this clientele is not going to disappear by ordinance or redevelopment. Considering the ethnic makeup of our city, this attempt to change or downplay Mexican and Latino cultural influences is both ludicrous and insulting.

JULIE ALEXANDER

Santa Ana