ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Sí Se Puede Collective Series - Part 3 of 3
In this final episode of our Sí Se Puede Collective series, we explore what these five East San José organizations are building together - and discover their vision is already becoming reality!
I talk with Jess at the School of Arts and Culture about how pandemic response opened doors to community development. Shawn from Veggielution explains how community input led to a worker cooperative. Veronica from Grail Family Services shares the hope she still feels after 10 years. Victor paints a picture of Mayfair as an epicenter where the community figured out how not to get gentrified. And Maritza reminds us this was always about creating a replicable playbook.
This episode's What I'm Learning covers the incredible developments happening right now—the cultural district that just became official, the $3 million investment in Mayfair, Veggielution becoming a Civic Commons partner, and more. Our Community Spotlight features the Rapid Response Network supporting our immigrant community. For Take Action, I encourage learning about the Si Se Puede Collective, supporting rapid response work, and thinking about your own interdependence.
Si Se Puede Collective Organizations:
- Somos Mayfair - somosmayfair.org
- Grail Family Services - grailfs.org
- Amigos de Guadalupe - amigoscenter.com
- School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza - schoolatmhp.org
- Veggielution - veggielution.org
What I'm Learning Sources:
- Mayfair Cultural District Celebration - January 29, 2026 event: LinkedIn post
- Civic Commons - National initiative: civiccommons.us
- City of San José Children Youth Master Plan - sanjoseca.gov
Community Spotlight:
- SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network) - siren-bayarea.org
- Rapid Response Network - Know-your-rights resources RRN
- Immigration Legal Resource Center - ilrc.org
Mentioned in the Episode:
- AB 816 - California legislation requiring 10% of affordable housing units in cultural districts go to artists
- César Chávez - Labor leader whose motto "Sí Se Puede" inspired the collective's name
- Cultural New Deal Silicon Valley - Coalition advocating for arts and culture policies
Take Action:
- Visit Si Se Puede Collective organization websites
- Attend a know-your-rights training with SIREN or Rapid Response Network partners
- Explore collective models in your own community
- Share this series with someone working on community building
Previous Episodes:
- Episode 13: Cast the Net - The origin story
- Episode 14: The Test - COVID-19 and interdependence
