Attention community!

A San Jose mural commemorating Hispanic heritage and the late Brenda Lopez, a Washington community leader, is in danger of being painted over!

The mural, which spans the side of a gym on 899 South First Street in San Jose, was created in April 2016. It depicts Dia de Los Muertos figures, labor leader César Chavez and honors our local Folklorico dancer and community leader, Brenda Lopez, who died of cancer.

The mural serves a dual purpose by highlighting the cultural achievements of the Latino community and is a deterrence for gangs who wish to tag the building.

Unfortunately, a new property owner who has zero connections to our community has refused to work with the family of Brenda Lopez and neighborhood leaders to save the critical piece of local art and history. Jaeson Le, who purchased the building recently, told our community leaders he wasn’t comfortable with the art.

Le said he wants to fill the building with tech workers, and he doesn’t want them turned off by artwork he thinks could be interpreted as gang-related. This is a racist statement that directly insults our families. It compares our history and community leadership to gang and criminal activity. Le is part of an overall effort citywide to gentrify our neighborhoods, erase our culture, and replace our spaces with wealthy tech workers.

We cannot allow this to happen. Please sign this petition to send a message to Le and our elected officials that we will not allow our communities to be displaced and our culture to be erased. It’s time to stand up for Brenda Lopez, and the working families of Guadalupe Washington. Our barrios are not for sale!