She never expected him to be held in the Bakersfield Federal Detention Center or to be threatened by federal agents that her children would be taken away. Alvarez’s husband is still in Bakersfield, but Alvarez said she has hope because of the support she’s received in Santa Clara County.

Alvarez stood with more than a dozen local representatives and leaders Monday outside the Mexican Heritage Plaza as they urged all public officials to join them in a pledge to protect the immigrant community — including the roughly 134,000 undocumented residents who call the county home according to the latest data. The call to action comes amid the Trump administration’s national crackdown on immigration, which has placed more than 50,000 people in immigration detention centers and ramped up deportations.

“This is not a show,” Alvarez told San José Spotlight. “This is costing us a lot — taking care of the kids, working, paying the bills, paying the rent (by myself).”

County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas was one of the elected officials who spearheaded the pledge for residents like Alvarez. The pledge includes upholding the dignity and rights of all immigrants regardless of immigration status, championing comprehensive immigration reform, ensuring an investment in Latino neighborhoods and meeting consistently with Latino-led organizations for collaboration.

Arenas said as the daughter of immigrants, it’s important to defend the community she comes from. More than 40% of the county’s residents — an estimated 789,000 community members — were born outside of the United States like Arenas’ parents.

“This is the first time as elected officials that we’re coming together and we’re standing in unified solidarity for our Latino and our immigrant community,” Arenas said at the event.

The efforts come while the county is beefing up its protection for immigrants, even as the Trump administration considers protecting certain populations from deportation, including immigrant farmworkers. The county earmarked more than $8 million this month toward immigration-related services. It’s a historic investment despite an uncertain fiscal future.

Those millions will go toward services such as the Rapid Response Network, a community defense project that protects and helps immigrant families like Alvarez’s from deportation threats. The network has received 2,590 calls since January, with nearly one-third, or 840, of those calls coming in this month as ICE activity spikes across the country.

The efforts haven’t stopped at the county level.

The San Jose City Council recently allocated $1 million for immigrant defense organizations like Amigos de Guadalupe and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) out of its $5.5 billion budget. School districts are refusing to cooperate with ICE and the business community is banding together.

San Jose Councilmember Pamela Campos has had residents detained in her district. She said it’s important to stand up against the federal administration’s harmful policies.

“We are dealing with a federal government that is determined to abuse their power and disregard our constitutional protections,” Campos said at the event. “We will counter Trump’s lies with the truth about our community and the fact is, immigrant families are the hardest-working taxpayers in our country.”

Alvarez’s husband’s next hearing is set for August. She said her children ask about their dad constantly and won’t leave her side for fear of separation. But they remain optimistic they’ll see him again.

“My children and I are holding on day by day, believing he will come home,” she said. “Still, this experience has left deep scars.”

Contact Annalise Freimarck at annalise@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @annalise_ellen on X.

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Housing Trust Silicon Valley, a nonprofit community development group, announced on June 11 it will award a $50,000 grant to the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. As the plaza celebrated 25 years in San Jose, school leaders said they want to bring health care, affordable housing and economic development to the Mayfair neighborhood through “La Avenida,” a cultural district meant to attract development.

“We recognize that the strength of our region’s affordable housing ecosystem is rooted in the capacity of community-based developers who are deeply connected to the neighborhoods they serve,” Housing Trust Silicon Valley CEO Noni Ramos said in a statement.

School of Arts and Culture representatives said they have raised more than 90% of La Avenida’s $30 million goal — but need community help filling the gap. The $50,000 grant will be used to purchase a mostly vacant property on 1747-1785 Alum Rock Ave., directly across from Mexican Heritage Plaza.

The district is envisioned as a 6-acre mixed-use development with affordable housing, local businesses and social service providers. The projects aim to address threats of displacement in the Mayfair neighborhood and greater East San Jose.

“A fully developed La Avenida would be a major win for East San Jose and for the city’s broader economy. With major events coming in 2026, we need to invest in our cultural, business and entertainment districts beyond downtown,” San Jose Chamber of Commerce CEO Leah Toeniskoetter told San José Spotlight, referring to SuperBowl 60 and the FIFA World Cup. “This project brings investment, local ownership and jobs to a historically underserved corridor — and helps to position San Jose as a city that grows inclusively.”

SV Creates CEO Alexandra Urbanowski, also a School of Arts and Culture board member and San José Spotlight columnist, said the $50,00 grant is an important recognition of the leadership role the school plays in the local arts community, as well as in the Alum Rock and East San Jose neighborhoods and business districts.

Alum Rock Santa Clara Street Business Association leaders said a recent $100,000 grant will go toward building a gateway structure for the upcoming cultural district.

“The school is well positioned to lead the further development of an important cultural district in our city, which will demonstrate how the arts can be pivotal in building community health, social cohesion and economic vitality,” Urbanowski told San José Spotlight.
City officials voted last month to add La Avenida to the list of entertainment zones with reduced alcohol consumption restrictions ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl and World Cup events.

“The grant will help the school build its infrastructure and capacity to provide equitable access to arts programming for residents, pay to local artists and resources for all the smaller arts organizations that call the Mexican Heritage Plaza home,” Urbanowski said. “What a nice message today to counter recent federal funding cuts to the arts.”

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted unanimously 4-0, with Trustee Minh Nguyen absent, to extend the deadline for deciding the youth center’s fate. This will allow time for forging a partnership with the Si Se Puede Collective to help manage the facility.

Board Vice President Andres Quintero said liability for the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) center is a serious concern for the district, especially as the building is in bad shape.

“We’ve held off … providing an extension to allow this proposal to move forward,” Quintero said. “I see a path forward and the ability for Alum Rock to be able to shed the liability. I’m excited.”

The room was filled with community members as the board heard a presentation by Victor Vasquez, co-executive director of SOMOS Mayfair, and Jessica Paz-Cedillos, co-executive director of the School of Arts and Culture and San José Spotlight columnist. The nonprofits would be responsible for raising funds to renovate the youth center and ongoing operations. The group requested a 60-day extension to continue conversations with the board and create an operating agreement as they await a land and site appraisal.

“This effort is about more than restoring a building,” Vasquez told San Jose Spotlight. “It is about addressing the holistic needs of East Side youth, cultivating collective power and modeling racial solidarity at a time when our communities need it the most.”

San Jose Deputy City Manager Angel Rios, Jr. said between the city and county, they’ve identified $2 million in funding. On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for the facility contingent on the release of federal funds. He said the city is committed to the project and if the grant doesn’t come through, it will find alternative funding.

“What we got today is a downpayment in hope,” Rios, Jr. told San José Spotlight. “Now we gotta dial in on what it’s actually going to cost to revitalize it and raise that money. The best response to poverty is access to opportunity and that’s all this is about.”

District 5 San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz said MACSA empowered youth and uplifted families and was a space rooted in community, culture and care. He said his office is proud to have secured the grant to support its revitalization.

“We are working together to bring MACSA back to life,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “We envision a future where MACSA is once again a vibrant, community-led hub, a safe, welcoming space where youth thrive, families connect to resources and our culture is celebrated.” 

Vasquez envisions creating a place rooted in community where young people can thrive and families feel supported. He is grateful to those who stand with them, including Ha Trieu, president of the United Vietnamese American Community of Northern California, Van Le, vice president of East Side Union High School District, and District 2 County Supervisor Betty Duong.

“The county’s recent Latino Health Assessment has revealed devastating outcomes,” Duong said at the meeting. “So, when we have an opportunity to preserve something that means so much to people … this is an opportunity that I urge you to pursue. I commit to being with you all every step of the way, with this board, with this district and with our residents here to find a solution for a sustainable operations fund.”

Paz-Cedillos said MACSA will focus on cultural, educational and wrap around services. In recognition of the collective’s capital investment and providing long-term community benefit, she requested it not pay rent to the district.

“The district came to the table,” Paz-Cedillos told San José Spotlight. “They are open to a partnership that can be transformative.”

Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.

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Councilmembers Peter Ortiz, Domingo Candelas, Pamela Campos, George Casey and David Cohen introduced a proposal Wednesday to pause new smoke shops from opening in East San Jose. The City Council voted last year to add more regulations for smoke shops before moving to a call for full suspension after Santa Clara County Public Health’s recent Latino Health Assessment cited the danger shops pose to impressionable youth. The assessment shows East San Jose has a tobacco retailer density of about seven per square mile — more than twice the county average of three per square mile.

After spearheading the effort to put more regulations on smoke shops last year, Ortiz said it’s time to take the next step in limiting their influence on East San Jose residents.

“I’ve tried to introduce this policy in the past — it wasn’t successful,” he told San José Spotlight. “They’re still opening them. So now I’m calling for a moratorium until the city can guarantee less smoke shops in concentrated areas.”

The San Jose Rules and Open Government Committee will revisit the proposed suspension of new smoke shops in two weeks after city workers analyze the potential workload. Neighboring Campbell recently approved a similar policy, which was extended last month.

District 1 Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said the county’s first Latino health assessment in more than a decade showed cancer remains the leading cause of death among Latinos countywide. Latinos make up more than 25% of the county population, according to U.S. Census data.

“It’s no coincidence that in East San Jose there are smoke shops that are located across from high schools. These numbers are not just statistics,” she said Wednesday. “They are symptoms of targeted marketing, retail clustering and bad policies with a high concentration of tobacco retailers in Latino neighborhoods.”

Community leaders said imagery used by smoke shops draws in younger customers, and such shops sell underregulated items like synthetic marijuana and nitrous oxide.

Community Health Partnership CEO Dolores Alvarado said she wants to break the cycle of family members needing to convince older relatives to ditch their potentially fatal addictions.

“I have a father who is 94 years old,” she said Wednesday. “The only reason that he is the remaining member of the family is that in 1984, when I had my first child, I said to him, ‘If you don’t stop smoking you will never see your grandchildren.’ I suffer from secondhand smoke … So I know this enemy quite well, personally and professionally.”
The goal of the smoke shop suspension is to create more equitable health conditions for residents and encourage healthier lifestyles, Latinas Contra Cancer Executive Director Darcie Green said.

“We’re overburdened, underserved and targeted by harmful industries at the expense of our health,” she said. “Let’s be clear about what that leads to — more exposure to advertising that normalizes tobacco use, easier access for youth, secondhand smoke drifting into homes, schools and parks and greater difficulty for people trying to quit.”

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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Fear swept through the undocumented immigrant community in San Jose after the Target store on Story Road became the location of an isolated Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in January. While no publicly-known immigration operation has happened in the area since, East San Jose business owners told San José Spotlight the lingering fear, and false ICE reports, ​are continuing to keep customers away — along with the profits they bring.

East San Jose businesses bring in about $4.2 million in tax revenue per year and provide up to 8,000 jobs, Latino Business Foundation Silicon Valley President and CEO Jesus Flores said.

“The majority of small businesses here, especially in East San Jose, are small taquerias, bread stores, they are our neighbors,” he told San José Spotlight. “We have close to 600 small business owners that are undocumented, so they face double the impact — loss of revenue and fear for their own (immigration) situation.”

As the Rapid Response Network of Santa Clara County remobilized to look out for ICE activity, Flores said he gathered dozens of business owners who said profits have gone down almost 40%.

Salvador Ibarra, owner of La Tropicana Foods, Bakery & Hot Deli for 30 years, runs his supermarket across the street from the Target associated with previous ICE activity.

With legitimate reports of ICE already scaring potential customers, Ibarra said he’s frustrated by false reports keeping people from going to the Tropicana Shopping Center.

“Most of our neighbors sharing supposed immigration enforcement sightings are acting in good faith, but some folks think about getting things on social media quickly before verifying.” Ibarra told San José Spotlight in Spanish. “We haven’t seen ICE officers around since the operation with Colombian nationals earlier this year. I hope people aren’t discouraged from coming to the market, because we’re all here to protect each other and this is a safe community.”

When not in his office, Ibarra is either checking in with his deli and bakery workers, or helping a customer find out if they won big on the latest lottery scratcher ticket. His customers affectionately call him by his Spanish nickname “Chava.”

Once a booming business, he told San José Spotlight foot traffic hasn’t picked up since immigration enforcement landed on the local news at the start of the year.

“Folks are genuinely scared,” Ibarra said. “I’m hoping folks will come back to Tropicana because we need them, not just for their business — we miss seeing our regulars in the community.”

Flores, the Mexican Consulate and Councilmembers Bien Doan and Peter Ortiz hosted a business showcase event at the Tropicana Shopping Center earlier this month that included numerous  business owners in the area.

“I’ve been clear from the start that the threat of indiscriminate enforcement by the federal government presents a crisis with ramifications for the whole city of San Jose, including the economy,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “I will continue to fight to ensure that the city does all within its power to keep families safe and together, and our essential small business community afloat.”

Doan said his office also co-hosted and led evens in the Latino community including Negocios Unidos and Comunidad Segura.

Juana Renderos, who owns J. Store Vanessa, said she wants to see more business showcase events because they need a financial boost, and customers need more reasons to come out in numbers, which further ensures safety.

She said city officials can help by hosting more events and considering rent assistance for East San Jose small business owners.

“We’ve been treading water since COVID-19,” Renderos told San José Spotlight in Spanish. “After the last election we thought conditions would be better for workers, and small business owners like us, but things haven’t turned out that way.”

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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A 100% affordable housing complex was approved at 2940 Alum Rock Ave. across from James Lick High School March 12 at Planning Director hearing. The 50,900-square-foot development would construct 400 homes and demolish two vacant buildings to make way for a 6-story multi-family residential building. Homes at the apartment complex are expected to be affordable for residents who make 80% of the average median income — which in Santa Clara County is $181,300 for a family of four or $126,900 for individuals.

Darren Berberian, representative for developers The Pacific Companies, said they addressed concerns about traffic by increasing their budget for traffic-calming measures from $40,000 to $100,000.

Developers are also partnering with the city department of transportation for a car sharing program. The membership-based program would provide 100% electric car sharing services 24/7 on the property.

“We’re working with the city on the (parking) spaces for a car share program, which I think is absolutely phenomenal,” he said Wednesday. “We really tried to do everything we can to fill up the massive need for more affordable housing, but also be very mindful of the community and our neighbors.”

The property, owned by National Retail Properties, was once home to a drive-in burger restaurant called The Golden Point. The city planning department said the project is one of the largest affordable housing developments in recent years..

District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who represents the area, said his office worked with The Pacific Companies to reduce the effects on the neighborhood. In response, the developers pledged to create 401 parking spots to prevent congestion and overflow parking on streets.

While the city eliminated its minimum parking requirement for new housing developments, Berberian said they wanted to be mindful about parking concerns.

Living just a few blocks from the future affordable housing complex, Ortiz said the soon-to-be demolished vacant building was a major source of crime and blight, which was often discussed by the Alum Rock Village Action Committee.

“It’s important to me that whatever this development is, it’s done right in partnership with the community,” Ortiz said Wednesday. “Whether it’s concerns regarding environmental issues or concerns about traffic, all those are important to me.”

Alum Rock Village Action Committee representative Shannon Sapien said the group is actively engaging with The Pacific Companies

“They have shown an openness to making sure the structures blend seamlessly with one another, creating a cohesive and attractive streetscape. In addition, we have emphasized the importance of green spaces within the developments,” Sapien told San José Spotlight. “This ongoing dialogue is a crucial part of ensuring that the new developments serve both the practical and cultural needs of our community.”

The Pacific Companies were able to waive green and open space requirements at Wednesday’s meeting, allowing them to avoid eliminating homes from their plan, but also upsetting nearby residents.

“I want to express my vehement opposition to any reduction or elimination of the open space of this huge project, which is rather outsized for the area,” 36-year resident Trudy Ellerbeck said on Wednesday.

Darren Berberian, business developer of The Pacific Companies, said it’s too early in the process to talk about potential financing options for the ambitious development.

“We are very excited to bring this much needed workforce housing to the city of San Jose. We are looking forward to seeing this community come to fruition,” Berberian told San José Spotlight.

Mathew Reed, former policy director of housing advocacy group SV@Home, said this is an opportunity to bring more affordable homes into a neighborhood where existing residents are struggling to afford homes. Mixed-income developments create opportunities for a range of people, he said.

“We have thousands of people who are spending more than they can afford on rent, and we need to continue providing real opportunities for those who are considered middle class — but are nonetheless struggling with rent payments in our community,” Reed told San José Spotlight.

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Following a community outcry last year, the school district halted its plans to demolish the property in the hopes of finding a local partner. This month, the nonprofit organizations offered to renovate and lease the facility.

The Collective envisions MACSA as a vibrant, multi-use community asset, offering education, sports and community services. The facility holds historical and cultural significance as a symbol of innovation, hope, and resilience, Victor Vasquez, co-executive director of SOMOS Mayfair and Jessica Paz-Cedillos, co-executive director of the School of Arts and Culture, said in a statement.

“We believe that East San Jose deserves a space that reflects the resilience and aspirations of its people,” Paz-Cedillos told San José Spotlight. “Our organizations envision MACSA as a space where students can access after-school programs that foster creativity and leadership, where parents can find support services that promote stability and where residents can engage in workforce training programs that create pathways to financial security.”

An assessment will be conducted to determine the cost of renovating the 30,000-square-foot building, Paz-Cedillos said. Previous assessments ranged from $10 million to $30 million, she added. The School of Arts and Culture and SOMOS Mayfair are asking the district for a long-term lease and in-kind rent and plan to pursue private funding, state and federal grants and launch a capital campaign. The renovation is slated for March 2026 to December 2027.

San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz  said MACSA is a cornerstone of East Side’s history and development.

“In its heyday, MACSA provided a comprehensive network of support for our Latino youth and families,” Ortiz said at the meeting. “Whether it was food, education, health care, child care or sports programs, MACSA stood as a beacon of hope.”

San Jose Deputy City Manager Angel Rios, Jr. urged the board to support restoring MACSA for the neighborhood’s youth.

“We’re aware of the fiscal crisis,” he said. “But I think there’s an even greater crisis here and that’s the crisis of hopelessness. Too many of our young people are feeling hopeless. Work together and do something.”

Community supporters showed up en masse following a call to action on social media by the Si Se Puede Collective. Clapping, the audience broke out in a chant of “Si Se Puedes.” “For our youth! For our Future!” added an audience member. 

Parent Dilza Gonzalez urged the board to consider the needs of the East Side community suffering anxiety due to ICE raids.

“We’re living in a moment where we have a federal administration telling our community and our kids that they are not welcome, that they are not enough,” she said. “They are creating a war against our community. The same community you are here to serve. Show them that you care and this is a safe place for them. That was what MACSA was for me … and what we want to continue.”

Vasquez and Paz-Cedillos say they are committed to restoring MACSA as a hub for youth development, workforce training and family support services.

“There’s a great need in our community and a great sense of hope that we’re going to create something that’s will benefit the next generations and honor those that came before us,” Vasquez told San José Spotlight. “We hope the district continues to partner with us. This is a way for them to get additional investment for their students.”

Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.

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Hundreds of students from William C. Overfelt High School in East San Jose participated in a walkout Tuesday and marched to the intersection of Story and King roads, where residents reported seeing ICE agents Sunday. Students carried Mexican flags and signs reading “Immigrants make America great” and “Protect our farmworkers,” while chanting  “Stop the raids, stop the hate.”

Natasha Salazar, a student at Overfelt High, thinks it’s unfair to break families apart.

“People who really aren’t criminals shouldn’t be labeled as criminals,” she told San José Spotlight.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan confirmed Monday ICE has been active in the city. The federal agency, which has a field office in Morgan Hill, has been increasing its focus on undocumented immigrants since President Donald Trump took office — stoking fears of deportation in the community. San Jose and Santa Clara County officials have been working to support residents who may be at risk of deportation. The county is home to an estimated 134,000 undocumented immigrants.

“We don’t participate nor are we asked to participate,” Mahan said in an interview with CNN Monday. “San Jose Police Department, when appropriate, will certainly share information with other law enforcement agencies if it is in the interest of keeping people safe, but we do not ask people their status or engage in immigration enforcement as routine business in our city.”

ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

Lori Ramos-Chavez, vice president of ConXión to Community, said she is already seeing how the fear of raids has affected students and the community. Her organization provides mentorship, life skills training and academic support to students in East San Jose, a predominantly Latino and disadvantaged part of the city. She said participation has dropped about 40% since last week, which she fears will negatively affect students’ futures.

“When you live in fear, how can you think about the future?” Ramos-Chavez told San José Spotlight. “You just think about right now, trying to survive until tomorrow, trying to stay with your family.”

J. Manuel Herrera, a trustee with the East Side Union High School District, said it’s rare for district students to walk out of class.

“But they and all of us are living at a historic time in our nation,” he told San José Spotlight. “This was a walkout driven by conscience and compassion in response to the palpable fear in our community. Our students are publicly saying that no vulnerable members of our community will stand alone, that there are many of us who will stand with them for whatever lies ahead.”

@sanjosespotlight Hundreds of students from William C. Overfelt High School gathered yesterday to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in San Jose. ICE was recently spotted in East San Jose on Sunday on Story and King Roads. Learn more at SanJoseSpotlight.com. #sanjose #ICE #ICEraids #immigration #migrants #siliconvalley #bayarea #protests #news ♬ original sound – San José Spotlight

Ofelia Machuca, an alumna of Overfelt High, attended the walkout and protest. She said while she was born in the U.S., she has family members who are undocumented and afraid to go to work.

“I fear for my family. I fear for my community,” Machuca told San José Spotlight. “Where my fear stems from is knowing that people that we love and care about are no longer going to have that opportunity to be here to succeed.”

Machuca carries know-your-rights cards to hand out wherever she goes. The cards are meant to educate undocumented immigrants on their rights, including knowing they can choose to not answer questions and refuse to let an ICE agent inside their home without a warrant.
“I really hope, and I’m trusting that if ICE is here, that they’re taking the people that they’re supposed to take, like the people who are committing these crimes and harming the community,” Machuca said. “Not a hard working father, not a hard working mother.”

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X.

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The mural’s three panels — which depict Vietnamese people fleeing their homeland, a woman in cultural dress and the beauty of Vietnam — is a first for the East San Jose Asian American community. The artwork evokes the history of the Vietnamese American community in a city with the greatest number of Vietnamese residents outside of Vietnam. It also claims to be the largest Vietnamese mural in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to District 5 San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz.

The unveiling on Dec. 18 moved former members of the Vietnamese military to tears. Thuan Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese Business Association, said 2025 marks 50 years since the Vietnamese people fled their country due to the Vietnam War. Many resettled in San Jose, making the mural even more meaningful. It lets people know they’re part of the city, he said.

“Every time I look at the mural and I see the list of people who made it happen,” he said, “it shows the spirit of community as a whole, working together, making each other feel comfortable and understood and appreciated.”

Nguyen said it’s impressive to see funding for the mural come from outside the Vietnamese American community.

Painted by artists associated with 1Culture Gallery, the mural is located at 1737 Alum Rock Ave. on the side of laundromat Wash America. Ortiz’s office and Alum Rock Santa Clara Street Business Association collaborated with 1Culture Gallery on its creation. The Sobrato Organization, Community Housing Developers and residents also provided funding, including Hai Huynh, Hoàng Mộng Thu, Hannah Nguyen, Thuan Nguyen and Ha Trieu.

Philip Nguyen, executive director of the Vietnamese American Roundtable, said the emotional response of older residents to the mural can facilitate conversations around healing. He said more public art is needed to celebrate the rich cultural history of San Jose.

“I feel a deep sense of pride and belonging when I see the mural,” he told San José Spotlight. “Art, like this mural, allows children of refugees and immigrants opportunities to engage with their own families about their migration and resettlement histories, as well as to the shared, yet diverse experiences of what it means to be from East San Jose.”

Ortiz said although District 5 boasts the second highest Vietnamese American population in San Jose, the community historically hasn’t had representation in his district.

“I wanted to make sure they were able to see themselves in the story and the social fabric of the East Side,” he told San José Spotlight. “It makes people feel seen and heard. It shows them you are a member of this community. We welcome you and we’re going to work together.” 

Ortiz described Alum Rock as a living, breathing reflection of the rich cultures, dreams and entrepreneurial spirit of its diverse residents. He said adding more murals will help establish a sense of identity and portray the rich history of its people, as well as promote cross-cultural harmony and the Alum Rock business district. District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan sees the mural as a celebration of the Vietnamese American community’s vibrant culture, which is deeply rooted in San Jose.

“It’s a beautiful mural that tells a story through art of the Vietnamese immigrant community,” he told San José Spotlight. “The journey we made from Vietnam, the struggle and the triumph and establishing a new home far away from our homeland.”

Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.

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Aloha Fun Center owner Liz Ruiz said the San Jose roller rink had an incredible run at the mall after what was supposed to be just a short stint as a pop-up venue. There was always a possibility the roller rink would be replaced by another business at Eastridge Center willing to pay more for the space. Although its last day is Feb. 23, Luiz is searching for a new home.

“The pop-up was only supposed to be a two-month deal, but the community response was so enormous that the mall said, ‘We think you should stay,'” she told San José Spotlight. “It was never a long-term contract so we knew the day would come where they’d find someone who can pay market-rate (rent).”

The space is about twice the size of what the Aloha Roller Rink needs, Ruiz said, describing her relationship with Eastridge Center as a “sweetheart deal.”

Eastridge Center general manager John Petersen said Aloha Roller Rink has been a fantastic addition to the mall over the past seven years.

“A new business will be opening later this year in this space,” he told San José Spotlight. “This new business is not currently prepared to make a public announcement at this time, but will do so in the near future.”

Aloha Roller Rink first opened in 1977 as the Aloha Roller Palace on Blossom Hill Road before closing in 2014. Luiz fell in love with skating at the Aloha as she played roller derby for the Silicon Valley Roller Girls about 10 years ago. She said she wanted to save the business from closing because San Jose residents love recreational activities that bring people together like roller skating — and need a place to do it. In 2015, Ruiz revived the business as a pop-up at various locations, putting on events such as Roosevelt Roller Hockey. Then in 2018, mall operators approached Ruiz to reopen and it has lasted for six years.

Roller skating among dozens of people Thursday, Jaelynn Martinez said she’s made new friends at the Aloha, and the regulars have built a community around the rink. She said she would have to travel to Santa Cruz to the next closest roller rink without the Aloha.

“I was here every day during the summer and I still come out twice a week,” she told San José Spotlight. “Everyone’s in their own groove or learning new moves, but we’re all here to support each other.”

Ruiz said she’s been looking for a new spot for years, but identifying affordable buildings with the correct pillar spacing, along with other factors, has proven difficult.

“Everyone’s asking where our future location is going to be,” Ruiz told San José Spotlight. “I will say that I’m focusing my search on the South Bay. I hope by the time we actually close at the end of February that I have solidified enough things to put together a projected timeline. My goal is still to own a location at some point, I feel like owning the building is the only way to truly preserve skating for the community and it ensures we won’t be priced out by a landlord.”

Araceli Pina said her mom suggested she apply for a job at the Aloha when it reopened in 2018. Pina’s six years on the job just ended as the roller rink comes to a close and she returns to school. She described the upcoming closure as a bittersweet moment, but said she hopes the Aloha finds a new place.

“The connections I’ve built with the regulars, the kids who’ve grown up here, their parents and especially my coworkers — they mean so much to me. It’s not just a job,” she told San José Spotlight. “The music, the lights and the sound of skates on the floor, it becomes part of your soul. It’s a rhythm that you carry with you long after you leave.”
Eileen Hansen, a fan of the roller rink, said San Jose needs more places where people can meet and do safe group activities.

“Not only is skating healthy for the body and improves balance, it also requires people to be aware of each other and stay in the moment,” she told San José Spotlight. “Plus, it’s fun.”

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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