Street vendors are the most hard working people I have ever met. They spend hot summer days working under the sun and the coldest days in the snow. No matter the weather, they are working and trying their hardest to make a living.
If you’re from the south of Chicago specifically, you will see street vendors selling and making peoples days with their delicious snacks. They are the highlight of the streets.
Unfortunately, over the past years, we have seen more street vendors get mistreated, beaten, robbed and even killed. It sadly happens all over the US and it is not talked about enough.
It has been happening within our communities. The corn man in my neighborhood was robbed at gunpoint last year when the pandemic started. He said he was terrified and he had to give all his money to the assaulters. This has caused him to stop working late hours which means less money.
He’s afraid of being robbed again and fears for his life. Thankfully, many people from the neighborhood have helped him and raised some money for him. I have seen my neighbors come together to support him.
All over the US, I have heard news stories about street vendors being attacked.
For example, a street vendor aka “corn man” was killed in Fresno, CA last November. This forty-year old man was shot for no given reason. According to ABC news the street vendor was confronted by someone inside a car and was shot.
Also, a young vendor in Los Angeles was attacked and beaten in January. According to La Taco, He was selling fruit in Long Beach when two men came to him as if they were regular customers and then beat him until his face was covered with blood.
The list could go on since street vendors have been dealing with such attacks for a while. It’s frustrating to hear about these stories and people not care. Their argument is always “they sell illegally anyways”. The legal status of these vendors should not be a worry in the first place. What people should be caring about is the well being of these people. We should be caring about ways to protect our communities and innovative ways to support them.
I challenge people to take action when they see these types of mistreatments. To be a voice to these people since they tend to be older adults with a language barrier.
It is not easy to challenge violence, but I truly believe that a community supporting one another goes a long way. Everytime you see a street vendor tell them how much you appreciate them and mostly bring support anytime needed.