Interview conducted by Varrio Voices

LUNA's organizing began around March 7th 2013

In this early part of our history, a group of activists and organizers came together because they saw an opportunity to change the inequality in Eastside San Jose. ​

They started by having conversations with folks in the Tropicana-Lanai neighborhood to hear what the community's concerns were. These one-on-one conversations presented an opportunity for people to express themselves honestly. Something that historically has not always been done. What made this experience significant was that they were having these discussions with someone who understands the experiences of the community. These activists and organizers made it clear from the beginning that this work cannot be done alone. If any form of change were to occur, then the community must be united so that together they can find solutions and turn those ideas into action. Those in the community who understood the commitment opened their homes for the first house meetings.

From those house meetings, plans for LUNA's first actions emerged. Starting in January 2014, an action was carried out that brought together about 250 people.  The following month, about 300 people participated in another action. Then, in April, an action involved more than 500 people and then, on May 1, for International Workers' Day, about 6,000 people gathered to protest. It showed that people were tired of the constant state of inequality they lived in. LUNA organizers took people's frustration and asked them to include those emotions in a survey. One that allowed them to formally document what they considered problems and obstacles blocking their ability to improve the quality of life for themselves and their community. The results of this survey were collected from 200 residents and presented in a formal document entitled: "No Podemos Lograr Nada Solos.

LUNA's early action flyers from Feb 204 & May 2014

The importance of this survey is still felt today because since its release, leaders on the east side of San Jose have been given a new perspective: learn from each other, help each other, and trust in your power more than your fears.  This can be seen in our current chapters such as Gramercy who host monthly community cleanups to make their neighborhood a friendly environment for children to play or our Valley Palms chapter who through different efforts has fought against rent increases for that no more families are displaced or our San Antonio chapter that held its first resource fair, something that started as an idea that later became a reality.

Not all of the seeds planted in 2013 have flowered, but they are still growing. This is something that our organization celebrates above all, that throughout these last few years there are empowered visionaries who are committed to continuing to care for the harvest.

The LUNA team is proud to continue the work that Salvador “Chava” Bustamante, Jorge Gonzalez, Arturo Gomez, Quetzal Gomez, Ana, Omar Vasquez, Enrique Valencia, Steve Arévalo, and Michelle Cordova started.

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The story of our early years is currently featured in East Side Magazine's YEI 2024 issue.

Read our feature "Cuidando La Cosecha" below:
www.kooltura.com/blog/cuidando-la-cosecha

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