In a nation that prides itself on being built by immigrants, North Fair Oaks — an unincorporated community in San Mateo County informally known as “Little Mexico” by locals — is facing a rising of intolerance towards immigrants, fueled by right-wing rhetoric.
As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump steps up his promise to carry out the largest mass eviction in American history at campaign rallies, residents gathered Thursday at Casa Circulo Cultural in North Fair Oaks to resist. Community members in this neighborhood of fewer than 15,000 residents, primarily Latino and Hispanic immigrants, have united to advocate for stronger protections in response to growing anti-immigration statements from the former president and his Republican allies .
According to the US Census Bureau, more than 11 million people in the United States live without legal status. If Trump is elected and keeps his promise to deport them all, it could have devastating consequences, including on housing construction, agriculture and the economy as a whole.
North Fair Oaks is one of three areas in San Mateo County with a majority Hispanic or Latino population, alongside East Palo Alto to the south and Pescadero on the coast. Overall, at least 25 percent of San Mateo County’s 764,442 residents identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Maggie Cornejo, a first-generation Mexican American raised in North Fair Oaks, describes the current climate as reminiscent of the mid-2000s, when feared Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were a frequent presence in her neighborhood .
“A lot of people in my community are afraid of what could happen on Tuesday because a candidate is clearly more vocal about their views on the immigrant community,” Cornejo said.
Now a planning commissioner in nearby Redwood City, Cornejo has reflected on the trauma of his childhood.
“I’m originally from North Fair Oaks, so I remember the time when many of my classmates’ parents were being deported,” Cornejo said. “This trauma still impacts our generation; we grew up with memories of ICE driving here to pick up people.
State Sen. Josh Becker, a Democrat representing most of San Mateo County and parts of northern Santa Clara County, addressed community members who may be feeling demoralized or fearful due to the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment.
“We have thousands of immigrant agricultural workers along the San Mateo coast who support a vibrant agricultural ecosystem, but they were not heard, seen or valued before the pandemic,” Becker said. “Suddenly people recognized them as essential workers. We also have many Asian immigrants – Chinese, Korean and Japanese. To me, this diversity is what makes America great; it’s literally the crucible.
Becker also discussed Senate Bill 537, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, which commemorates the deportation of U.S. citizens and legal residents of Mexican descent between 1929 and 1944. The bill mandates the construction of ‘a memorial in the city of Los Angeles or in the city of Los Angeles. county to honor this historic event.
“President Herbert Hoover, in the 1930s, faced tough economic times and said, ‘We need these jobs for real Americans,'” Becker said. “He launched a mass deportation effort, resulting in the expulsion of not only immigrants but also citizens. »
Becker cited government estimates indicating that 60 percent of those deported during that period were U.S. citizens, a total of nearly 2 million people.
“We are here to say no; we are not going to allow this to happen on our watch,” he said.
Becker and local leaders at Thursday’s news conference assured residents they will work to ensure migrant protections are maintained in California, despite Trump’s threats to defund law enforcement agencies that refuse to cooperate with ICE deportations.
“There is training on community responses to ICE; we can ensure that due process and people’s rights are respected. We will bring the community groups together if that happens,” Becker said.
Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, founder of the nonprofit Ayudando Latinos a Soñar, warned that using violent language can translate into actual physical violence.
“Those who fuel this vile anti-immigrant rhetoric are themselves taking steps to be vicious toward immigrants,” said Arriaga, a clinical mental health therapist. “We see what happened in Springfield and it’s heartbreaking.”
Arriaga spoke about growing threats against Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, following Trump’s unfounded claims that migrants were stealing and eating pets. According to a CNN report, two local Walmarts and several schools were evacuated due to threats stemming from Trump’s comments, prompting the deployment of additional security and bomb detection dogs to keep the city safe.
Arriaga knows the violence against immigrants here at home all too well.
Last month, she was invited to the White House in recognition of her work on behalf of the families of the victims and survivors of the tragic 2023 Half Moon Bay mass shooting, which left seven people dead and one seriously injured, all migrant farm workers, after a disgruntled worker opened fire on two separate mushroom farms.
While some recent political polls show growing approval for Trump among Latino voters, North Fair Oaks resident Rafael Avendaño, an immigrant from El Salvador and now a U.S. citizen, urged his fellow Latinos to reconsider their support.
“The Republican Party that I know built NACARA, which allowed me to obtain the status of librarian. We are very far from the Republican Party that I remember,” Avendaño said, referring to the Nicaraguan Central American Adjustment and Relief Act, which was signed in 1997 under President Bill Clinton but received some bipartisan support. “I hope that however you vote, you lean toward a choice that respects and loves the members of your community, because that is how this nation was built.”
