Our Mission
SOMOS Mayfair supports children, organizes families, and connects neighbors to uplift the dreams, power, and leadership of community and address systemic inequities.
Our Vision
For Our Children
Every child in Mayfair...
Is prepared with the early learning and literacy skills needed to develop and thrive
Has access to equitable opportunities and resources to discover and develop their passion, talents, and gifts.
Can analyze, read, and question the world, contributing unique voice, perspective, and action.
Is supported in developing a positive self-identity, with a deep connection to culture, heritage, and language.
Is moved to thrive in college, in the workforce, and in life to be a leader in our community.
For Our Families
Families have networks of mutual support and equitable opportunities and resources to achieve their personal visions.
Families have a deep connection to community and choose to exercise their leadership in meaningful ways.
For Our Community
Our community is united, healthy, and safe when exercising our power.
Our community has a strong analysis of systems of oppression and is ready to develop alternative systems and advocate for change.
Our rich histories, migration journeys, cultures, and languages are uplifted and celebrated.
Our sustainability as a community radiates from within through shared ownership and collective action.
Our Values
We believe that all people are valuable and can contribute to building a movement for justice and that we all have power to change the world around us.
We believe it is our responsibility to take action and support one another, our collective heritage, and the common good.
We struggle to reclaim the power that is denied to our community and communities like ours.
Mayfair is a permanent community and our home: we commit to making Mayfair the most supportive neighborhood possible for working poor people, families, and children.
We do not accept the chronic crises caused by the inequitable distribution of power and resources.
We believe that urgent action, even in the face of conflict and risk is necessary
Our Theory of Change
By activating the leadership of the neighborhood, we take collective action to make meaningful changes in the lives of children and families and build sustainable communities.
The Power of Community
SOMOS recognizes that many in our community are struggling to keep a roof over their children’s heads. Even as we ask parents to become more involved in the their children’s lives, we often spend time sharing information and resources to help address other underlying issues that make that engagement difficult for parents
We have to change the course for families in Mayfair, and the best people to chart the path forward are the parents in our community
SOMOS focuses on recognizing each individual’s power to transform their community through taking collective action together to pursue our collective vision for Mayfair.
Community Transformation
Community transformation is a formidable challenge. The root causes of crisis in Mayfair are complex and deep. That sheer complexity defeats efforts towards solutions from the very beginning. We know this, yet, even in the face of this, and maybe even because of this, Somos Mayfair’s In Our Hands campaign begins first and foremost with simplicity. We first eliminate the impulse to design a strategy that is as complex as the proverbial “rocket science”; ours is the “anti-rocket science” campaign. We do this because we are putting the campaign in the hands of community residents and out of the hands of professional nonprofit staff. Furthermore, we assume constant transition of community members in and out of Mayfair and thus our strategy will continually have to be picked up and carried by newly arrived leaders. Simplicity and clarity are sheer necessities.
Our History
SOMOS Mayfair
SOMOS Mayfair was founded in 1997 (originally as the Mayfair Improvement Initiative) to address chronic crisis in Mayfair, a working-poor and immigrant neighborhood in East San Jose. In the early years, SOMOS partnered with government, corporate, and nonprofit allies to renovate community infrastructure, catalyze new community investment, and develop new coalitions. Over the years, SOMOS revamped itself to most effectively operate in line with the needs of the community, and opportunities for regional partnerships evolved. In the past three years, this has led SOMOS to focus our efforts on two long-term community priorities – fostering early school success and nurturing family wellness.
The Mayfair Neighborhood
The Mayfair neighborhood is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City of San Jose. First established in the early 1900s, Mayfair has always been home to working-poor immigrant families, primarily from Mexico. Today, Mayfair is home to 14,828 residents, still predominantly first and second-generation Mexican-origin families, but increasingly home to immigrants from the Philippines, Vietnam, and India. The median household income is roughly half ($84,449) of the Santa Clara County median income ($151,300). [Data comes from the 2019 Census]
In the face of these and other challenges the neighborhood relies on community assets unique to Mayfair. First among these assets is the living legacy of grassroots leadership. Mayfair was home to United Farm Worker founder César Chávez. It was in Mayfair where César first learned the craft of community organizing. Mayfair was also home to the first generation of Latino leadership that emerged from the Chicano Movement of the 1960’s and 70’s. Many of today’s regional elected and institutional leadership began their work in Mayfair. That legacy animates the work of Somos Mayfair with today’s generation of leadership.