Boxing out the Disenfranchised

The Patches and Pins Flea Market in Santa Ana were one of the first to reopen when the Safer-at-Home order was issued in June 2020. Since then, the market had to close down almost a dozen businesses in order to meet covid restrictions. Photo by Carlos Martinez Jr.

By Carlos Martinez

On a typical Sunday morning, in the circular parking lot of Cypress College, the smell of freshly baked churros wafted through the air would entice incoming residents to take a casual stroll.

With a warm snack on hand and a freshly made cup of horchata on the other, folks would spend hours peering through each booth, connecting and conversing with vendors about their wares while the younger members of the family straighten out the display to keep everything presentable and in order.

But the aroma of churros, hot dogs, pupusas, and tacos have lost their luster to seduce folks and the communal atmosphere has been replaced with one of extreme caution and uncertainty after half a year of closures that were issued by the Los Angeles County health department.

The initial shutdown order from last March sought the closure of over 700 farmer’s markets and hundreds of Swap meets and flea markets in California; approximately 87 farmer’s markets and dozens of swap meets in Los Angeles County alone.

According to the National Flea Market Association website, about 2.25 million vendors participate in flea markets, swap meets, and farmer’s markets and allocate around $30 billion annually.

Since then, there has been a slew of slow-burning reopenings as the state was developing plans to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, at a lower capacity. However, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and changes in the state’s plans such as the Safer-at-Home order that issued in June some of these locations and vendors are one step closer to shuttering permanently.

According to The Los Angeles Times, swap meets such as the Los Amigos Mall, located in South Los Angeles, have been issuing vendors 30-day eviction notices as the pandemic has hindered its ability to bounce back from closures to pre-pandemic crowds without skipping a beat.

The Los Amigos Mall is home to Latinx and Black communities as well as a legacy of giving immigrants in the community an opportunity to open businesses while supporting their families. Urban planner James Rojas expressed in an interview with L.A. Taco that the Los Amigos Mall was converted from being a manufacturing facility into an intricate part of the community that helps the disenfranchised.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created destruction and loss in the entrepreneurial sector. Vendors who conduct business in areas such as farmer’s markets, swap meets, and street corners have to readapt in a landscape of ever-changing covid restrictions and protocols.

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“It is really important for the city to be looking for a way to support these entrepreneurs so they can survive,” Rojas said. “We have to expand how we think about entrepreneurship in this country and how we build communities.”

Paul Lanctot, an organizer with the L.A. Tenants Unions expressed the predicament.

“It’s a historic swap meet that a lot of folks have been going to for years and years,” Lanctot said in the article. “What is going to replace it is unclear, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll be anything that will have cultural importance that the businesses have given to the area.”

In other establishments such as the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, owners had to reevaluate events they typically offer Friday nights and weekend afternoons.

Prior to the pandemic the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, is known for hosting live events by performers from the community such as cover bands, mariachi groups, and attractions for children.

Rick Landis, director of business development and 1st Vice President of the National Flea Market Association, stated approximately 75% of vendors and 60% of customers have returned after the swap meet’s reopening.

“Typically on a Friday night, it was hard to have a conversation outdoors,” Landis said, recalling the experience of the swap meet prior to the pandemic. “The bands are playing their set and folks would come in droves to enjoy the music while engaging with the vendors.”

According to Landis, the demographics of the Santa Fe Springs Swap-Meet average to nearly 96% of its consumers identify as Latinx or of Hispanic heritage. Roughly more than two-thirds of vendors that sell within its walls during operating hours are undocumented, DACA recipients, or are on work visas in the United States.

"It saddens me knowing that these people make their living at these markets when we had to shut down in March," Landis said. "These people are here to take the opportunities this country has to offer. With [the pandemic] bringing a level of uncertainty of when things can go back to normal and the lack of support or guidance from the counties, we had to make some tough calls last summer."

Metallica Tribute band, Damage Inc., was one of the live performances the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet offered for its patrons prior to COVID-19. Since it’s reopening, events have been canceled till further notice. Photo courtesy of the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet.

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According to a vendor who wishes to remain anonymous, the pandemic has also brought up the issue of a "COVID censorship" from swap meet operators across California that gave his fellow entrepreneurs fear of losing their only means of earning.

"COVID-19 is a scary thing because it's so new to everyone and we get it," they said. "But there's pressure in the air to steer away from anything information such as someone testing positive. With limited, safe area to sell our stuff; no one wants to say or do anything that kills their only source of income."

Within the past two decades, they were able to raise and support their family by selling produce at various swap meets. They managed to expand their resources to multiple vans and trucks for produce, pay off a majority of their mortgage, and helped their now adult children with some expenses for college from the sales they made.

"A lot of people wanted to take a safer route when it comes to money," they said. "But the jobs I had in the past prevented me from spending time with my family. I eventually decided to become a vendor at swap meets after I helped a family member sell nuts and fruits for awhile. I wanted to own my business while being flexible enough for my family."

During the pandemic, they expressed the stress and hardships they faced in order to stay afloat; selling one of their trucks and relying on selling other possessions with extreme budgeting.

"We're grateful that God gave us the strength to move forward," they said. "I want my children to see anything is possible in America even when the entire world is in chaos."