Calle 24 Latino Cultural District

[4] It sponsors community events, provides training and support services for local business owners and residents, and hosts cultural festivals throughout the year.

[5] A central goal of their work is to prevent displacement of long-term residents and small businesses while preserving and affirming the cultural heritage of the neighborhood.

[5] These businesses and organizations include Acción Latina, Galería de la Raza, Precita Eyes, and St. Francis Fountain.

[1] San Francisco’s Mission District became a Latino neighborhood post World War II, when Latinos drawn to the breweries, canneries, and textile factories in the area filled vacancies left by the Irish population as they moved into the Western neighborhoods of the city.

[9] The Lower 24th Street Merchants and Neighbors Association was created in 1999 by a group of residents, merchants, community organizers, service providers and art organizations “to preserve, enhance and advocate for Latino cultural continuity, vitality, and community in San Francisco’s touchstone Latino Cultural District and the greater Mission neighborhood.”[4] In response to gentrification and displacement, neighborhood advocates declared that, “It is a community priority that we exist as a living cultural district, not just a colorful tourist destination.”[4] This group would eventually change their name to Calle 24 and serve as the central organizing body for establishing the Calle 24 Latino District.

[4] Calle 24 Latino Cultural District has the largest collection of murals in the city and is the home to more than 200 small businesses.

[4] The group also addresses local food security gaps by providing residents vouchers for nearby grocery stores.

Preventing displacement along with preserving and celebrating the cultural heritage of the neighborhood became central to Calle 24’s efforts.