Editorial: San Rafael plan to elevate Latino voices has great potential
In San Rafael, Latinos who make up a huge part of the Canal neighborhood are striving to increase their civic clout.
They are creating a resident advisory committee that will meet monthly with an initial objective of drafting a neighborhood plan.
The new initiative – called “Nuestro Canal, Nuestra Futuro” – will bolster the Latino population’s voice in city and county decisions affecting civic programs and services and planning for issues such as sea-level rise, health and safety, housing and transit.
Translated “Our Canal, Our Future,” the initiative – including its 20-member committee – should foster community involvement, inclusion and ownership in decisions affecting this important San Rafael neighborhood.
The group should also make sure to add the economy to its list of objectives, as the neighborhood is also home to many businesses that provide jobs.
The organization could also have a voice in decisions regarding public schools.
For years, the nonprofit Canal Alliance has been the organizational voice for the neighborhood and its residents.
It is also one of the founders of Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro as a way to broaden involvement of the neighborhood’s Latino population in charting the future of their community.
About 20% of the city’s population lives in the Canal, the most densely populated neighborhood in San Rafael. It’s not unusual that two or more families share an apartment.
So when the city and county are making plans to address issues such as sea-level rise, there are thousands of residents living in the low-lying, flood-prone neighborhood who would be affected by those decisions.
Those residents should have a say and Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro can help bridge gaps in language and political participation to give Latino residents the voice they deserve.
Outreach to Latino residents is already underway.
The timing is right, if not overdue.
The city is getting ready to start work on a “specific plan” for the area, similar to plans that are in place for Terra Linda and the city’s downtown “vision.” The plan will be a blueprint for planning decisions facing the area.
Previous neighborhood plans have strived to engage neighbors in shaping their local goals. After all, they are the ones who will be living every day with those decisions.
The plan for the East San Rafael neighborhood should be no different. Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro can help reach Canal neighbors who, due to a language barrier or uncertainties regarding civic involvement, might not otherwise get involved.
Forming Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro is a big step toward making sure local residents and businesses are among the primary contributing co-authors of the plan. The committee’s size and the diversity it offers will speak loudly and should be heard.