Paz-Cedillos: East San Jose stands strong in face of MACSA fire

Last Friday, fire tore through the long-vacant MACSA Youth and Family Center in East San Jose. In the quiet aftermath, two familiar sights remain: the MACSA sign and the twin pillars that for decades welcomed generations of youth to a place that was more than a building. Those pillars now stand as a reminder — and a challenge.

At an emergency meeting Saturday, the Alum Rock Union School District moved quickly to declare the site unsafe. That was the right first step. But speed cannot replace transparency. The community deserves to know the results of the investigation, assurances that the site will be secured and a clear path forward — one that does not erase MACSA’s history but honors it through thoughtful restoration and rebuilding.

For decades, MACSA — the Mexican American Community Services Agency — was a lifeline in the Mayfair neighborhood. It was the first community development corporation in San Jose. It built affordable housing, operated a clinic and school, supported small businesses and offered a space where young people found mentors, culture and belonging. At its height, MACSA was the largest Latino-serving agency in the city, a hub where opportunity and identity converged.

This loss is not just structural. It is deeply personal.

At Friday’s vigil, Deacon Rubén Solorio reminded us that even in the rubble, the pillars still stand. He challenged us to restore what remains and build anew the youth and family center our community deserves. His mandate lingered as neighbors gathered to mourn — and to imagine what could rise from the ashes.

And make no mistake: the community is showing up, strong and organized. People care deeply about what happens at this site. In a district where nearly 10% of residents live below the poverty line and more than three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, the urgency for a youth-serving space — a place where kids and families can gather, learn and lead — could not be greater.

Over the past three months, our group — SOMOS Mayfair, the School of Arts and Culture and the Sí Se Puede Collective — has been actively engaging with the district and community stakeholders to reimagine what MACSA can become for the next generation of youth and families. Our partners, including the Center for Employment Training and San Jose, are prepared to get involved. The vision is clear: a lively community hub that provides cultural programs, youth leadership opportunities, wellness resources and economic pathways — a space as bold and resilient as the community it serves.

Victor Vasquez, co-executive director of SOMOS Mayfair and a champion for MACSA’s restoration, put it plainly:

“Watching this burn…it’s breaking my heart,” he said. “We were making really strong progress to figure out a plan… It’s very shocking, but I still believe in the power of our community.”

That belief is our mandate. The people of Mayfair are exercising their constitutional right to organize, to speak up and to ensure their voices are heard. When parents, youth, and neighbors attend board meetings, they do so not to divide but to engage — to be part of the solutions that shape their future. This collective energy should be embraced, not diminished, because it reflects the deep investment our community has in this site and its potential.

We understand the district’s responsibility to secure the site and protect students and families. But this moment calls for partnership — for leaders and community to stand together. The eyes of our neighborhood, the city and county are on this process, and there is a shared desire to rebuild in a way that honors MACSA’s legacy while meeting today’s needs.

MACSA’s history cannot be reduced to a burned-out shell. What survived — those pillars, that sign — calls us to build again, together. What rises from this tragedy must reflect the resilience and brilliance of Mayfair, not just in memory but in action.

This is our time to restore. This is our time to rebuild. And this is our time to lead — together.

San José Spotlight columnist Jessica Paz-Cedillos is the co-executive director at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Her columns appear every first Monday of the month. Contact Jessica at [email protected] or follow her on LinkedIn.