2025 ENDANGERED LATINX LANDMARKS
Year Built:
San Jose, California
MACSA Youth Center
1995
The MACSA Youth Center, built in 1995 in East San José for Latinx youth, featured a postmodern design reflecting San José’s cultural and community heritage. After its closure in 2015, it deteriorated and faced vandalism. On August 29, 2025, a three-alarm fire severely damaged the building, though portions such as the gymnasium and iconic main entrance may still be intact. The Sí Se Puede Collective, the School of Arts and Culture, and SOMOS Mayfair are calling on the Alum Rock Union School District to protect these surviving elements and commit to reconstruction.
"What the fire destroyed can be rebuilt; what endures is MACSA’s symbolic power and its legacy in honoring and elevating the community it served. By safeguarding MACSA at this critical moment in our nation’s history, we ensure that the struggles and dreams of the Chicano/Latino community remain visible, rooted in Mayfair, and that future generations of youth leaders are inspired to continue the fight for justice and dignity.”
— Victor Vasquez, Co-Executive Director, SOMOS Mayfair
The Abuelas
Project
The Abuelas Project collects, curates, and amplifies stories of important Latinx movements, sites, and people across the country.
This GIS project encourages intergenerational storytelling through Storymaps that focus on Braceros, abandoned Mexican cemeteries, Route 66, and more.
Latinx Preservation Toolkit
The Toolkit is a bilingual booklet that empowers Latinx communities by demystifying historic preservation. The Texas Toolkit highlights four Latinx heritage success stories across the state, defines preservation terms, and provides guidance on how students, community members, and youth can preserve their communities.
Our next Toolkit will feature diverse stories across the borderlands.
Nuestra Herencia
Grant Program
We launched Nuestra Herencia Grant Program in 2024, providing $600,000 annually for Latinx heritage and historic preservation projects. This funding initiative focuses on empowering grassroots, Latinx-centered nonprofits.
It is supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the Social Impact Fund, which has contributed $1.8 million over three years.