NYC Street Vendors Struggle under Limitations 【4】

In Manhattan, the view of vendors and pedestrians crowded the streets is common. Photo taken by Joanna Law/ People's Daily Online

Language barrier is always another challenge for vendors. English is apparently not the first language for a large group of these immigrants. Often, when a police officer or other city official comes up to them, they don’t understand what’s happening. Shapiro has seen cases where police would confiscate vendors’ properties or arrest them even though they are not allowed to.

The government does provide vendors a packet of regulations to follow when they newly obtain their licenses. Yet they are all in English. Most vendors cannot understand the content at all.

“It’s just like they give you the text of the law, so it’s very hard to read even for someone who speaks fluent English. If some don’t speak English, they will have no idea what the regulations are,” Shapiro said.

That’s true. People’s Daily Online USA has contacted both the DCA and the Health Department to request for interviews. They returned with a long list of official regulations and requirements, plus a huge block of paragraph listing the streets that are closed for vendors.

“Big challenge is that so many streets are closed, and that leads to a lot of vendors sometimes trying to find a spot that’s crowded and does not have much space,” Shapiro said.

Upon hearing that some cities in China forbidden street vendors, Shapiro said “it is terrible”.

“I know New York is very hard on street vendors, but if you couldn’t sell on streets at all, then that’d be very very difficult. These places should realize that sometimes this is the only way for people to make a business, and they should be encouraging the growth of business, even it’s small business and not discouraging them.”

“If there were no street vendors, then New York City will lose a lot of its character,” he added.