Vendor Power: Behind the Carts of NYC
New York City, New York | Film Short
Documentary, News
Vendor Power moves beyond the headlines to tell the stories of immigrant vendors who build community and identity through street vending. Between increased racial targeting and a system that has historically worked against them, their fight for dignity reveals who truly belongs in New York City.
Vendor Power: Behind the Carts of NYC
New York City, New York | Film Short
Documentary, News
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
12 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$805
Goal: $12,000 for production
Vendor Power moves beyond the headlines to tell the stories of immigrant vendors who build community and identity through street vending. Between increased racial targeting and a system that has historically worked against them, their fight for dignity reveals who truly belongs in New York City.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Street vending has housed the American Dream for centuries. But New York City's government has been crushing this dream for the past 40 years.
Vendor Power: Behind the Carts of NYC tells the stories of 3 immigrant vendors who all share the same goal: work an honest living and provide for their family. However, some have it harder than others.
NYC's wait list for vending permits has been backed up since 1983. This has made it impossible to keep up with the influx of immigrants searching for work. And as we know, a non-functioning system leads to desperate measures. Countless vendors have to either rent a permit from the black market or sell without one and risk having their merchandise confiscated.
And those aren't the only odds stacked against them. Vendors face countless misconceptions: dirty, unregulated and low quality. What many people don't know is that street carts are highly regulated, considerably more than brick-and-mortar restaurants. These misconceptions bare a heavy weight against a necessary industry that provides roughly 18,000 jobs and contributes $300 million each year.
Well, a lot has changed since 2023.
On January 29, 2026, NYC's City Council signed a massive reform package. This increases annual permits and decriminalizes street vending. Meaning vendors can no longer face criminal prosecution simply for selling food for their family. Vendors all across the city can finally breathe. But only for a moment.
Because ICE raids are nationally ramping up and conditions are only getting more unstable. And it's already started in NYC. On October 21st 2025, ICE raided Canal Street specifically targeting West African street vendors.
To quote impassioned citizen Jumaane Williams, "None of this is about public safety. It is about fear and chaos."
"You will see more arrests." ICE director Todd Lyons warns New York City residents will see an increase in ICE arrests.
96% of street vendors are immigrants. If what Lyons says is true, street vendors are amongst the primary targets.
Now is more the time than ever to extend Vendor Power and magnify this pressing humanitarian issue.
MD Alam - Founder of Royal Grill Halal Food
"Royal Grill Halal Food is a cornerstone in the New York community and has been recognized for its outstanding Indian cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff" - Royal Grill Halal website
MD Alam shares his story of his growing business while also shedding light onto the misconceptions of vendors.
Conda Swami Thiru Kumar. NY Dosas
"Thiru Kumar first parked his cart on the southern end of Washington Square in 2001, and it has been a Village fixture ever since" - Robert Sietsema, Substack
Thiru talks about the city's lack of personable interactions and what he does as a vendor to alleviate it.
Mohamed Attia. Directing Manager of Street Vendor Project
As a former street vendor, Mohamed is deeply impassioned to fight for the rights vendors deserve. He provides valuable information about their struggles and how the government has enforced them.
Jaeki Cho. Founder of Righteous Eats
As an activist associated with the Street Vendor Project, Jaeki uses his social media platform to boost street cart foot traffic. He shares the stories and knowledge he's gathered over the years working directly with vendors.
All proceeds will go toward production and post-production. We're estimating a total of ~10 shoot days, with costs that add up quickly. We want to be as transparent as possible throughout this process, so please view this itemized breakdown:
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Equipment $5,000. This will cover equipment including camera, lights and audio.
Transportation $1,500. This will cover our entire crew's transportation into and through the NYC boroughs + an equipment van.
Meals $1,400. This will cover our entire crew's meals.
Post-production $1,200. This will cover the cost of post-production, including rights to music and festival submissions.
Storage $1,000. This will go toward physical SSD and storage drives. Unfortunately their cost has ramped up significantly due to AI data centers using up materials.
Filming permit $500. This will cover the NYC filming permit cost.
Location $500. This will cover any cost for renting a studio for interviews.
Insurance $900. This will cover insurance costs for the safety of our crew and equipment.
With almost every person we share this story with, their response is almost always the same:
“I had no idea street vendors were going through this.”
And honestly, we didn’t either until we started production in 2023. But after learning more, we knew we couldn’t just sit on this story.
Our intention for Vendor Power is simple: get into as many rooms and hands as possible. Once we’re complete with editing, our mission will turn toward relentlessly applying to film festivals, both small and large.
But, of course, none of this will be possible without your help.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you'd like to support us but are unable to monetarily, that's okay! Here’s what you can do instead:
- Follow us on all our socials
- Instagram: @vendorpower
- TikTok: @vendor.power.film
- Facebook: Vendor Power: Behind the Carts of NYC
- Share this link to anyone who may be interested
We wouldn't be able to make this film without you. Thank you so much for your consideration.
VENDOR POWER!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Transportation
Costs $1,500
Allows our crew and equipment to travel efficiently between vendors and filming locations across NYC.
Meals
Costs $1,400
Keeps our crew energized and focused during long production days spent filming across the city.
Equipment
Costs $5,000
Covers camera, audio, lighting, and stabilization gear needed to capture NYC vendors and their stories.
Storage
Costs $1,000
Covers hard drives and backup systems needed to securely store and protect every story we capture.
Filming permit
Costs $500
Helps us navigate the legal requirements needed to film in public spaces throughout New York City.
Location
Costs $500
Provides controlled environments that allow for clear audio, quality visuals, and uninterrupted filming.
Post-production
Costs $1,200
Brings the story to life through editing, sound design, color correction, and final delivery.
Insurance
Costs $900
Protects our crew, equipment, and production from unexpected challenges during filming.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Aylin and Michelle met in the fall of 2022 after transferring to Montclair State University from different community colleges. Before arriving at Montclair, they had never met, but they quickly connected while working together in a documentary course.
What started as a classroom project grew into a creative partnership built on a shared passion for storytelling. Since then, they have collaborated on more than ten projects spanning news, narrative filmmaking, and documentary, while building a beautiful friendship along the way.
Aylin Alvarez-Santiago tell stories that make people feel seen. She earned her BA in Film and Television from Montclair State University and has produced work that highlights identity, resilience, and community. From documenting life along the Arizona border to creating social media campaigns rooted in connection, she brings creativity and intention to every project. Storytelling has always been her way of building community, one frame, one conversation, one moment at a time.
Michelle Ruiz strives to strengthen our human connection, no matter the medium. An award-winning filmmaker based in NJ/NYC, she focuses primarily on documentary and social formats centered on human-driven storytelling. She has edited over hundreds of interviews, produced 3 mini-documentaries from concept to completion and directed live productions from a control room. Her highest priority is to tell the stories of communities with both delicacy and accuracy.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Street vending has housed the American Dream for centuries. But New York City's government has been crushing this dream for the past 40 years.
Vendor Power: Behind the Carts of NYC tells the stories of 3 immigrant vendors who all share the same goal: work an honest living and provide for their family. However, some have it harder than others.
NYC's wait list for vending permits has been backed up since 1983. This has made it impossible to keep up with the influx of immigrants searching for work. And as we know, a non-functioning system leads to desperate measures. Countless vendors have to either rent a permit from the black market or sell without one and risk having their merchandise confiscated.
And those aren't the only odds stacked against them. Vendors face countless misconceptions: dirty, unregulated and low quality. What many people don't know is that street carts are highly regulated, considerably more than brick-and-mortar restaurants. These misconceptions bare a heavy weight against a necessary industry that provides roughly 18,000 jobs and contributes $300 million each year.
Well, a lot has changed since 2023.
On January 29, 2026, NYC's City Council signed a massive reform package. This increases annual permits and decriminalizes street vending. Meaning vendors can no longer face criminal prosecution simply for selling food for their family. Vendors all across the city can finally breathe. But only for a moment.
Because ICE raids are nationally ramping up and conditions are only getting more unstable. And it's already started in NYC. On October 21st 2025, ICE raided Canal Street specifically targeting West African street vendors.
To quote impassioned citizen Jumaane Williams, "None of this is about public safety. It is about fear and chaos."
"You will see more arrests." ICE director Todd Lyons warns New York City residents will see an increase in ICE arrests.
96% of street vendors are immigrants. If what Lyons says is true, street vendors are amongst the primary targets.
Now is more the time than ever to extend Vendor Power and magnify this pressing humanitarian issue.
MD Alam - Founder of Royal Grill Halal Food
"Royal Grill Halal Food is a cornerstone in the New York community and has been recognized for its outstanding Indian cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff" - Royal Grill Halal website
MD Alam shares his story of his growing business while also shedding light onto the misconceptions of vendors.
Conda Swami Thiru Kumar. NY Dosas
"Thiru Kumar first parked his cart on the southern end of Washington Square in 2001, and it has been a Village fixture ever since" - Robert Sietsema, Substack
Thiru talks about the city's lack of personable interactions and what he does as a vendor to alleviate it.
Mohamed Attia. Directing Manager of Street Vendor Project
As a former street vendor, Mohamed is deeply impassioned to fight for the rights vendors deserve. He provides valuable information about their struggles and how the government has enforced them.
Jaeki Cho. Founder of Righteous Eats
As an activist associated with the Street Vendor Project, Jaeki uses his social media platform to boost street cart foot traffic. He shares the stories and knowledge he's gathered over the years working directly with vendors.
All proceeds will go toward production and post-production. We're estimating a total of ~10 shoot days, with costs that add up quickly. We want to be as transparent as possible throughout this process, so please view this itemized breakdown:
Equipment $5,000. This will cover equipment including camera, lights and audio.
Transportation $1,500. This will cover our entire crew's transportation into and through the NYC boroughs + an equipment van.
Meals $1,400. This will cover our entire crew's meals.
Post-production $1,200. This will cover the cost of post-production, including rights to music and festival submissions.
Storage $1,000. This will go toward physical SSD and storage drives. Unfortunately their cost has ramped up significantly due to AI data centers using up materials.
Filming permit $500. This will cover the NYC filming permit cost.
Location $500. This will cover any cost for renting a studio for interviews.
Insurance $900. This will cover insurance costs for the safety of our crew and equipment.
With almost every person we share this story with, their response is almost always the same:
“I had no idea street vendors were going through this.”
And honestly, we didn’t either until we started production in 2023. But after learning more, we knew we couldn’t just sit on this story.
Our intention for Vendor Power is simple: get into as many rooms and hands as possible. Once we’re complete with editing, our mission will turn toward relentlessly applying to film festivals, both small and large.
But, of course, none of this will be possible without your help.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you'd like to support us but are unable to monetarily, that's okay! Here’s what you can do instead:
- Follow us on all our socials
- Instagram: @vendorpower
- TikTok: @vendor.power.film
- Facebook: Vendor Power: Behind the Carts of NYC
- Share this link to anyone who may be interested
We wouldn't be able to make this film without you. Thank you so much for your consideration.
VENDOR POWER!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Transportation
Costs $1,500
Allows our crew and equipment to travel efficiently between vendors and filming locations across NYC.
Meals
Costs $1,400
Keeps our crew energized and focused during long production days spent filming across the city.
Equipment
Costs $5,000
Covers camera, audio, lighting, and stabilization gear needed to capture NYC vendors and their stories.
Storage
Costs $1,000
Covers hard drives and backup systems needed to securely store and protect every story we capture.
Filming permit
Costs $500
Helps us navigate the legal requirements needed to film in public spaces throughout New York City.
Location
Costs $500
Provides controlled environments that allow for clear audio, quality visuals, and uninterrupted filming.
Post-production
Costs $1,200
Brings the story to life through editing, sound design, color correction, and final delivery.
Insurance
Costs $900
Protects our crew, equipment, and production from unexpected challenges during filming.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Aylin and Michelle met in the fall of 2022 after transferring to Montclair State University from different community colleges. Before arriving at Montclair, they had never met, but they quickly connected while working together in a documentary course.
What started as a classroom project grew into a creative partnership built on a shared passion for storytelling. Since then, they have collaborated on more than ten projects spanning news, narrative filmmaking, and documentary, while building a beautiful friendship along the way.
Aylin Alvarez-Santiago tell stories that make people feel seen. She earned her BA in Film and Television from Montclair State University and has produced work that highlights identity, resilience, and community. From documenting life along the Arizona border to creating social media campaigns rooted in connection, she brings creativity and intention to every project. Storytelling has always been her way of building community, one frame, one conversation, one moment at a time.
Michelle Ruiz strives to strengthen our human connection, no matter the medium. An award-winning filmmaker based in NJ/NYC, she focuses primarily on documentary and social formats centered on human-driven storytelling. She has edited over hundreds of interviews, produced 3 mini-documentaries from concept to completion and directed live productions from a control room. Her highest priority is to tell the stories of communities with both delicacy and accuracy.