Vendor Power
About the Project
Logline
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 Filmmakers
Aylin Alvarez-Santiago and Michelle Ruiz
The project is led by two Montclair State University alumni, Michelle Ruiz and Aylin Alvarez-Santiago, whose award-winning news story, "Arizona Stories," earned two College Television Awards in 2025 for the News category and the Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award. The project was also recognized with the National Edward R. Murrow Award.