Esperanza del Barrio is a non-profit, grassroots organization of Mexican/Latin@ street vendors in New York City. The organization is located in East Harlem ("El Barrio"), on 117th St and 2nd Avenue. Founded in February 2003 by five female Mexican street vendors, EdB campaigns for economic access for its street vendor members, which currently number over 600. The vendor-members sell street food

Street food

Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...

 or other goods, such as fresh flowers and toys. They work and live all over the city, especially in Upper Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

, Queens

Queens

Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

, and the Bronx. Esperanza del Barrio also provides ESL

ESL

ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...

 classes, video production classes, after-school tutoring for children, a youth group, and a legal clinic. In 2005, Esperanza del Barrio succeeded in passing legislation (Intro 491-A) in City Council

City council

A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

 that removes the necessity of showing working papers to receive a personal vending license from the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. The organization is currently fighting to remove the cap on general pushcart permits. Esperanza del Barrio is a core member of the Street Vendors for Justice Coalition.