Cupertino For All
I remember Vallco Mall. Growing up, I would often go there to watch movies at the AMC with my friends and family. I always wondered why it was so empty, but I loved going there and going to Cupertino. My best friend moved there around middle school, and my cousins moved there shortly thereafter. During our high school years, my cousins lived in a couple apartments and townhomes. Usually, it was walking distance from a park or a pool or a playground. Whenever my brother and I came over (we lived in San Jose) in the day time, we would go outside and play. We would play handball, basketball, football, soccer, and everything in between. It was a blast every time I went to Cupertino.
When I heard that the government of Cupertino was looking to block the Vallco Mall development, I could only think of my childhood and what it would have been like if my cousins lived somewhere else. It made me wonder how many kids won’t get the opportunity that my extended family had, and how many immigrant families won’t be able to move to Cupertino to start a life for themselves and their families. I’m sure many of the residents of Cupertino, many of whom are immigrants like my parents, did not start their lives in Silicon Valley in a multi-million dollar home, and I’m sure they do not intend to hinder the success for the next generation of immigrants.
The Vallco Mall development is a launchpad for this next generation of immigrants. My parents still fondly remember the apartment they rented out when they first moved to Silicon Valley. It was near the Mercado complex off 101. Every one of my family friends’ parents moved into either a townhome or an apartment. Many of them made their mark and moved to Cupertino, so that their children could go to the best public schools in the region.
Sidenote: I actually remember when I realized that I could not go to Monta Vista because my parents could not afford a home there. In fact, it was cheaper for my parents to send me to $10,000+ a year private school then to move to a house in Cupertino.
The Vallco Mall development is not just for immigrants. It’s also for the now grown up children of Cupertino to start families of their own near their parents. So many of my friends want to live near their parents when starting families so that they can receive support and assistance, and so many of the parents that I know are thrilled to have their grandkids nearby. More housing like the Vallco development enables and promotes this kind of multi-generational proximity.
I hope the Vallco development is approved. I hope others can benefit from the great parks, schools, and jobs that Cupertino has to offer. I hope more kids can feel that same sense of happiness that I felt whenever I was in Cupertino.
