Street vendors have become a New York City's fixture. There are more than 10.000 in the city and about 80% of them are immigrants.

They work long hours under harsh conditions, counting on good weather to sell their goods and services on the public sidewalk.

Since 1994, vendors have been the subjects of New York’s “quality of life” crackdown. According to the Street Vendor Project – an organization that works educating vendors about their legal rights – street vendors have been denied access to vending licenses, have been unjustly harassed, and their property has been illegally seized. In February 2006, the city raised the maximum fine for non-health-related violations from $250 to $1,000.

This is the story of a day in the life of street vendors in the city of New York.

The 30-minute documentary was the final project for our M.S. in Broadcast Journalism at Columbia University in 2008. It was produced, shot, written and edited by Taís Moraes, Gizem Yarbil and Robb Thompson. Original pitch by Taís Moraes.
Master's Project adviser: Philip Scheffler.

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