Batman of San José

By Liliana Chai April. 5, 2026

Juliana Shin Art

With a bat emblem sewn across his chest and a billowing black cape trailing behind him, a masked superhero emerges out of the shadows onto the streets of San Jose, fighting injustice. Known as the Batman of San Jose, the activist has spent nearly eight years supporting the unhoused population and speaking out on civic issues affecting vulnerable communities.

With just under a million residents, San Jose faces a persistent homelessness crisis: 6,503 people are experiencing homelessness, many of whom are living in unsafe encampments and nearly 4,000 of them unsheltered as of 2025, according to Office of Mayor Matt Mahan. In an episode of “Hit Up San Jose Podcast,” Batman emphasized that interim encampments with access to case managers, outreach services and community support are crucial. While advocating for these support services, Batman provides direct aid, bringing essentials such as snacks, water, warm

clothing items and toiletries whenever he visits a new area.

Batman has given assistance to not only San Jose, but also San Francisco, Oakland and Rochester in New York. When he is not out on the streets handing out necessities or working full time as an industrial designer, he partners with mutual-aid and community-based organizations like Food Not Bombs and Martha’s Kitchen to exchange resources and information so that outreach efforts can be more successful. Furthermore, Batman and Crimson Fist of San Jose, along with other masked heroes including Queen Bee and Black Phoenix, founded the Bay Area Superheroes collective (BASH) in 2023 as part of a larger movement to advance homelessness policies and supply aid in emergency situations.

“The homelessness crisis is not a problem one person can solve alone due to its sheer enormity, hence our collective efforts,” Batman said.

Batman’s community outreach journey started back when he was a junior in high school after witnessing an act of discrimination against a woman who was living out of her car; citing company policy, an auto repair shop worker refused to assist her with restarting her car and only offered help when he intervened on her behalf. That incident led him to reflect on the importance of recognizing the humanity of the unhoused, inspiring him to become an activist for the homeless.

“There are countless public misconceptions about the homeless. While some people living on the streets are addicts or mentally ill, these are often the result of homelessness rather than the cause; it does not mean that they are undeserving of help. In addition, many tend to believe that unhoused individuals are unwilling to work, but in reality, a large percentage hold part-time or full-time day jobs. People often overlook or dismiss their efforts, contributing to a false perception of laziness. Thus, I always try to educate myself and others to combat these misconceptions,” Batman said.

This dedication against injustice in his community is the same spark that brought Batman to the Santa Clara City Council meeting on Jan. 27. He rose to the podium in a full-body Bat-suit and confronted the council members about their delay in writing policies that bans the use of city resources and data to assist U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Super Bowl LX. He warned that supporting ICE officers could put vulnerable immigrant residents at risk through forced detentions and harassment at the event, and by putting off the passage of these policies, council members were failing to protect the people they serve. The proposed policies were ultimately advanced for further discussion and passed in a special council meeting on Feb. 3.

“Oftentimes people get stuck in a ‘stay in your lane’ mindset and forget to reach across issues to help others in the community. When I saw that Santa Clara was not taking action to protect residents from ICE, I had to speak out against the council’s passivity. Immigrants are essential to communities, and I want every person in this city to be treated with dignity and respect—that is the foundation of what I do. My aggressive approach might not be appropriate for every situation, but sometimes we need to make a little noise for our voice to be heard,” Batman said.

Batman’s confrontation quickly became viral on social media, drawing people to pay attention to the impact of ICE operations on underprotected community members and to press city leaders to take accountability. Beyond media attention, Batman found that putting on the costume is an excellent communication tool when approaching strangers; for instance, a man in St. James Park, who previously avoided Batman without his costume, initiated a conversation about his childhood interests when Batman showed up in his costume, opening up in a way he had not for months.

“I have always loved the Batman character; despite not having superpowers, he does everything in his power to fight for the community. My philosophy is rooted in protecting others no matter who you are and where you are, and Batman has always been that figure to me,” Batman said.

Batman’s story serves as a reminder of how anyone can be activists for justice through constant learning. Educating oneself about how policies affect different communities and understanding the causes of an issue and how it is perpetuated is essential to help others effectively.

“Having a figure of social justice like the Batman of San Jose is valuable because of their power to represent minority groups. Although these people influence others to make positive changes in their community, it is important to recognize that one person or one system should not have complete influence over societal issues that impact citizens with individual needs and opinions,” Sophomore Katya Hemprich said.

When asked what keeps Batman going in the seemingly never ending battle against injustice, he responded that it was the authenticity in human connections.

“In 2020, I met a single mother and her child living under a bridge in downtown San Jose and helped them with whatever I could—an experience that made the realities of homelessness feel far more personal than simply being aware of these situations. They eventually found housing, and two years later, I was invited to and attended the child’s kindergarten graduation ceremony. It is these little wins that make the acts of service I do feel worthwhile,” Batman said

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About the Contributors

Liliana Chai

Page Editor

Liliana Chai is a junior at Leland High School and the page editor for Investigative Report and Science and Tech. This is her third year in journalism. She likes to listen to music, hang out with friends, sleep, and binge watch shows during her free time.

Juliana Shin

Artist

Juliana Shin is a sophomore at Leland High School and an Artist for The Charger Account. In her free time, she admits to doom scrolling on Pinterest for drawing references or playing with dog, Simba. During other times, she prefers to sleep in and watch horror movies with her mom.