America has a new President-elect. Today, more than ever, we must hold fast to our convictions and remain steady in our commitment to organize our communities. We must stand stronger and fight even harder for justice. The outcome of this election does not change who
By Angelica Gutierrez, Operation Access Program Manager East Bay As a first generation immigrant, raised in San Francisco’s Mission District, my family left our home in Nicaragua because of a violent revolution. Growing up, I maintained a great sense of pride in my community, the
My mom changed the trajectory of my life when she crossed the US-Mexico border with me in her womb. At four months pregnant and with my two kid brothers in tow, she traversed through the dusty hillsides of Tijuana, Baja California, in pursuit of opportunity. Mi mama worked
By Isidra Mencos In August 2016, seven years after she came to the U.S. to reunite with her American fiancé, Marc, and later marry him, Cecilia became an American citizen. “It was one of the best days of my life,” recalls Cecilia. “The ceremony was beautiful.
By Lacy Maria Serros Imagine eating dinner with new friends, drinking a glass of red wine and being asked, “so, what’s going on with your people in America?” I was living abroad in Europe and was the only American, and the only one with Latino heritage.
By Carmela Castellano, President and CEO of the California Primary Care Association I grew up with a strong sense of social justice and civic duty. As a young Latina, I knew that I would stand up for my rights my entire life. I wasn’t going to sit
By Jessica Salinas, LCF Communications Fellow, Los Angeles When Clara came to Pomona, California with her family from Michoacan, Mexico as a child, she experienced injustice first hand. Throughout her school years, she dealt with racism from classmates, and although she learned everything she knew
My grandmother had a dicho for every situation, and if she were alive today, she would say, ‘Tenemos que votar — mas vale prevenir, que lamentar’. This November 8th, I’m voting because I recognize the power that comes with having a say in the issues
From a young age I was aware, from personal experience, of issues of inequality within communities. My first civic engagement action happened in middle school. At church, our priest spoke about a group of families that had recently arrived from Oaxaca without knowing anyone. They
By Isidra Mencos If Elizabeth Parrott had a magic wand, she would send all Latino youth to live abroad for a little while, because this experience changed the way she saw herself and what she thought she could achieve. Born and raised in California, the daughter