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Ep. 35 What Does it Take to Protect Immigrant Rights? ( Feat. Angelica Salas and Ernesto Rocha)
On this episode, Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson delves into the critical issues of immigrant rights, the profound impact of storytelling, and how both shape justice and community in Los Angeles.
Angelica Salas is a nationally recognized immigrant rights leader and Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (or Chirla), a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that advocates for the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees, working to advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants . An immigrant from Durango, Mexico, Angelica came to the U.S. as a child and later became a citizen in 2008. Since joining CHIRLA in 1995 and becoming its director in 1999, she has helped grow the organization into one of the country’s most influential immigrant-led groups, leading major local and national campaigns for immigrant justice—including drivers’ licenses for undocumented people, in-state tuition and aid for undocumented students, and DACA protections. She also helped found key national coalitions like FIRM and NPNA and serves as a powerful spokesperson for immigrant communities across media and policy spaces.
Resources:
Instagram: @chirla_org
Ernesto Rocha aka ‘undocubae’, is an organizer, storyteller, artist and TEDx Speaker. He has over 15 years of community organizing and storytelling experience. His work focuses on advocating for systematically impacted communities, immigrant rights and low wage workers in various industries in Los Angeles. Ernesto uses the power of story to explore identity and narrative formation as a process of collective empowerment and liberation. He is a sought after curator and creative director that works with non-profit organizations, governmental agencies and art/cultural centers to produce original storytelling installations/activations to advance the understanding of complex social justice issues. He worked at Community Coalition for 8 years and served as the Associate Director of Art + Culture. He graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Chicana/o Studies and is currently pursuing his Masters in Fine Arts from the USC Roski School of Art.
Resources:
Instagram: @undocubae
Community Announcements
Family Source Centers: l4families.org
LA Legacy Business Grants: bit.ly/LAlegacy (link is case-sensitive)
LA Business Source Centers: bit.ly/BusinessSource10 (link is case-sensitive)
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Want to learn more about Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and LA's Council District 8? Follow @mhdcd8 on Instagram and sign up for the newsletter at mhdcd8.org!
