Where do you work?
I’m the Executive Director of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE). We are a non-partisan grassroots community organization that works to build the capacity of Filipinx/a/os* to organize toward progressive change in the realms of immigrant rights, labor rights, and civic engagement.

How did you get connected with Women Unite!?
Gisella Faggi, a current WU! contractor, is an old friend! When I first became Executive Director of AFIRE, Gisella was one of the first people I had reached out to for support, given her considerable experience with community organizing and advocacy for Asian American communities.

Last spring over brunch, I mentioned the need for more strategic help for the Filipinx/a/o community and the unique place AFIRE holds with intergenerational organizing, Gisella brought up her recent work with WU! With my interest piqued, I checked out WU!’s online presence once I got home, and after consulting with the staff about the alignment of our respective missions, AFIRE decided to take this chance to apply!

What’s one thing you like about the organization?
WU!’s emphasis on creative approaches to community building and fundraising ideas! Considering that no two organizations are truly alike, unconventional approaches are often necessary to serve communities according to the community’s own expressed needs. Indeed, the support that AFIRE receives is unique compared to our other (and very lovely) sources of support.

What’s an issue you care deeply about? Why?
Where to start?

Politically, immigration reform, the migrant crisis, and abolition work are so intrinsically linked. People should not be punished for wanting to move to improve their lives, but for Filipinos coming to America specifically, often the wait times from application to US citizenship can take 25 years. On the interim, people in movement (immigrants, migrants, refugees, those in the diaspora, and the like) have reduced rights, reduced political representation, and reduced access to resources. They also become targets for unjust law enforcement thanks to political grandstanding, scapegoating, xenophobia, and racism, which then can lead to family separation and the prison-to-deportation pipeline (in abolition discussions, the role that prisons play in deportation is often overlooked).

Additionally, immigrants and new citizens are often targets for exploitation, especially in the workforce. On the contrary, they have perspectives that are truly powerful and add to a powerful diversity, but more importantly, they are “kababayan” (fellow Filipinos) and neighbors who deserve the right to simply live their lives. It takes courage, strength, and a large degree of fearlessness to change one’s life so drastically—let’s work to reduce those challenges and fears as much as possible if Chicago is truly to be the welcoming city we purport to be.

Socially, the overall lack of empathy continues to be a challenge when it comes to narrative and systemic change when systems are built more for bureaucracy and status quo rather than to serve the people. This lack of empathy then translates into false notions of pragmatism that seek to marginalize and invalidate lived experiences, often to the point where marginalized populations are told to “wait their turn” to voice their power during an election season. Empathy helps to build bridges, especially when we consider the myriad of differences that should be honored in our communities: sex, gender, age, experience, education, disability, etc. Our movements are more powerful together in the name of Bayanihan (the spirit of civic unity and cooperation among Filipinos; the village working together), and we’ve found that healing justice approaches—taking into account the intersectional variety of our struggles, experiences, and care—greatly help to encourage empathy.

What’s a hobby you have? 
I enjoy bike rides along the lake, consuming all things Star Trek, and checking out various live shows. I sometimes treat myself to a long-distance Amtrak ride, and I’m currently trying to learn how to simply tread water! 

What gives you hope?
The agency of Gen Zs as a whole in actively trying to bridge the aforementioned gaps. Let’s take the generation gap, for example—there is nothing quite so warm as seeing Gen Zs and younger Millennials dance with seniors, or sitting down to listen to stories from their elders, or inviting them out to dinner. This may be true of previous generations, of course, but the power of social media like TikTok and YouTube help normalize and encourage these connections to build an inclusive community. 

What’s a fun or random fact you’d like to share?
I may be the only person in the world who has pulled a charley horse while baking cookies! Remember to stretch first and drink electrolytes when you pre-heat the oven.  

What’s one of your favorite local Chicago businesses?
Big shout out to First Sip at 1057 W. Argyle! A small business with a true community feel and an excellent selection of mixed teas! 

But also to the Joy Room at 4837 W Irving Park Rd, a flex space that’s hosted AFIRE before and encourages personal and collective growth through warmth and inclusion!