CHIRLA

Template:TOCnestleft CHIRLA is the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Founded in 1986. CHIRLA is a California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants. CHIRLA organizes and serves individuals, institutions and coalitions to build power, transform public opinion, and change policies to achieve full human, civil and labor rights. Guided by the power, love, and vision of our community, CHIRLA embraces and drives progressive social change. CHIRLA was formed in response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 which made hiring undocumented workers illegal, thus creating a situation ripe for worker exploitation and abuse which have increased since that time.

Board of Directors

As of January 23, 2018;

• Alma Salazar, Ed. D. , Chairperson Vice President Education & Workforce Development, LA Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Ester Hernandez , Vice Chairperson , Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chicano Studies, California State University, Los Angeles
• Felipe Escobar , Secretary, California Dream Network
• Maria Elena Perales , Treasurer ,Justice Coordinator, Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange
• Adriana Aguilar, California Dream Network
• Luz Amelia Arevalo , CHIRLA Household Workers Committee
• Sam Jammal, Deputy Director, Policy and Electricity Markets, & Deputy Regulatory Counsel, SolarCity
• Alejandra Marchevsky, Professor of Liberal Studies and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies , California State University
• Liliana T. Perez , Deputy Director, Office of the Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon , Speaker’s Office of Member Services, Los Angeles
• Peter Olney , International Longshore and Warehouse Union

Staff

As of January 23, 2018;

LEADERSHIP TEAM

• Angelica Salas, Executive Director
• Zerihoun Yilma, Associate Director
• Antonio Bernabe, Organizing Director
• Apolonio Morales, Political Director
• Diana Colin, Civic Engagement Director
• Jorge-Mario Cabrera, Director of Communications
• Joseph Villela, Director of Policy
• Luis Perez, Legal Services Director
• Miriam Mesa, Director of Community Education
• Monica Gomez, Director of Development
• Yolanda Jones, Director of Administration
• Jennifer Perez, Director of Finance

ADMINISTRATION TEAM

• Yolanda Jones, Director of Administration
• Areli Hernandez, Executive Assistant
• Gebriel Dawit, Information Technology Manager
• Maria I. Montes, Administrative Assistant
• Maribel Molina, Administrator
• Patricia Garcia, Administrative Assistant
• Victoria Francisco, Custodian

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM

• Diana Colin, Civic Engagement Director
• Mario Perez, Call Center Manager

COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

• Jorge-Mario Cabrera, Director of Communications
• Luis Tadeo, Social Media Coordinator

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

• Monica Gomez, Director of Development
• Ana Reyes, Development Associate
• Julio Martinez, Grant Writer

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TEAM

• Miriam Mesa, Director of Community Education
• Brenda G. Ordaz, Community Education Representative
• Miriam Mesa, Director of Community EducationDaysi Florez, Information Referral Assistant
• Elizabeth Rodriguez, Information & Referral Specialist
• Grelia Vegas, Community Education Representative
• Jessica Huerta, Community Education Coordinator
• Katelyn Brazer, Orange County Regional Coordinator
• Katha Garcia, Youth Organizer – Wise Up!

FINANCE TEAM

• Jennifer Perez, Director of Finance
• Claudia Montes, Accountant

LEGAL SERVICES TEAM

• Luis Perez, Legal Services Director
• Ana Hernandez, Legal Clerk
• Bethzy Garcia, BIA Accredited Representative
• Claudia Diaz, Legal Clerk
• David Gonzalez, Legal Clerk
• Eden Velasco, BIA Accredited Representative
• Elvia Zepeda, Legal Clerk
• Fabiana Barcenas, Citizenship Coordinator
• Gregory Simons, Citizenship / BIA Representative
• JENNEFER CANALES-PEALAEZ, ESQ., Staff Attorney (Deportation Defense)
• Jose Mendoza, Administrative Assistant
• KARLA CORTEZ, BIA Accredited Representative
• KARLA PATRICIA ALCALA-NAVARRETE, Family Unity and Deportation Defense Attorney
• KATHY KHOMMARATH, Staff Attorney
• Leo Vasquez, Legal Department Clerk
• Mercedes Montano, Legal Clerk
• Perla Esquivel, Staff Attorney
• Rebecca Medina, Staff Attorney
• Rimon Elkotbeid, Law Clerk
• Rocio Albarran, Staff Attorney

ORGANIZING TEAM

• Antonio Bernabe, Organizing Director
• Daniel Penaloza, Central California Healthy New Americans Coordinator
• Diana Ramos, Youth Organizer (Wise Up!)
• Mariela Jaquez, Organizer (High Desert)
• Maru Galvan, Organizer
• Melody Kinglenfuss, Statewide Organizer (CDN)
• Mireya Gonzalez Suarez
• Patricia Salazar, Organizer
• Pedro Trujillo Carrasco, CDN State-wide Organizer
• Rosa Barrientos-Ferrer, Northern Regional Organizer (CDN)

POLICY TEAM

• Joseph Villela, Director of Policy
• CHristopher Sanchez, Policy Advocate
• Isabel Sanchez, Policy Advocate

POLITICAL AND COALITION BUILDING TEAM

• Apolonio Morales, Political Director

DACA help

CHIRLA helped applicants process their DACA paperwork and had a blessing of the “caps and gowns.” Sen. Barbara Boxer, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Rep. Judy Chu and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were all scheduled to attend. August 15th 2012 :9:00 a.m. PDT at the CHIRLA office in Los Angeles, CA. Contact Jorge-Mario Cabrera.

Meeting congressmembers

CHIRLA held 2 roundtables with supportive Congressional representatives and Chambers of Commerce. One was held on October 18th with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez. A second Roundtable was held between CHIRLA California Dream Network youth and Rep. Linda Sanchez at Cal State Fullerton on October 19, 2017.

September/October 2017, CHIRLA organized 3 public events and 2 business roundtables with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Rep. Nanette Barragan and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, as well as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), and the Carson Chamber of Commerce.

Salas' activism

In 2010, when leaders of the immigrant rights movement met with President Barack Obama in the White House, Angelica Salas challenged the president’s claim that his administration was focusing on deporting criminals and other security threats. “No, Mr. President, that’s not what’s happening,” Salas told Obama. “You’re deporting heads of households, mothers and fathers. Young people are sitting in detention centers when they should be sitting in the best universities in the country.”

Last year, Obama agreed to suspend the deportation of, and grant work permits to, the young “dreamers” who came to the U.S. illegally as children.

Salas, the 42-year-old executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), has been a potent force in the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform. One of the national movement’s key strategists, she is a powerful speaker, a brilliant organizer and a remarkable coalition builder who works closely with unions, faith groups and students. She is no stranger to jail cells as a frequent participant in civil disobedience. She played a key role in several recent major victories in California, including bills allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, prohibiting local police from turning over undocumented immigrants to federal officials for possible deportation and giving undocumented college students access to public financial aid.

Salas views her job as “telling stories” — giving voice to the immigrants whose lives are often ignored or misreported. She sees her own story in those lives; she was smuggled into the country at age five by her 14-year-old aunt. They were caught and sent back to Mexico, but they made it across the border on a second try. The family was torn apart again when federal officials raided the sweatshop where her mother worked and deported her. They were eventually reunited in Los Angeles, where Salas grew up. She joined CHIRLA after finishing Occidental College and became director of the group in 1999.

Salas and CHIRLA have established day-laborer job centers, registered more than 75,000 new immigrant voters and led the fight for in-state tuition for undocumented students. Much of CHIRLA’s work involves what Salas calls “handing the baton” — recruiting and training the next generation of activists.

References

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