TWW - Louisville Member Spotlight "Immigrant & Refugee Rights" - Meet Monica

interviewed by Amy Merrick

When did you join our group? 
I joined Together We Will right after the election because I was looking for ways to connect with others who were like-minded. This group has given me hope and a sense that there are many others fighting for an equal and inclusive America. 

How has your life changed since 11/8?
I had become politically complacent during the Obama years and believed that the U.S. wasn’t necessarily post-racial, but was headed in a progressive direction. I mistakenly thought that America fully believed in, and was ready for marriage, racial, and gender equality. 

Since then, I have spoken with people on different sides of the political spectrum, and I now know there are people that had difficulty accepting a black president, and didn’t want a female to lead us. They didn’t see themselves reflected in Democratic leadership. The crazy thing is that they are neighbors, colleagues and friends. We just never knew they felt that way.

I am alarmed that we have stepped back by decades into a political reality that excludes and places blame on marginalized Americans. The health of our planet is no longer protected by our government, and women are rapidly losing reproductive rights, and access to care. I see corruption and corporate interests such as oil, and guns/ammunitions take ground without regard for consequences. As political pundits say, I feel ‘woke’ now. I know I can’t stand idly by, and I am engaging politically to fight for Americans, our planet, and the world I want my children to live in.

What do you feel is the importance of diversity in social movement?
As a Latina, I have noted a change in the demographics of social movements. This election has mobilized many, including people who hadn’t necessarily felt marginalized before. We see a lot of white Americans and interestingly, white women emerge as champions of change.  It’s important to note that, historically, many of the rights we’ve had to fight for, such as women’s right to vote, Civil Rights, and marriage equality would not have happened without allies and majority support. 

'White silence,’ is actually something many movements are concerned about, because change occurs when the mainstream aligns behind social and civil causes. Today people are talking about ‘intersectionality,’ and the fact that social inequality occurs on a multidimensional basis. This knowledge, and the fact that together we are stronger, has transcended differences, and brought people together regardless of immigrant status, racial, gender and sexual orientation differences.  A memorable example of this is when the Muslim community in St. Louis and Philadelphia raised funds to repair Jewish cemeteries.

The path to inclusion starts with the humble understanding that there is a lot we don’t know, and a lot we can learn about each other. Secondly, we should support each other’s causes because they are interrelated. Finally, it is important to proactively reach for a broader understanding, approach, and long-term vision because, ultimately, we will all move further and faster, together.

     

What have you found too be the most effective tool in effecting change so far?  Many are heavily focused on the national agenda but the fastest way to effect change is by starting at the city and state level. Our country is structured in a way that allows states a great deal of autonomy and we have significant disparities across the board from voting and reproductive rights, to educational standards. Marriage equality, as an example, progressed state by state until it reached the Supreme Court. States wield a tremendous amount of power, not to mention that what happens here impacts us immediately.

I have not taken my eye off the national stage but have applied most of my energy to learning about local bills, communicating with my state legislators, and becoming involved with organizations such as TWW-KY, Moms Demand Action (for common sense gun laws) and Indivisible KY. I feel that it is easier to focus on changing that which is within our reach. I also believe that if we move our home state towards an inclusive and progressive agenda a broader base of Kentuckians will want to see that change reflected nationally. I would like to finish by saying that observing victories in other municipalities and states across American has really inspired me to believe that one city at a time does work.

How are you feeling?

The first few months after the election were very difficult, but today I feel that through knowledge and action, I can and will impact our future and our children’s. The Women’s March marked the dawn of a Progressive Era that is being led in large part by women. We are moving our world from a ‘winner takes all’ approach to a compassionate, collaborative and inclusive direction. I feel hopeful and empowered by the way so many different groups have come together to fight for a common goal.