Washblog

There is emerging now in Washington a Latino renaissance that is connected with multiple interlocking issues of justice and sustainability in the economic, immigration, food security, and cultural arenas.  Here are some things I have been thinking recently about in conjunction with this, in no particular order.  I don't know how to connect these, and know also that I'm missing important elements.  I hope people have some enlightening comments to add to this:

• The incredible vitality of the immmigration rallies around last Mayday
• The coverage in the progressive blogs of immigration issues that holds great potential to bring people together across culture lines.  Examples of this include
  • Coverage of immigration issues in the Whatcom-based Washington Outsiders.  Citizen Steve posts frequently on immigration, including the work of Rosalind Guillen, Director of Community to Community Development and a panelist tonight
  • Olyblog's coverage in Thurston County, which not only documents what's happening on the ground, but also serves as a community gathering place to organize action against political hate. See, for example, Olyblog's Just Say No to Nazis series.
  • Orcinus, the blog of investigative journalist David Neiwert who extensively investigates and covers the rise of political hate and extremism in Washington.
• The utterly inspiring actions of the Mexican people in their recent refusal to refusal to accept crooked election returns
• Washington's vital history of Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Racial Coalition Building
• Progressive Majority's Racial Justice Campaign
• The dynamic presence Community to Community in the interconnected issues of food justice and culture/immigration justice
• The resurgence of Latino farm ownership

Here's info on tonight's panel, from Luis' email:

Rosalinda Guillen:  Rosalinda is the Executive Director of Community to Community Development (C2C), an all-woman social and environmental justice organization dedicated to building alliances for food justice. Rosalinda was the lead organizer for farm workers at Chateau Ste. Michelle that resulted in the first-ever collective bargaining agreement for farm workers in Washington state. She has worked with Cesar Chavez's UFW as the NW Regional Director, the Legislative and Political Director out of Sacramento and was the National VP on the union's Executive Board. She has recently coordinated much of the activity in Bellingham and at the northern border to counter the activities of anti-immigrant Minutemen.

Charles Rolland:  Charles Rolland is affiliated with the A. Philip Randolph Institute, an organization dedicated to extending democracy to those who have traditionally been disenfranchised or discouraged from participating in the political system, strengthening political alliances needed to assure democratic social change and projecting social and economic programs that will improve the lives of all Americans.  He has served as Deputy Mayor for Seattle under Norm Rice, State Director for Jesse Jackson's Presidential Campaign, and former Chair of the state Democratic Party.

Jeff Johnson:  Jeff is the Director of Organizing and Research for the Washington State Labor Council.   He assists the WSLC legislative agenda, providing a general overview of the economy and workplace issues and assisting on the lobbying team, focusing on economic issues, welfare and social services and farm worker protections.  He previously taught economics and labor studies at the Labor College in New York city , the largest school for trade unionists in North America .

Pramila Jayapal:  Pramila is the Executive Director of Hate Free Zone, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the fundamental principles of democracy and justice through building power in immigrant communities, in conjunction with key allies.  She also co-chairs, along with the New York Immigration Coalition, the national Liberty and Justice for All campaign of the Rights Working Group, and has been actively involved at the local and national levels in the issue of immigration reform.  She has worked on social justice issues internationally and domestically for over 15 years.