There is no California without Latinos—we know this. Our history, culture, and community have been embedded in this state for centuries. As a racist, authoritarian regime dismantles our democracy, I remember those who came before us—the community members who fought for our rights long before we were here.
Decades ago, Dolores Huerta cried, “Sí se puede,” and sparked a workers’ movement that still lives today. Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old denied entry to a California school in 1944 because of her Mexican heritage, and her family fought school segregation, paving the way for integration nationwide. Sylvia Rivera, a trans and gay liberation activist, organized tirelessly in New York, connecting her struggle to broader fights for dignity.
These legacies matter now. As ICE tears apart families, as soldiers are deployed into our neighborhoods, as this administration targets immigrants—especially Latinos—we know what we must do: hold each other close. Our power cannot be revoked.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision makes this clear. By lifting limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, the Court has handed agents the power to stop people based on appearance alone. As Justice Sotomayor wrote in dissent: “We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low-wage job.”
Journalist Jean Guerrero names what’s happening: “The border is no longer just a line. It is a stalking power, a mobile regime of racial control that follows our people wherever they rebuild their lives.” And yet, we persist.
This Latinx Heritage Month, we look to those who came before us and to those who lead now. Here are some organizations across California who are carrying the struggle forward to donate and support:
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La Defensa & A La Defensa (501c3)
This moment feels unmoored, but it is also clarifying. We commit to preserving democracy, to protecting our people, and to honoring the role Latinx communities have always played in shaping California, and this country.