Washington, D.C. — Today, in response to the Supreme Court’s extremely partisan decision…
Chispa LCV Condemns Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Constitutional Right to Abortion Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 23, 2022Contact: Pita Juarez, Chispa LCV | 602-413-4421 | pjuarez@lcv.org Led by the members of Alliance for Electric School Buses, 21 organizations call on Lion to commit to creating good jobs, local community investments in Joliet, IL NATIONAL, JUNE 23, 2022 – As Lion Electric, the largest multinational company that specializes in electric school buses, prepares for production to begin at their new U.S.-based facility in Joliet, Illinois, a coalition of 21 organizations is urging the company to negotiate a community benefits agreement to show their commitment to residents and workers. Lion Electric stands to profit from the federal infrastructure bill and additional state funding programs and tax incentives for electric school buses. A letter spearheaded by members of the Alliance for Electric Schools Buses, including Chispa, Earthjustice, Jobs to Move America, League of Conservation Voters, Moms Clean Air Force, Sierra Club and more, demands that Lion give the Joliet community a real voice. The organizations want to ensure inclusive hiring, training, and promotion for low-income workers of color and other workers from underrepresented communities, that local residents have the opportunity to work at Lion, and that workers have a fair process to decide on union representation in order to create good-paying jobs with family-sustaining benefits. “Fundamental to our work is ensuring that the transition to electric school buses is centered on equity and justice,” the letter reads. “Core to that is knowing that families need access to stable careers with good wages, quality health care, adequate paid time off, and respect in the workplace.” “As we work to electrify our school bus fleets, it is imperative that low-income communities of color who have been historically excluded from the manufacturing industry benefit from this transition,” said Johana Vicente, Chispa National Senior Director. “This is a major opportunity for Lion Electric to work with us to ensure that they recruit, hire, train and promote manufacturing workers from these communities, and that those workers can freely decide on joining a union. This opportunity to meet community jobs and environmental standards shouldn’t be missed.” In the letter, which was sent to Canada-based Lion Electric earlier this year, the coalition requested a meeting to discuss entering into a Community Benefits Agreement that centers the needs of workers and the environment. Lion Electric has not yet agreed to this request, raising concerns among prominent labor and environmental leaders. Tycee Bell, a community organizer with JMA in Illinois, said, “My number one priority is to build relationships for a community benefits agreement between Lion and leaders from Joliet’s grassroots and faith-based sectors. Lion needs to show up as doing good for the people of Joliet. Lion has a chance right now to get it right—for our families, and for the future of our workforce to really impact the next generation. We’re building a coalition, and we want to stand together with Lion and negotiate an agreement that creates real pathways to union jobs for people who have been left behind too many times.” In May 2021, Lion Electric announced it would be opening a new manufacturing facility in Joliet, Illinois, making the location its first U.S.-based electric vehicle production facility. Lion Electric has been a manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles since 2011, with the new facility expected to produce more than 10,000 vehicles per year. The development will have a significant impact on the local economy and set the tone for the future of auto industry and climate standards. Chispa, Sierra Club, Jobs to Move America and other groups organizing across the economic, climate, environmental, and racial justice movements, have mobilized in recent months to shed light on the opportunity to bring good jobs to the growing electric vehicle sector. Katherine García from Sierra Club said, “Our environmental activism is grounded in solidarity, compassion, and justice. That’s why we’re fighting for electric school buses, so that kids can breathe clean air on their way to school and look forward to a bright climate future–and that’s why we’re urging Lion to negotiate a community benefits agreement. Manufacturing workers deserve good wages and benefits, safe working conditions, and a voice on the job through collective bargaining. Electrifying the school bus fleet and securing economic justice can and must go hand in hand. All members of the Joliet community, including women, people of color, formerly incarcerated people, and veterans should have a chance to be hired, trained, and promoted into these family-sustaining careers.” In May, the American Federation of Teachers and United Auto Workers announced a collaborative effort to advocate for union-built electric school buses for the nation’s schools, calling on school districts, as well as state and local governments, to demand that the buses they are procuring during this nationwide transition be union-built. United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), a joint National Education Association-AFT affiliate, was one of the first local unions to demand this, recently submitting a bargaining proposal calling on LAUSD to move to 100% electric by 2035, and to do so using buses built by well-paid workers in factories with safe and fair working conditions. If successful, it will mean the district prioritizes the purchase of buses manufactured with high-road labor practices that invest in a highly skilled, well-compensated, and diverse workforce to promote innovation and quality, as is the case at Thomas Built Buses’ factory in High Point, North Carolina. Community benefits agreements are becoming more common as cities and states seek to provide clean air for their residents and slow down climate change while creating good, family-sustaining jobs for their communities. Jobs to Move America has successfully secured agreements with several transit vehicle manufacturers, including CRRC in Chicago, Proterra in Los Angeles, BYD in Lancaster, California, and in May 2022 announced its fourth–and largest–CBA to date, with bus manufacturer New Flyer’s factories in Ontario, California and Anniston, Alabama. The effort also comes at a time when some electric vehicle manufacturers such as Amazon-backed Rivian have come under fire for their environmental impact and for failing to adopt a fair process for employees to decide
Contact: Pita Juarez | pjuarez@lcv.org | (602) 413-4421 Corpus Christi — Today, in response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas, Elida Castillo, Program Director of Chispa Texas, a program of Chispa LCV building the political power of Tejanos, released the following statement: “Today, we learned of yet another mass shooting, and this one hit closer to home. Multiple children, a teacher, a grandmother, and the gunman are dead, and at least 18 more are injured. Chispa Texas stands in solidarity with our familia in Uvalde, Texas who is suffering an unbearable tragedy. Our hearts go out to the families who were likely making plans for the summer and are now left to plan funerals instead. We failed our children today. Our politicians should be creating opportunities and putting books in our children’s hands instead of guns. This will not change until we demand better, because our children deserve better. We need to offer our students more than school shooter drills; we need to offer them safe schools and healthy environments in which to learn and grow. It’s up to Texas leaders to listen to our communities and give them a better future.” ### About Chispa Texas: As a program of Chispa LCV, Chispa Texas builds the power of the Latinx community to fight for a sustainable, equitable future all Tejanos can enjoy. For more information, visit chispalcv.org/state/chispa-texas/.
Pita Juarez I pjuarez@lcv.org | (602) 413-4421 Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s opening of its historic, billion-dollar Clean School Bus Program to help school districts replace polluting buses with zero-emission, electric school buses, Chispa National, Chispa state partners, and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the following statements: “Chispa’s members have been fighting for a clean ride for kids for years. EPA’s initial efforts are a historic investment in electric school buses and we are excited to welcome school districts to begin applying for funding now. As communities of color are disproportionately impacted by air pollution, we will continue to push for race and air pollution level indicators to be part of the criteria to ensure that low-income communities of color who most need cleaner air quality get the benefits first. We look forward to working with the EPA in real-time to center equity, prioritize electric school buses, and ensure that this initial round of transformational funding will reach the communities this program is intended to help,” said Johana Vicente, Senior National Director of Chispa National. “Communities of color and people living in poverty are disproportionately breathing this dirty air and consequently suffering from health impacts. Phoenix is one of the most polluted cities in the country, ranked 8th for annual particle pollution and 11th for 24-hour ‘short-term’ particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2022 State of the Air report. Additionally, Phoenix is ranked 5th most polluted by ozone. Our children, especially in communities of color, need urgent investments to electrify our school bus fleets and close these disparities. While we maintain that race is an important indicator in outcomes for historically excluded communities, we look forward to working with the EPA to ensure school districts serving predominantly children of color across Arizona are prioritized for funding,” said David Portugal, Federal Organizer for Chispa Arizona. “We welcome the opportunity provided by the EPA for our most vulnerable communities impacted by these oppressive systems to apply for funding to replace polluting school buses. Twice a day, more than 60,000 diesel-fueled buses transport Florida’s 2.7 million public school students in the Sunshine State. We will closely follow the implementation of this program and ensure that our communities are prioritized, served, and protected. We continue to push for an equitable transition of the nation’s school bus fleet and for climate justice through pollution-free solutions for propane and other fossil fuels harming our families,” said Maria Revelles, Program Director for Chispa Florida. “We applaud the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to advance clean electric school buses. Parents want their kids to have healthy air to breathe, and unfortunately, for many parents in communities of color living near roadways or polluting industries, that fundamental goal is out of reach. Zero-tailpipe-emission electric school buses can make parents’ goal of clean air for their kids much more attainable. We commend the tireless leadership of our Chispa colleagues to advocate for clean rides for children, and will continue to work together to push Congress and the administration to free up more federal funding for electric school buses and direct funds to those school districts whose families have historically faced the worst air quality and need the most support to transition to zero-tailpipe-emission school buses,” said Darien Davis, Government Affairs Climate and Clean Energy Advocate for LCV. The Biden-Harris administration will host an event at Meridian High School in Falls Church today to announce the program where representatives from Chispa and LCV will attend. See the announcement HERE. School districts can apply now to receive a rebate — delivered to the manufacturer or dealer before the district pays — that will cover the full cost or price differential of a new electric school bus, with a limit of 25 new school buses per district. From $13,000 to $20,000 in additional funding will also be awarded for school districts to purchase electric school bus charging stations. To be entered into the Clean School Bus Program rebate lottery, school districts must have active System for Award Management (sam.gov) and login.gov accounts for their entities and fill out a one-page online application found on the EPA website. ### About the Clean School Bus Program: The Clean School Bus Program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in 2021. As a member of the Alliance for Electric School Buses, a national coalition of not-for-profit organizations committed to an equitable electrification of the nation’s school bus fleet, Chispa has advocated for zero-emission, electric school buses since 2017. About Chispa: Chispa is a program of the League of Conservation Voters that builds the power of Latinx communities to fight for climate justice and our democracy. Visit us at https://chispalcv.org for more information.
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They say that the things you are introduced to you at a young age will remain with you forever. Growing up in northern Mexico, Culiacán Sinaloa, I spent some of the most critical years of my life living with my amá, my grandma Guadalupe. We lived in a big mysterious cream-colored corner house just five minutes away from doña Teo’s tiendita and 20 steps across a cyber (a spot where community goes to access computers and internet). During those years under amá’s wing, care, and guidance, I had the opportunity to learn how to nurture the earth and live more sustainably. Amá always lived and taught me the more sustainable way of life, starting with how we washed our clothes. Amá has a lavadero by the bathrooms; I would help her wash clothes and head to the patio, where we would hang our “chiras” on the tendedero. The patio was always a fun and busy area. That was the space we used to dry our clothes, play with our familia, and we would also garden there. Two of the four walls are covered with plants, matas, and all types of greens. One of my favorites was her Hierba Buena that she would use to make me a tea at night. Not only did amá teach me how to wash my clothes more sustainably by using the right amount needed and how to garden from early on, but she also taught me about the harmful effects of gas and opted to instead use an electric stove, where she would spend extra hours cooking the menudos, caldo de pollo, and all the time consuming Mexican foods one can think of. My grandma always taught me how important it is to take care of what we have and take only what we need. One of the most important teachings she passed on to me, and that I keep close to my heart, is how to be resourceful and innovate with what we have. This includes the many uses of containers where we would store different things. Growing up with her was always a mystery. What will the butter container have in it this time? Is this box of cookies really cookies, or is it full of sewing items? I only found out when I opened them. This is because my amá was so resourceful and would upcycle anything she could, making art and finding new homes for items others see as trash. All the tips and tricks my grandma shared with me were a lifestyle. She would go out of her way to take care of a plant, how she didn’t care if the food would take longer because of the small electric stove to avoid potentially toxic fumes, or how she air-dried our clothes in el tendedero so they wouldn’t shrink thus conserving precious limited resources. It all has a deeper purpose; it all was done with love. It is all to protect and nourish. This moment of reminiscence brings me back to the present day. Are our “Earth Day” practices looking like Guadalupe’s everyday life? What more can I do? What more can we do? We can take collective action. More now than ever, Madre Tierra needs us. She loves that there are ones who care for her, water her, nurture her, and flourish her. But it is time we do more for her. We must give back just a little bit of what she gives to us. I invite you all to get to know our Chispa programs, and if there is a Chispa program in your state, join us! Taking care of Mama Tiera looks different for everyone but, there are actions we must all take that will strengthen our unity and the possibilities to make it happen. Help us make it happen! Join us in fighting for our beautiful Earth, the planet we call home, and beautiful people we call comunidad. As I look around and breathe in the low quality air we do now, I know we must all come together and demand decision-makers to protect Madre Tierra. Our decision-makers have the power to be responsive to their communities and to do what is suitable for the health of Mama Tierra and nuestra gente. Join us by urging the EPA for clean truck standards. Stringent standards will ensure we create a planet where our air is cleaner and our communities healthier. Our comunidades are suffering with every breath they take and we need urgent reform and climate action now!
Growing Up with Madre Tierra Read More »
This Earth Day, join us in celebrating the accomplishments of each of our Chispa programs.We want to highlight front-line communities, the driving force in the climate movement. Low income and communities of color bear the brunt of climate burdens, and it is often these communities that are fighting the hardest for environmental justice. In 2011, Chispa started as a project of the League of Conservation Voters, focused on environmental issues in Latinx communities in Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. Since then, Chispa has flourished, becoming a major voice for climate justice with a national team and six state programs. Our state programs are on the frontlines of the climate movement, bringing communities together to call on local representatives and demand bold climate action. Our teams in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Nevada and Maryland continue to advocate for environmental protections for low income and communities of color within their states. Read more to learn about the growth of each of our state programs and the amazing work that they do today. COLORADO Since 2011, Protegete has worked closely with Chispa LCV to engage Latinx communities around the state at the grassroots level. One of Protegete’s first projects involved partnering with Project New America to poll Latinxs on their attitudes towards environmental issues, which confirmed that Latinx communities are interested in and concerned about environmental issues. Protegete then launched a pilot project that successfully mobilized over 10,000 Latinxs to take action on climate change. A key takeaway was that Latinx communities are interested in environmental issues and will take bold action –if asked. Since then, Protegete has organized around voter registration, membership building, and clean air, most notably in January 2017 when they organized students to testify before the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission urging them to pass Low Emission Vehicle Standards. ARIZONA Soon after launching in 2013, Chispa Arizona turned their focus to clean energy advocacy, and in 2017 they joined Chispa LCV’s Clean Buses for Healthy Niños campaign, which continues to bring Chispa’s state programs together and has garnered press coverage, rallied elected officials and school district leaders, recruited Arizona State Legislature members, and delivered petitions on behalf of over 16,000 Arizonans to the State Capitol. These community organizing efforts led to the state’s 2018 commitment to invest in new school buses in districts with a majority of students on free or reduced lunch. Now, Chispa Arizona has pivoted to working with local school districts to apply for funding and prioritize electric school buses. Chispa Arizona has since also grown its democracy program, focusing on reaching low to moderate propensity and first-time voters and elevating candidates of color fighting for public lands, clean air, water and a more just and reflective democracy that rejects donations from corporate utilities. They knocked on over 60,000 doors, made more than 400,000 calls, and registered nearly 29,000 new voters in 2018. Chispa Arizona continues to center community voices in all of their work–see some of their storytelling projects below. High Schoolers join Chispa Arizona’s Fight For Clean Air 14 Year Old Chispa Arizona Volunteer Gives Testimony at EPA Hearing MARYLAND Chispa expanded in 2014 creating the Chispa Maryland program. This program quickly began to make waves in the state, co-founding the Festival del Rio Anacostia to engage the Latino Community. Organizers from Chispa Maryland also marched and addressed crowds at the People’s Climate March in Washington DC. Today, Chispa Maryland continues this work, having recently celebrated the passage of the Climate Solutions Now Bill (SB528) in both the state House and Senate. Chispa Maryland played a key role in organizing community members on the ground to advocate for this bill, which will create cleaner air for Maryland communities and is one of the strongest climate bills in the country. NEVADA In 2016, Chispa Nevada launched and began organizing community surveys, conducting organizer trainings, and registering over 6,000 voters throughout Hispanic Heritage Month. Chispa NV celebrated their wins with the RenewNV coalition, which helped to pass nine clean energy bills that included energy efficiency programs, electric vehicle incentives, community solar access, and a higher Renewable Portfolio Standard. During the 2018 elections, Chispa Nevada made over 39,000 calls urging Latinos to get out and vote and successfully elected champions for clean water, air and energy up and down the ticket. Most notably, Steve Sisolak won the gubernatorial election, becoming the first Democrat to be elected Governor of Nevada since 1994. Chispa Nevada continued its democracy work in 2020, when it hosted its first-ever bilingual caucus training to help Nevadans push 2020 presidential primary candidates to prioritize climate justice. (Launch of Chispa NV’s environmental radio show, Raices) WATCH: Community Power Nevada: Unidxs En Acción (United In Action) FLORIDA In partnership with the Florida Conservation Voters, Chispa launched its Chispa Florida program in 2020. The Florida Program has launched a variety of initiatives such as the“Banco De Mujeres,” which provides free, eco-friendly menstrual products and diapers for children and adults. Additionally, the Chispa Florida’s Green Program promotes the development of sustainable communities by celebrating the Kissimmee Green, Orlando Green, and Tampa Green events. Through programs like these and others, our team in Florida is working to bring electric school buses to Floridian communities, which will result in a cleaner, greener, and safer future for our communities. TEXAS After two years of planning, ChispaTexas officially launched in Corpus Christi in March of 2022. Texas has a deep rooted history in the environmental movement, as it was here that the environmental justice movement really began. It was in Houston Texas, that Dr. Robert Bullard, known as the “father of environmental justice,” began researching the disproportionate impacts of pollution on communities of color. Chispa Texas’ work will contribute to this movement in the state. The new program is already creating an impact, starting with program director Elida Castillo giving testimony at the EPA’s Clean Trucks Rule Hearing. Chispa Texas will be hosting an Earth Day event to bring community members together and educate them on the importance of climate action.
Celebrate Earth Day with Chispa by Recognizing our State Programs Read More »
Pita Juarez, Chispa LCV | 602-413-4421 | pjuarez@lcv.org Washington, DC — In response to President Joe Biden announcement of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court, Chispa National Campaigns Manager Alejandra Ramirez-Zarate, released the following statement: “We applaud President Biden’s decision to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson’s exceptional career and record of service will add much-needed expertise and equity lens to guide the Supreme Court’s decisions. The Supreme Court’s extensive power is critical at a time when civil and human rights, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, are under attack. We require a Justice for the people. Judge Jackson will add needed insight and impartiality based on legal expertise gained during her decades of experience as a federal appeals court judge, federal district court judge, Vice Chair of the US Sentencing Commission, and federal public defender.” For far too long, Black women have fought for fair recognition, representation, and compensation for their labor. Judge Jackson’s confirmation to the nation’s highest court brings us closer to realizing a democracy that works for all its people, particularly women of color, but we know this is not enough. We need to address socioeconomic disparities and institute critical reforms that facilitate entry and create pathways for Black women into the legal and other fields. Our country will only succeed when we address the intentional and historic neglect and exclusion of Black communities and work to remove barriers through intentional policy-making that addresses those critical needs. Chispa LCV strongly supports Judge Jackson’s nomination and calls on the Senate to provide a speedy and equitable confirmation process.” ###
Children are always asked questions about their future — what they want to be when they get older, where they want to live, how many pets they want, and if they want to start a family one day. With the climate crisis accelerating at a faster rate every day, we can’t help but wonder: will our actions create a world where they can fully experience their hopes and dreams? What will you do to protect our planet? Will our future generations live the life they deserve? We must question ourselves more as adults. What will we do to ensure our kids and future generations have a sustainable planet? What will we do so that a child today can thrive in school with cleaner air and water? What will we do to ensure they can live in a beautiful state like Florida surrounded by the beach and their family? What will we do to protect our planet? What will you do? Chispa’s State Leadership Since 2016, Chispa has led the fight for electric school buses to help our kids and communities breathe cleaner air — from urging governors to use the Volkswagen settlement money to prioritize the health of our children and invest in electric school buses, to working directly with school districts around the country to ensure they are applying for the funds necessary to help electrify school fleets. This has been a grassroots effort since the beginning, where people have exercised their power and grown into leaders in their communities. Our members have spoken out during local legislation hearings to ensure policies are put in place for both funding and building out the infrastructure for electric school bus fleets that benefit their children and communities. Our members have led the fight for a clean ride for kids, and they are speaking up and telling our decision makers that we need a clean energy future that prioritizes healthy, pollution-free communities for people of color. Throughout the years we have successfully gotten funding to deploy electric school buses in Connecticut, New York, Arizona, and soon in Nevada. In 2021, Chispa Arizona Organizer Teo Argueta worked with Cartwright Elementary School District mothers and other community members to push through the passage of a school bond that would help underwrite the district’s (and Arizona’s) first electric school bus. When the bond passed and the district secured a matching federal grant, Cartwright was able to finance the purchase. This bus is just the beginning; the $60 million school bond will also support building and infrastructure upgrades. Chispa’s Federal Leadership And it’s not just at the local and state levels where we are making progress. Chispa and LCV have been intensifying the pressure on members of Congress to invest in the transition to zero-emission, healthy school buses. This switch would improve the health and education outcomes for the over 25 million kids who take school buses to and from school each day, as well as the communities these heavily polluting diesel buses drive through every day. Over the last few months, Chispa, LCV, and LCV affiliates in the Conservation Voter Movement, as well as the Alliance for Electric School Buses, a national coalition convened by Chispa, have been working to educate the public, increase the momentum toward an entirely zero-emission school bus fleet, and get community members to put pressure on their elected officials, from school boards to Congress, to secure additional funding for electric school buses. In October, we partnered up with the Electrification Coalition, Plug in America, andthe Department of Transportation and the U.S. Senate Auto Caucus to showcase the latest light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles (including electric school buses!) and EV charging infrastructure. Manufacturers, advocates, and key stakeholders were on hand to discuss the many advantages of this exciting new technology, such as cost savings on fuel and maintenance, reduced reliance on oil, improved air quality and public health, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. All this information and technology was being explored by members of Congress, the Department of Transportation, and staff. Check out pictures of our event here and here! You can also watch our Clean School Bus Chats with Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), and Sen. Cortez-Masto (NV), and learn more about Sen. Alex Padilla (CA) and Georgia Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock’s support for electric school buses. We have been working with electric school bus partners to turn up the heat on Congress and ensure that the Build Back Better Act delivers on the clean energy, healthy future our kids deserve. Ultimately, we need an investment of $25 billion dollars in funding to help accelerate the transition of half the national fleet to clean rides to school for our children. Chispa’s Next Efforts We are at a critical moment in the federal fight to fund electric school buses: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, provides $2.5 billion dollars in funding for districts to make the switch to electric school buses. While this is a good start, this is just a drop in the bucket of what is needed to fully electrify school buses across the country. Other critical investments are waiting on Congressional action. As of now, the House has passed the Build Back Better Act, and we are waiting for Senate negotiations in hopes for it to be passed by March 1, 2022 and consequently signed by president Biden. This is a critical time for low income communities and people of color. We must continue to urge Congress to #BuildBackBetter now because our communities cannot wait any longer. Join Chispa’s Efforts This is just the beginning of what was once just thought five years ago. Together as a community, we can do so much more with accountability to leaders and #CommunityPower to provide a more promising future for not just younger generations, but for all! To stay up to date, sign up to our email list for news and updates and help us
Driving the Movement for a Clean Ride for Kids Read More »
In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, families and communities also faced turbulence in surviving floods from New York City to New Orleans and wildfires all over the Southwest and California. This year continues to remind us that the climate crisis is in fact already upon us. Extreme weather is already the world’s leading cause of displacement: three times more than conflict and nine times more than persecution. Scientists predict mass migration in the next thirty years due to climate change, displacing the people who are already bearing the biggest brunt of the effects of environmental racism and systemic oppression. Human mobility due to climate-related disasters and events, often called “Climate Migration,” refers to the mobilization of people (often entire communities) who are forced or compelled to leave their homes due to climate-related disasters or environmental changes that make their habitual homes no longer safe or adequate to live in. Our immigrant communities carry an extensive history of exposing the reality of this climate crisis and its devastating consequences. Despite our decades of efforts, politicians and community leaders are just now beginning to wake up and endorse our call to action. I’m a proud immigrant from Guatemala, a country that has seen the destruction caused by climate change first hand as hundreds of thousands of people seek relief from extreme drought and storm patterns and the hardships that follow, like poverty and food insecurity. This displacement continuously separates and rips families aparts in their quest for survival. Through this disheartening reality, stories like mine become a generational cycle; I was separated from my ancestral lands and my family – our rich history of subsistence agriculture ended with our departure from Guatemala. The climate crisis and the harms it causes do not exist in a silo; environmental injustices are linked to racial, gender, reproductive, health, voting, and so many more inequities. We often think of environmental and climate justice as land-focused movements that are disconnected from people-centered justice, but that is far from true. Environmental justice – particularly as it relates to climate justice – is inherently tied to the fight for human and civil rights. And, as we see more and more wildfires, hurricanes, once-in-a-century storms, floods, and other climate disasters, there is a clear connection between the environmental justice we seek and the immigration justice our allies seek for our communities. Our work must go hand in hand because our fight is intersectional. We must shift our climate action solutions to no longer address singular or isolated issues, and instead, make bold changes to structures and systems that caused the injustice in the first place. A sustainable, equitable future for Latinx includes the dignity of stability and freedom from the fear of the next looming climate disaster. The climate crisis knows no borders, so why do our climate solutions? One thing is for certain: our movements await critical and timely action from Congress on both immigration and climate relief. Despite increasing support, we were unable to include citizenship in the Build Back Better Act in the House, and we are left to hope that the existing provisions, including work permits and other critical benefits, remain in the Senate’s version of the bill, so that at least some relief comes to our undocumented community. We cannot address the climate crisis without addressing immigration rights and reform. Congress sets our country up for future failure and turmoil if we do not address the ways in which climate disasters are disproportionately harming immigrant communities. Getting our respective priorities into the final Build Back Better Act package, legislation, or other legislative vehicles should not be a competition for who gets the best or biggest piece of the pie. Justice for our communities is an and instead of an or; we need both a pathway to citizenship and bold investment in immediate climate action to ensure our future generations can benefit from a safer, more equitable country – particularly for the Latinx community as we face xenophobic narrative and policies, underrepresentation in government and in the media (and overrepresentation of harmful stereotypes), and targeted disinformation in both English and Spanish. This is a historic opportunity to stand together and ensure that pandemic rebuilding efforts and revisioning of a more just future include relief for our communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to decades of disinvestment, discriminatory practices, higher pollution burdens, inequitable access to healthcare, and so much more. The millions of undocumented and differently documented people and families in the U.S., as well as the millions who will be displaced in the coming years due to extreme weather and the climate crisis, need a reliable mechanism of safety, certainty, and sustainability – and they need leaders who are willing to work together today to build our communities better for tomorrow. About the author Alejandra Ramírez-Zárate, National Campaigns Manager, Chispa LCV a grassroots community organizing program in the fight for climate justice. Alejandra Ramírez-Zárate is a civil rights leader dedicated to achieving greater racial and economic equity for marginalized communities. She works to advance democracy reforms that reduce barriers for participation, empower low-income people of color to participate in policy decision-making processes, and increase government responsiveness to their needs. Alejandra is a proud immigrant from Jutiapa, Guatemala and grew up in Los Angeles, CA.
Let’s Build Back Better For All Read More »
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