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Immigrants' Rights

“What is most important is the communication and trust between ILA and American Friends, as well as our shared mission of community education. The support of American Friends has been very important to us; and we are contributing our knowledge, our testimonies, our culture. It’s a reciprocal relationship.” - Maria Luisa Bautista, Founder and Coordinator, Inmigrantes Latinos en Acción

AFSC-Austin supports emerging immigrant community leaders and organizations, thereby contributing to the growing Immigrants’ Rights movement. In a partnership entering its sixth year, AFSC-Austin joins Inmigrantes Latinos en Acción (ILA)  in applying a popular education approach. AFSC also extends technical support to ILA in organizational and leadership development.

Proyecto Monarca (Project Monarch): Inmigrantes Latinos en Acción (ILA) offers a comprehensive immigrants’ rights and leadership development program to Spanish-speaking immigrants in Austin and surrounding communities supported by the AFSC-Austin office. Read more…

Organizational Development The Austin office helps equip ILA members with skills in community organizing, program planning, media relations, and board development. AFSC-Austin shares its office space with ILA, facilitating this close relationship.

Networks and Coalitions: AFSC-Austin supports a strong role for the Austin immigrant community in local and state-wide networks and coalitions. AFSC-Austin and ILA are among the founding members of the Austin Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, which grew out of the 2006 rallies. AFSC and ILA are currently enriching the community education component of Coalition events.

Popular Education: Josefina Castillo, AFSC-Austin Program Coordinator and popular education facilitator, forms part of the Colectivo Flatlander. The Collective is comprised of four facilitators applying popular education methods to strengthen immigrant community organizing in Texas and beyond.

‘Train the Trainers’: Colectivo Flatlander offers ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops to immigrant community leaders and organizers from Texas and Colorado in a four-day annual event. Popular education facilitators engage participants in an ongoing dialogue on issues facing immigrants, root causes, and effective organizing strategies. Specific topics vary from year to year. Participants gain skills in community organizing, applying a popular education approach. See Immigrants Under Siege: Creating Safe Places to Affirm Our Humanity.

For further information on Proyecto Monarca, please contact Maria Luisa Bautista at Inmigrantes Latinos en Acción, Tel: 512-474-2399.

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