KALW's series of live events called The Bay Agenda brings community leaders together to discuss how the world is changing and how their organizations are meeting the moment.
At this event, KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny joined co-moderator Erica Hellerstein from El Timpano to discuss how Bay Area immigration advocates are addressing new challenges. Panelists include:
Geraldine Alcid, the Executive Director of Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ). FAJ’s mission is to build a strong and empowered Filipino community by organizing constituents, developing leaders, providing services, and advocating for policies that promote social and economic justice and equity.
Eduardo Garcia, the Policy Director at the Latino Community Foundation, where he leads efforts to advance policy solutions that improve the lives of California’s Latino community. He plays a key role in implementing the Latino Power Fund, the Foundation’s initiative to strengthen Latino-led grassroots organizations and mobilize Latino leaders and voters for lasting civic and political change.
Jane Pak is Co-Executive Director at Refugee and Immigrant Transitions. She is Adjunct Professor in the Master in Migration Studies program at the University of San Francisco; and she holds a public seat on the State Advisory Council for the Refugee Program Bureau, California Department of Social Services.
Erica Hellerstein is an award-winning journalist with more than a decade of experience reporting on global human rights issues. She has reported from Africa, Latin America, Europe, and across the United States, writing about politics, gender, labor, historical memory, and the ways geographies real and constructed shape popular opinion and culture.
The event also included live printmaking from The Sanctuary City Project, a collaborative artistic initiative led by artists Sergio De La Torre and Chris Treggiari, focusing on issues of immigration, sanctuary policies, and the experiences of immigrant communities in the United States. Through public interventions, participatory installations, workshops, and printmaking, the project engages with communities to amplify immigrant voices, foster dialogue, and challenge anti-immigrant narratives. By incorporating historical research, contemporary activism, and community storytelling, The Sanctuary City Project creates spaces for reflection and civic engagement, emphasizing the role of art in social justice movements.
