Last week, our partners at Faith in Action invited ECCO to send an immigrant essential worker to the 4th of July White House Celebration in Washington, DC.! The White House plans to highlight the central contribution that immigrants, regardless of legal status, made to communities across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigrants served on the front lines of this national crisis by providing care work, food, service, health care and other valuable labor to help the U.S. persevere, despite many vulnerabilities and risks to their own health and well-being, and while being denied most forms of public assistance.
Of all the affiliates across the country, Faith in Action called ECCO to represent the immigrant community. This honor and vote of confidence in our leaders and our organizing efforts is humbling. It makes me deeply proud of and grateful for the inspiring work that YOU, the entire ECCO community, have accomplished! We are setting a standard for our national network!
So, today, I am accompanying ECCO leader Yoselyn and her two daughters to the White House Celebration on July 4th! Yocelyn is from the Domincan Republic, and has been a key leader in our immigration advocacy, including testifying at the Essential Workers Act Roundtable Discussion with Senator Elizabeth Warren in February!
Yocelyn's invitation to the White House
Yocelyn and her daughters (age 18 and 15) are beyond ecstatic! Having lived with the feeling of being trespassers due to their immigration status, this invitation signals to them that they BELONG, that they are SEEN, and that they have DIGNITY!
I know that we still have a lot of work to do to achieve immigrant justice and human rights in our state and in our country, but at this moment, I am awed to witness the power of our collective organizing. We are showing our people that even though they may sometimes FEEL pained and powerless, we are deeply powerful when we work together, raise our voices and call out injustice to create a shared vision for a better future.
Be assured that we will bring the strength and vision we have created collectively at ECCO to speak TRUTH to POWER this 4th of July at the White House.
To support our continued work to raise up the voices of our immigrant leaders, please consider making a donation to ECCO.
With Trust in Our Collective Power,
Alexandra Pineros Shields, Ph.D.
Executive Director