Erika Andiola
Erika Andiola is an immigration rights activist located in Metropolitan Phoenix.[1] She is the Chief Advocacy Officer for the organization RAICES. Her previous political roles include Political Director for the organization Our Revolution,[2] Press Secretary for Latino Outreach in Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign,[3] and Congressional staffer for then-Representative Kyrsten Sinema.[4] Much of Andiola's work has been driven by her own journey as an undocumented Mexican female immigrant.[1]
Biography
[edit]Andiola's mother brought her, and her brother and sister, into the United States from Mexico, in 1998, when Andiola was 11 years old.[5][6][7] They were fleeing domestic violence.[8] Andiola graduated with a degree in psychology from Arizona State University (ASU) in 2009.[9] During the time the US Senate was deliberating on the Development, Relief, and Education for Minors Act (Dream Act), Andiola came forward publicly as a Dreamer.[10] In 2012 she was granted a deportation reprieve.[11]
Andiola co-founded the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, which is "an immigrant, youth-led organization focusing on the fight for higher education and immigrant rights."[12] In Arizona, she made a name for herself by confronting politicians who supported anti-immigration policies.[10] She has also served in the National Coordinating Committee and the Board of Directors for the United We Dream Network.[13]
In 2013 her mother and brother were detained and nearly deported after a raid at Erika Andiola's Arizona home.[14] She posted a video about her family's detainment on YouTube and it went viral.[8] It was through Andiola's close work with the immigration officers that her family was able to remain in the country.[14] Also in 2013, Andiola played the role of one of the two mothers in the music video, "El Hielo," directed by Alex Rivera.[15] In 2013, she became an outreach staffer for Representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix).[10] Later, she was moved to Sinema's Washington, D.C. office.[10] She started working as a triage caseworker with the Guatemalan consulate in 2015.[10] In 2016, she was hired to work for the Bernie Sanders campaign for president as a Latino outreach strategist for the Southwest United States.[8]
In 2018, she was involved in a protest at the Texas State Capitol against rescinding DACA in Texas.[16] Andiola was involved in the group Our Revolution's decision to part ways with Tezlyn Figaro, whose Fox News appearances and tweets criticized the Democratic Party’s focus on “illegal immigrants.”[17]
In 2020, she and RAICES Communication Manager Lucia Allain interrupted Joe Biden's closing statement at the Nevada Democratic primary debate.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Is It Possible to Resist Deportation in Trump's America?". Source of the Week. 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ "Our Revolution Statement on Trump's Attack on Immigrant Families and Progressive States". Our Revolution. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ "Erika's Story". Home is Here. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "Capitol Hill staffer quits job to fight mom's deportation in Arizona". Cronkite News. 2013-12-04.
- ^ "Erika Andiola Says Dreamers Know How to Push Biden". The Texas Observer. 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ Cassata, Donna (18 April 2012). "GOP Weighs Migrant Plan". Arizona Republic. p. A1. Retrieved 2018-11-11 – via Newspapers.com. and "Immigration". Arizona Republic. 18 April 2012. p. A4. Retrieved 2018-11-11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Meyer, Kimberly (25 October 2019). "The Women of RAICES Are Making Immigrants' Voices Heard". Glamour. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ a b c Nevarez, Griselda (2015-11-02). "Arizona Immigration Activist Hired to Work for Bernie Sanders Campaign". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ Nevarez, Griselda (21 September 2010). "Illegal immigrant students' hopes dashed with DREAM Act's failure in U.S". Arizona Capitol Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Hing, Julianne (2016). "Dreams No Longer Deferred". Nation. 302 (6): 16–21 – via EBSCOhost.
- ^ Foley, Elise (2013-01-11). "Erika Andiola, Undocumented Immigrant Activist, Urges ICE To Free Her Detained Family". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- ^ "ADAC – Arizona DREAM Act Coalition". theadac.org. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ "Erika Andiola". dacaseminar.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ a b Cindy Y. Rodriguez; Janet DiGiacomo. "Agents take mother of immigration activist in night home raid". CNN. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ Fernandez, Valeria (3 May 2013). "'El Hielo": Music Video Inspires Immigrant Rights Activists, Goes Viral". La Prensa San Diego. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Immigrants Arrested Near Capitol During DACA Protest". The Texas Tribune. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Sanders-founded group likely to part with staffer who tweeted about 'illegal immigrants'". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ "What Protesters Shouted at the Nevada Democratic Debate". Time. 2020-02-19.