History

Throughout our history, MUA has strongly maintained its mission: strengthening of Latina immigrant women and activism in defense of immigrant rights and social justice. Many organizations and communities around the country recognize MUA’s political work. MUA has helped hundreds of women get out of situations of domestic violence, become strong leaders and take an active role in the movement for immigrant rights and social justice.  Everything that MUA has achieved since its founding is a result of the great commitment and sacrifices of our members.  Many women have been members of MUA over the years and each one has left her mark on the organization.

1989

SFSU Social Work students Chris Hogeland and Karen Rosen recruit local immigrant leaders Clara Luz Navarro and María Olea to interview 345 Latina immigrant women for the “Lost Dreams/Found Dreams” study sponsored by the Immigrant Women Working Group of the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NCCIR).

1990-1992

Navarro and Olea join with 8 study participants to found Mujeres Unidas y Activas, a project of NCCIR, holding weekly meetings, graduating 14 women from our first leadership training and launching a popular theater project that informs the community about AIDS, domestic violence and immigrant and worker rights.

1993-1997

MUA wins protections for immigrant women survivors in the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), mobilizes against anti-immigrant Proposition 187, rallies against national proposals for welfare and immigration reforms and successfully fights against Pete Wilson's attempts to eliminate immigrant women's right to receive prenatal care. MUA launches “Caring Hands” in 1994 to strengthen immigrant women's access to employment. 

1998-2000

MUA achieves its dream of opening its second office in Oakland, organizes trainings with parent leaders of the Chinese Progressive Association, wages a successful campaign to improve immigrant parents’ rights in the San Francisco school district and begins offering technical assistance through the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

2001-2003

NCCIR closes its doors and the Women's Foundation of California becomes MUA's fiscal sponsor. MUA begins a strategic planning process, launches “Muchachitas Activas,” a leadership program for the daughters of MUA members, implements a new leadership training curriculum and organizes a community campaign to draw attention to gaps in services translation in hospitals and clinics in Alameda County.

2004-2006

MUA completes its two-year strategic planning process, selects its first Board of Directors, becomes an independent 501(c)(3) organization, trains fifty members each year to work as Peer Counselors, Group Facilitators, and Community Organizers, and leads our first statewide legislative campaign for the Domestic Worker Rights (AB2536) bill, which passes through the California legislature only to be vetoed by the Governor.

2007-2009

MUA responds to increased immigration attacks by founding Oakland Sin Fronteras, joining the The San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Educational Services Network, taking to the streets in protest and increasing community education efforts. MUA also publishes “Behind Closed Doors,” a report revealing widespread abuses in California's domestic worker industry, joins 12 organizations to found the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), is chosen to be the fiscal sponsor of NDWA, member of the Coordinating Committee, and organizes the first West Coast Domestic Workers Congress for 300 workers representing 20 organizations.

2010-2013

MUA expands staff, membership, budget and offices, launches new grassroots fundraising program and completes second strategic plan. MUA brings services to thousands of women each year through new collaborations with Ruby's Place and the launch of our newsupport line (ALMA) in Spanish. MUA's organizing efforts range from local to international as we successfully lead efforts to win the California Domestic Workers Rights Act, pass the Trust Act to end the Secure Communities program and the collaboration between ICE and police in California, co-found and co-lead ACUDIR, demonstrate and march to demand a Path to Citizenship for all immigrants, an end to deportations and vote in favor of the approval of an International Convention on the Rights of Domestic Workers at the International Labor Organization. 

2014-2015

MUA leads statewide efforts to engage 10% of the state’s domestic workers in our movement and implement our Domestic Worker Bill of Rights via our Dignity in Action education and enforcement campaign, reaching hundreds of workers through street outreach and the formation of our new Comite Semillas in communities such as Concord, San Jose and Hayward; expand in efforts to ensure language access in San Francisco; prepare our members to obtain licenses via AB 60 and get ready to support thousands of members and their families to apply for administrative relief via DAPA. MUA’s peer-led domestic violence and sexual assault programs continue to grow via new partnerships and the continuation of our peer-led counseling program. And the 25th anniversary gala is a smashing success.

2016-2019

MUA leads another statewide push for the California Domestic Workers Rights Act, which is ultimately passed into permanent state law in 2016. MUA responds to the changing political climate and increased threat of deportations by working to strengthen local and state sanctuary laws, including the passage of AB54 (the California VALUES Act) and AB32 (ending private immigration detention contracts in California). MUA also co-founds ACILEP (Alameda County Association for Immigrant Legal Education) and works to strengthen sanctuary policies throughout Alameda County. MUA members lead numerous protests against family separation and in 2018, the MUA Defenders project is launched to support women seeking asylum and/or facing deportation. In 2018, Juana Flores, Co-Director and founding member of MUA, becomes the sole Executive Director, a milestone in member leadership. In 2019, a new campaign is launched to defend the right to asylum for survivors of domestic violence and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes a resolution supporting this right. MUA's services and training programs continue to grow, first through two pilot programs in Fremont and Hayward and, in 2018, through the consolodation of those programs into a more permanent location in Union City. MUA staff develop curriculum to train mainstream agencies in providing culturally sensitive services to immigrant survivors through the Culturally Responsive Domestic Violence Network and travel throughout the state providing training to staff members at domestic violence victim shelters and law enforcement agencies.

2020 and Beyond

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, MUA shifts all its programs to operate remotely. Hundreds of MUA members lose their jobs and many of them become ill from COVID-19. MUA works with allies to set up food distribution to members who are hungry, and begins distributing cash relief through the MUA COVID-19 Immigrant Families Relief Fund, eventually channeling over $800,000 to current and former participants who are out of work and struggling. Through regular Facebook Live workshops, online training and coaching programs and targeted social media outreach, MUA membership continues to grow. MUA organizers and members learn how to mobilize the Latinx vote and conduct policy advocacy through digital outreach campaigns. Beginning in 2020, MUA and the California Domestic Worker Coalition began a major campaign to pass and enforce a statewide Domestic Worker Health and Safety Act, and win the first ever state budget appropriations for state-mandated domestic worker and employer outreach and education. Having fought for over 30 years for racial, gender and economic justice, MUA will not back down.