Crossposted from the NAKA Dance Theater blog. 

Latina Immigrants united against racism, discrimination and hate

Tu Lucha es Mi Lucha (Your Struggle is My Struggle) is a project of NAKA Dance Theater, in collaboration with Mujeres Unidas y Activas, which began in October 2020. We recognize and reflect on the racist practices and modes of expression that exist within us, with the intention of understanding why racism, discrimination and xenophobia exist in the Latina community. We ask ourselves why it is so difficult to free ourselves of our prejudices and entrenched ways of thinking; they have become so naturalized and are apparent in our daily interactions.

We are a group of Latina immigrants who understand what it is like to face discrimination, to be belittled and underestimated, and to experience hatred. We also know what it means to fight for equal opportunity in order to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. Our rights are violated every day, but despite the adversity and obstacles, we do not give up. We continue to raise or voices, demanding our rights.

For that reason, today we also want to raise our voice out of respect and solidarity with the Asian community in response to the events that occurred in Atlanta — and for all events in which racist and xenophobic violence tries to silence and harm us.

Our group seeks solidarity and empathetic unity with folks of all communities and identities, without distinction of race, gender, class, age, religion or political inclination. We work toward a just, egalitarian and discrimination-free society.

We demand justice for the victims of this racist and inequitable society.

—  Agustina Amiconi, Cindia Martínez, Ana Muñoz y María Vicente
Tu Lucha es Mi Lucha Community Leaders

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Tu Lucha es Mi Lucha is supported by Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation. The Just City Cultural Fund is a unique public-private partnership of the East Bay Community Foundation, the Akonadi Foundation, and Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Division. The Fund is supported by the Surdna Foundation’s national initiative Radical Imagination for Racial Justice and additional funding from the Akonadi Foundation.