Ep 19: Representation in Nonprofits and Immigrant Justice with Atenas Burrola
Atenas Burrola joins the CGH to talk about her work at the Immigrant Justice Campaign working for and with immigrants and offering legal representation to ensure they receive fair and just treatment under the law. We also talk about nonprofits can think about their connection to the community they serve and how nonprofits can navigate advocacy work as a registered 501(c)3. We begin the episode discussing the importance of representation among five areas of your nonprofit: board of directors, staff leadership, front line staff, donors, and volunteers. Roger’s trivia question asks you to dig into the history of the iconic 80s band The Clash.
Key Takeaways
Representation in nonprofits should be examined across five different stakeholder groups: board, staff leadership, front line staff, donors, and volunteers.
Racial representation matters. Having your organization look like the community it serves is critical for both building trust and credibility while also making for more effective decision-making
Representation should be considered broadly. We think most about racial representation, but it’s also important to consider diversity across other areas like gender, language, culture, age, ability, and more.
Immigrants need lawyers! Those seeking asylum are much more likely to win their case when they receive representation. But it’s not about lawyers “saving” - it’s about working with immigrants as they take steps forward to win their case.
Nonprofits need to be connected to community. Atenas shares a great example of language access, and how staff members who have direct interactions (e.g. receptionist) need to be able to speak the language of those who they serve. Who is your nonprofit listening to today?
Nonprofits can engage in advocacy and limited lobbying efforts.. Atenas shares how the IJC has worked to call out unjust policies and also demand that immigration agencies actually carry out the law as it is written.
Title 42 has effectively eliminated most immigration as a result of Covid-19, and is continuing to cause damage to immigrant communities and lawful asylum seekers. the IJC is continuing to advocate fora a change to this policy to allow for greater opportunities for asylum seekers to seek and obtain their right to seek asylum.
Resources and Links
Our Guest
Atenas Burrola is an immigration lawyer and advocate who fights for and with immigrants. She has worked with immigrants, asylum seekers and in immigration detention across the US-Mexico border and the South. She currently works as the Pro Bono Manager at the Immigration Justice Campaign, whose mission is to end immigration detention in the US. She is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and in her spare time travels, reads books, and goes to brunch.
