Arizona: Can movements defeat Trump?

Stephanie Maldonado is a first generation Mexican-American who grew up in a mixed-status home, with two U.S Citizen siblings, a Permanent Resident father and an undocumented mother. After her mom self-deported in 2012 and her family was separated, she felt the urge to get involved.

Since then, Stephanie led three statewide campaigns to help register over 490K voters and counting in Arizona, and she was also instrumental in the victory to unseat former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, pass Prop 206, and electing progressive POC in local and state elections.

Gina Mendez is a first generation Chicana. Her family moved in 2004 from San Jose, California to Arizona to find work. In 2006, Gina was part of Arizona’s first student walkouts at Cesar Chavez High School, joining students across the country to protest the discriminatory anti-immigration bill, HR4437. This was her introduction to movement work.

Her organizing journey began when she volunteered for economic justice for the Fight for 15 campaign. Since 2016, she has led Civic Engagement and Youth organizers at ACE & LUCHA. She is currently the statewide Field Director with the VOTEria AZ Campaign. Oppression is real and so is the fight within our communities. Our people are resilient, and so are our ancestors, Gina’s work is about survival and the fight for liberation for our people to exist.