What can we do to support communities facing anti-Asian violence?  Our colleague Alejandra Cruz took the time to sit with this question after a discussion came up at the Law Center about the increased incidents of violence over the past few weeks.  Many ideas emerged: We could do more to uplift movements working to end anti-Asian violence; we could bring in speakers and educators on the subject; and we could share the history of anti-Asian laws here in the US.

Ultimately, through her reflections, Alejandra reminded us that solidarity across race, ethnicity, class, and gender is fundamental to the solidarity economy movement. We’ve always been doing the work.

In campaigns to liberate housing from the speculative market,
In the inclusive and democratic bylaws of worker co-ops we support,
In the space we hold for other worker-self directed organizations,
In the spirit of all our teach-ins, workshops, webinars, and legal cafes, 
In the political advocacy for marginalized communities to own and control their own energy and power sources, 

Solidarity is integral to the DNA of this organization and this movement.

Solidarity and Stewardship: Addressing Anti-Asian Violence by Lifting-up Food and Farmworkers in the Central Valley

California’s rich food culture owes much to the Filipinx, Hmong, Lao, Sikh, and many other Southeast Asian agricultural workers who have stewarded the land for generations. Equally important, Asian agricultural workers up and down the state have farmed and organized alongside Latinx agricultural workers. Mexican and Filipino solidarity is the foundation of California’s agricultural workers rights movement, and for Law Center Staff Attorney Alejandra Cruz, so much more.

Alejandra grew up in California’s Central Valley in a family of agricultural workers that were both Mexican and Filipino. She shares that community care was so strong that “solidarity was in our bones”, which helped her thrive despite economic insecurity and a racist school system. In this blog post, she shares the stories of deep care and solidarity of her childhood community as inspiration for us to move from exploitation to collective ownership to rematriation and liberation.

The toolkit is here!

Last month, our client Jocelyn Foreman was the first person to successfully purchase her home utilizing CA law SB 1079! (Listen to her inspiring story or read about it here.) We learned so much in the process — how to track a Notice of Trustee's Sale, how to give Notice of Intent to purchase, how to actually make an SB 1079 purchase — that we decided to consolidate all our learning into this handy toolkit.The toolkit includes a thorough breakdown of Jocelyn’s winning bid as a case study; a recorded workshop on understanding your SB 1079 rights; step-by-step instructions on how to make an SB 1079 purchase; and legal templates. Whether you’re a potential tenant buyer, community organizer, or someone interested in new ways of stopping corporate land grabs, this toolkit will have something for you.

Help Liberate Esther's Orbit Room 🌘🌗🌖🌕🌔🌓🌒

Our friends and partners at East Bay Permanente Real Estate Cooperative are in contract to purchase the historic Oakland cultural hub, Esther’s Orbit Room! Read why they’ve taken on this project and don’t forget to liberate some $$$ here to support this important venture. 
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EB PREC is also looking for a Project Manager! They're now hiring someone to lead an anti-displacement outreach, education, and organizing project focused in East Oakland. They are seeking someone committed to East Oakland who can take on the management, administration, and delivery of a complex, four-year project with specific key deliverables. The full job description is available on their website. Applications are due to [email protected] by June 4th and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to submit early.