Fernando Garcia
Rather than an activist, Fernando Garcia sees himself as an organizer. As the Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights, he describes his work as “transforming personal relations into political relationships.” The Border Network for Human Rights seeks to build a movement of rights promotion, educate the community, and build freedom through their network. Members of the network train and teach each other to promote US and UN declared rights. The organization provides technical support to these members as well as organizing demonstrations and responses to rights violations.
Reflecting on how he came to help organize the BNHR in response to series of conflicts with Border Patrol, Garcia said, “I think there is a whole library of organizing out there but from that I just couldn’t get enough to actually bring to this situation we are dealing with. Members of our community that were extremely afraid that they were, they didn’t feel that they were empowered, they did not feel that they were the subjects of change.”
The BNHR now supports nearly 4,000 individuals, in West Texas and Southern New Mexico who are not only change makers but network weavers.
Ursula Avila
Ursula Avila is a member of Soñados Juntos, El Paso’s chapter of United We Dream. A recent graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso and DREAMer herself, Ursula works to build a community of young activists, organizers, and DREAMers through the organization. Ursula shares her story of immigrating at age five and coming to understand what that means for her life today. Part of that story is her LGBT identity:
“I’m also part of the LGBT community. I felt like I had to come out of two closets and they are both very different but similar. When I came out as bisexual, it was something that I found out as I grew up, when I came out, I realized, “Oh, this is an identity, this is who I am.” and being an immigrant was something I always knew I was different and I had to accommodate to a different culture while still having your own, still speaking Spanish.”
The community she works to build through Soñados Juntos provides not only a space to share these stories but also to take collective action. While being a member for less than one year, Ursula frequently steps into spotlight and shares at events at college and high schools throughout the area. While this activity may put her security at risk, she seeks to change the culture and realities that DREAMers face: “Knowing that there’s more of us that are thinking of it in a better way and hoping for a better tomorrow, and a tomorrow after that one.”
David Flores
Known throughout the borderland for his murals, David Flores is a visual artist and founder of the artist collective, Colectivo Rezizte. While the collective is based in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Flores and the other artists work throughout the United States and Mexico.
Well established as an independent commercial artist, Flores works through Colectivo Reziste to disrupt narratives and images of the border to serve border communities. Recently, Flores worked with residents in a border community in El Paso:
“Most of the people who lived in Durangito lived there legally but had lived there all their lives so that was, that’s why it was really hard for them, they had all their lives liven there and they displaced them. And nowadays, there’s only two ladies living there, it’s really a big example for the rest of the community. So collaborating with them, in any way I can, sometimes I’m out of town but I do some designs. We print shirts, stickers, and spread out the word; everywhere we go, we talk about our problems. We carry the border with us, everywhere we go.”
