Organizing with the Fam w / Kristina Tendilla

(S3, EP 9) Kristina Tendilla joins me as my guest for this Season 3's theme "Where Do We Stand?"  Kristina is a queer Filipinx-American community organizer in Chicago and current Executive Director of AFIRE (Alliance of Filipino Immigrant Rights and Empowerment).  She discusses what prompted her to be involved in community organizing, and her role with AFIRE, particularly with elders and careworkers affected by Covid-19.  She talks about the challenges in having difficult conversations with the Filipinx / API community on anti-Black racism and colorism, and the critical need to involve her community on key issues for this upcoming election.  Check out this episode to learn more about Kristina's work!  Recorded on July 9th. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks to my sponsor, Lawrence and Argyle, a Viet-American owned merchandise line representing immigrant empowerment. Get yourself a pin, hoodie or t-shirt and show off your immigrant pride. Visit them at www.lawrenceandargyle.com or on Instagram @lawrenceandargyle or on their Facebook page.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bio: Kristina Tendilla (she/they) has been a life long Filipinx organizer and community worker. Most recently, Kristina was a national organizer with the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum working with chapters across the country to fight for reproductive justice. Before that, they were a community organizer with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago for several years working on the city and state level. Kristina joined i2i to build solidarity with the queer and trans AAPI community. For 10 years, Kristina organized alongside families and people in the immigrant and refugee community to engage in the fight around worker rights, healthcare access, Illinois TRUST Act, rejecting anti-Muslim and xenophobic executive orders, & other immigrant/racial justice issues. Kristina was recognized as a National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum Everyday SHEroe and a Chicago Women and Femme to Celebrate. Through their work and other LGBTQIA+ AAPIs, i2i received the National Queer Asian American Pacific Islander Alliance Advocacy Award in 2016.  Kristina is currently the Executive Director with AFIRE (Alliance of Filipino Immigrant Rights and Empowerment) since 2019.