Over the past few months, the political climate in the United States has taken a sharp turn toward division and fear under the Donald Trump administration. From small-business owners to federal workers, from teachers and students to LGBTQ+ people, few communities have been spared the effects of federal executive orders rescinding economic and human rights.
Immigrants and refugees are among the most targeted groups. Immigrants are essential to the economic and cultural fabric of this country, but they often are the first people to be scapegoated during periods of turmoil or upheaval.
Immigrant communities are…resisting by leaning into joy and hope, and drawing power from advancing education, developing business enterprise, and building community.
Oregon communities have not been immune from this. Indeed, Oregon is the site of a major legal challenge to ICE detention efforts of immigrants in churches and schools, based on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the right of free assembly.
However, lawsuits do not tell the whole story. In their daily lives, immigrants must continue to live their lives and act on behalf of their families, despite the fear of being racially profiled and wrongly detained at any moment.
In fact, even as discrimination intensifies, Latine and other immigrant communities are brimming with strength and resolve. They are resisting by leaning into joy and hope, and drawing power from advancing education, developing business enterprises, and building community. Organizations like Adelante Mujeres in Washington County, just west of Portland, are helping immigrants respond not with fear, but with action, courage, and care.
A Legacy of Strength in the Face of Adversity
Anti-immigrant sentiment has long been woven into US history. Yet there is also a legacy of immigrant resilience, labor, and leadership.
Today, immigrants, refugees, and their families are vital contributors to the nation’s neighborhoods, schools, and economy. Latines in particular are a large percentage of the immigrant and refugee community—about 45 percent of 47.8 million US immigrants in 2023 and 19.1 percent of the overall national population. Other than non-Latine White people, they form the nation’s single largest racial or ethnic group. In Oregon, Latines represent 18.7 percent of the population, with a growing and vibrant presence in places like Washington County, where one in six Oregon Latines reside.
At the heart of the work is a belief that there is safety in community; we take a whole-community approach that centers healing, knowledge, and mutual support.
Women in the Latine community, in particular, play a critical role. In the US economy, Latinas alone contributed $1.3 trillion to the nation’s GDP in 2021—a 50 percent increase in just 10 years, according to a California Lutheran University report. Latinas also represent 30.2 percent of the growth in the US labor force growth since 2010, despite only making up 9.3 percent of the population. Behind these statistics are stories of survival, strength, and success.
Immigrants in Oregon play an outsized role in agriculture, healthcare, education, and small businesses, but they remain targets of harmful rhetoric and policies. They are not standing still. Instead, immigrants are working on the front lines to create spaces where people feel seen, safe, and supported.
Community Is Our Resistance
For nearly 25 years, Adelante Mujeres, where I work, has been a cornerstone organization in Oregon, nurturing leadership and advocating for justice, with a focus on empowering Latinas through holistic programs.
At the heart of the work is a belief that there is safety in community; we take a whole-community approach that centers healing, knowledge, and mutual support.
For example, Carlos López Bravo, an immigrant from Guatemala who arrived in the United States in 2023, is a business program manager at Adelante Mujeres.
For Bravo, developing businesses is embedded in building community: Helping a community member stand up a business is not just about helping business owners with the technical matters of taxes, finance, marketing, accounting, and business planning, it is also about building a sense of common purpose and community. As Bravo told NPQ, “In a time of uncertainty and challenge—especially for immigrant communities—feeling part of something collective holds immeasurable value.”
Leadership Rooted in Lived Experience
From entrepreneurs to civic leaders to community advocates, Oregon’s Latine community is full of people who are shaping the futures of their communities.
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One of those leaders is Anabertha A. Martínez, a longtime advocate who immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, in 1994. With over 30 years of experience in health and community education, including in Portland Public Schools, Martínez embodies the strength and vision of many leaders in our community—and the realized potential when they get together.
“Being a woman in this world is difficult,” she told NPQ. “But finding a group who believes we can get ahead on our own…is empowering.”
“I want to live in a world that is fairer, more just, and more equitable, especially for other newly arrived immigrants,” Martínez reflected. She added, “My dream is that people who arrive in this country find somewhere to belong, a community to belong to, and a place where they feel heard.”
Immigrant families often tap into their power through education. Elizabeth Gomez, a mother and community advocate, reflected on ways education has impacted her family.
“For me, language is a barrier, but I am taking English classes and empowering myself,” she shared with NPQ. “I also take GED and leadership classes. I participate in workshops to help raise my children and support their education.”
“We need to raise our voices,” Gomez emphasized. “We need to remember that we are not alone. It is very important that we not only learn but also have the tools to advocate for ourselves.”
What Allies Can Do
“We need to remember that we are not alone. It is very important that not only we learn but also have the tools to advocate for ourselves.”
In moments like these, solidarity matters, and allies can play a vital role in supporting immigrant communities. Here are a few simple steps:
- Get Educated on Immigrant Rights
Knowledge is power. Learn from trusted sources. Attend community forums. Understand what DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is, how the asylum process works, and what rights immigrants have under the Constitution. Then, share that knowledge in your workplaces, schools, and homes.
- Support Immigrant-Serving Organizations
Donate to nonprofits in your community that are doing good work. Volunteer your time. Buy from immigrant-owned businesses and restaurants. Your dollars can be a form of resistance and support.
- Use Your Voice
Call out harmful rhetoric when you hear it. Amplify immigrant voices. Write to your elected officials. Be brave, be loud, and be consistent. And most of all, stay in community because there is strength in solidarity.
Forward Together
The path ahead is not without obstacles. But people in immigrant communities are not standing still. We are learning, organizing, building businesses, raising families, and speaking out. And we are not alone.
Organizations in local communities, of which Adelante Mujeres is just one of many across the nation, remind us that there is immense power in love, leadership, and local action. These efforts remind us that there is joy in resistance. That education is part of our resistance. That building and maintaining community is at the heart of our resistance.
As we move forward, let us do so with open hearts, grounded in justice, and fueled by hope. Together, we will continue to rise.
