Last month, I was invited to speak at a celebration hosted by the Indonesian community as part of a Day of Action for Immigrant Justice. I was glad for an opportunity to express gratitude and admiration for all that had come to life as we worked together over the past several years in pursuit of liberation, dignity, and well-being for all of our community members. I thanked our Indonesian friends for being our teachers and guides.

Pedro Sosa is the director of AFSC’s Project Voice Immigrant Rights Program in Oregon and Washington, where AFSC works with immigrant communities in organizing and advocating for policies that respect their rights and dignity. We talked with Pedro about supporting communities affected by wildfires in Oregon as they continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19 and immigration enforcement. 

Q: How have the recent wildfires affected the communities you work with?