The Trump administration’s attacks on migrants in the United States has attempted to instill fear in American citizens, immigrants, and governments worldwide. Migrants have been dehumanized in the past (this is not new), but there is an increased awareness of immigrant policies and injustices due to the administration’s hateful rhetoric, including insults targeting different migrant populations. To wrap up Season 2, Tania and Adriana touch on this topic that is close to their hearts. While it’s a heavy topic, the episode ends with positive news and solutions (as always)!

Resources for Immigrants

• Know Your Rights

Learn More

• Tania’s Article: Life at the U.S.-Mexico Border Under Trump Administration - Migrant Women Press

• Two women on Tik Tok track ICE 

• Charlottesville, NC community stands up to ICE

• Los Angeles protests against ICE

Organizations to Support

• Border Kindness

• Border Angels

• MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee 

Definitions

• Environmental justice: a social movement that addresses injustice that occurs when marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit.
• Climate justice: a type of environmental justice that focuses on the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized populations.
• Global North and Global South: terms used to categorize countries by socio-economic development, with the Global North comprising wealthy nations and the Global South including less affluent countries, reflecting global inequalities in wealth, power, and resources.
• Asylum: an asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection but has not yet been legally recognized as a refugee
• Refugee: someone who has fled due to risk of persecution or serious human rights violations and has been granted international protection.

Fatimata Chan is a poet, author, climate activist, speaker, and an award-winning scholar. She has founded multiple initiatives, published a poetry book, and takes different approaches to her activism such as through academia, policy, and art. Fatimata’s interconnected approach to human rights allows her to address multiple injustices at once, including gender inequality, racial discrimination, the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis, and more.

Fatimata grew up in the Bronx, New York City. Her upbringing in one of the most underresourced communities in the city, along with her immigrant background, inspired her to begin her activism at a young age by advocating for policy change. Her activism expanded over the years to include mutual aid efforts, community building, creating accessible spaces in academia, and spreading joy through art.

We at Closing the Gap podcast acknowledge that the Bronx lies on unceded Munsee Lenape land.

Resources

• Fatimata’s Website

• Fatimata's LinkedIn

• Fatimata’s Linktree

• Poem published by the Malala Fund: What do criminals look like? 

• Perfectly Imperfect Poetry Book on Thrift Books

People Mentioned

• Trayvon Martin

• Tamir Rice

• Sandra Bland

Organizations to Support

• The People's Forum

• BRIC Arts Media 

Definitions

• Boycotting: to refuse to buy or handle goods, or to refuse to participate in an event, as a form of protest.

• Coalition: formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal.

• Colonialism: the practice of extending and maintaining political, social, economic, and cultural domination over a territory and its people, by another group of people who claim superiority.

• Doomscrolling: the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading or watching large quantities of negative news on the web and social media.

• Gender equality: equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs equally.

• Lobbying: a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials.

• Mutual aid: an organizational model where voluntary, collaborative exchanges of resources and services for common benefit take place amongst community members to overcome social, economic, and political barriers to meeting common needs.

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Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Listen to this episode for ways to save money while supporting your values! Co-hosts Tania and Adriana share what companies they boycott and why, and which alternative companies have ethical practices they support. Many of the companies on our boycott lists have documented labor rights violations or support governments rooted in white supremacy and oppressive systems. Boycotting large corporations has opened new ways for us to reconnect with our local communities such as through mutual aid. It’s also a great excuse to find new small family-owned businesses to support. Boycotting is a great technique that has worked for many movements in the past, and it’s a great way to hold companies accountable for their practices.

Remember: the companies you choose to support should hold your values for community care and equal rights.

Resources:

• Boycott List by BDS Movement

• Boycott List by Ethical Consumer

• Anti-DEI Boycott List

• Why to boycott Chiquita and Dole

• Why to boycott Nestle

• Alternative Brands by Ethical Consumer

• 15 Ethical & Sustainable Brands by Sustainably Chic

• BuyNothing

• Listen to our previous episode “Activism, But Make It Fashionable” for clothing brands we don’t and do support

Victory! List of Starbucks stores closing this year.

Definitions

• White supremacy: the belief that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society.

• DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have are historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination based on identity or disability.

• Tipping point: the point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.

• BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction): a Palestinian campaign against Israeli apartheid.

• Mutual aid: voluntary, collaborative exchanges of resources and services for common benefit that take place amongst community members to overcome social, economic, and political barriers to meeting common needs.

• Upcycle: also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality.

• Greenwashing: a form of advertising that deceptively persuades the public that an organization's products, goals, or policies are environmentally friendly.

• Rainbow-washing: also known as pinkwashing, a form of advertising that deceptively persuades the public that a brand is sympathetic towards the LGBTQ community and supports LGBTQ+ rights.

If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.💛

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Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Welcome, Angelina Alanis! Angelina is the Communications & Partnerships Coordinator at Festival Beach Food Forest. She talks about the importance of food forests and urban green spaces in general. The Festival Beach Food Forest, based in Austin, Texas, was founded on Indigenous land stewardship practices. It’s filled with edible plants, rest spaces, and a communal gathering area under the tree canopy where different events are held, including weekly yoga sessions and monthly plant ID walks. This abundant space was intentionally designed to build community and foster a connection to the Earth. It sits next to a large highway, I-35, and is situated in a historically redlined neighborhood. The Festival Beach Food Forest illustrates the power of healing through community and urban green spaces, and is a great example for cities everywhere. 

We acknowledge that Austin, Texas lies on unceded Sana, Comanche, Coahuiltecan, and Jumanos land. 

Resources

• Festival Beach Food Forest Website

• Address: 25-1/2 Waller Street, Austin, Texas 78702

• Donate to Festival Beach Food Forest

• Instagram

• Facebook

Definitions

• Food forest: a type of garden where you grow many different fruits, nuts, herbs, and vegetables. It is designed to mimic a natural forest and has many different layers, from trees to shrubs, ground cover plants, vines, and more.

• Redlining: typically refers to the practice of creating and enforcing discriminatory policies or laws, particularly in relation to housing, lending, and access to resources. The term originates from the practice of drawing red lines on maps to outline areas that were deemed too risky for investment, often based on the racial or ethnic composition of the neighborhood.

• Permaculture: a type of agriculture intended to be self-sufficient, based on traditional practices that use natural resources and minimize waste.

• Topography: features of land surfaces or landforms

• Swales: a sunken or marshy place with gently sloping sides designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration. Bioswales are swales that involve the inclusion of plants or vegetation.

• Natives or native plants: a plant is native if it has occurred naturally for thousands of years in a region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.

• Biodiverse: Biodiversity is the variability of life on Earth. The more biodiverse an area, the more species variety there is.

If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.💛

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Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Co-hosts Adriana Maria and Tania explore diverse forms of protest, from marches and vigils to calling legislators and creating art builds. They also delve into more extreme actions like hunger strikes, showcasing the range of ways dedicated activists push for change. But protest isn’t just for full-time activists; after listening, you’ll be invited to consider which types of actions resonate with your own skills, talents, and passions. Social justice movements thrive and succeed when we all play our part, so what’s your role?Resources

• Know Your Rights | Protesters’ Rights | ACLU

• How to Protest Safely

• 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action 

• Timeline of the nationwide protest movement that began at Columbia University 

• Los Angeles Public Safety Committee Ordinance- Council File: 24-0910 

Types of Protests

• Land Back: a campaign or movement to by and for Indigenous peoples who seek to reestablish Indigenous sovereignty, with political and economic control of their ancestral lands. 

• Self-immolation: the act of setting oneself on fire. It is mostly done for political or religious reasons, often as a form of protest. It is considered one of the most extreme methods of protest.

• Collective liberation: a concept that recognizes the interconnected nature of oppression and the need for collaborative efforts to create meaningful change.

If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.💛

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Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Carol Viana (she/her) is a passionate advocate for climate justice in Brazil and beyond. Her expertise in environmental engineering and sustainable farming practices led her to work with international organizations including the Rainforest Alliance and the United Nations. Her work with these influential global entities highlights her dedication to meaningful climate solutions. In this discussion, Carol openly shares her journey, revealing the inspirations that drive her commitment to climate optimism and hope.Resources

• Sign up for Carol’s newsletter
• The Chloride Free Foundation
• YOUNGO: Youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Rainforest Alliance
• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)

Definitions

• Carbon markets: a trading scheme  designed for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In a carbon market, carbon credits are sold as permits that allow the purchaser to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas

• Agroforestry: land use management system that combines trees with farming, or agriculture and forestry 

• Climate justice: a type of environmental justice that focuses on the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized communities

• Global South / Global North: The Global North refers to the wealthier, more industrialized countries mostly, but not all, situated in the Northern Hemisphere that wield the majority of global political power. The Global South refers to countries less industrialized, with limited access to resources, that experience more extreme poverty and that wield less political power globally, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. This drastic divide stems from centuries of colonialism, imperialism, and exploitation.

• Climate migration: a type of forced migration driven by sudden or gradual climate-exacerbated disasters, such as extreme weather, environmental degradation, or sea-level rise.

• Hurricane Milton: an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone which became the second-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico

• Land grabbing: the act of seizing land in an unlawful manner

If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.💛

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Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Aura Vasquez (she/her) is an Afro-Latina Colombian immigrant, community leader, organizer, and justice-oriented policy expert. She has worked extensively with the Los Angeles City Council, impacting legislation across Los Angeles county and the broader state of California. Aura’s efforts towards a more equitable and environmentally mindful society have led to successful campaigns, including the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. She has partnered with dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals, demonstrating solidarity for causes that she sees as ‘interconnected,’ including affordable housing, renewable energy, immigration reform, amongst many more. 

Recently, she began consulting companies to advance environmental regulations in the business sector. No matter what sector, campaign, or cause Aura is advocating for, she does so in a way that’s accessible to the public so everyone’s voice is heard. 

We at Closing the Gap podcast acknowledge that Los Angeles lies on unceded Tongva land.

Connect with Aura

• Aura's Story
• The Impact Hour: Real Talk with Aura Vasquez
• Aura’s Instagram 

Learn More About Aura’s Work

• Aura Vasquez, A Commissioner Shaking Up The System
• Life & Work with Aura Vasquez of Council District 10 - Voyage LA Magazine
• Aura for the People of L.A City Council District 10 in 2020

Resources

• Sierra Club 
• PICO Network 

Definitions

• Feminism: the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes .

• Environmental Justice: a social movement that addresses environmental harms that disproportionately affect marginalized communities, such as through a neighborhood’s proximity to landfills, hazardous waste, or and other land uses from which they do not benefit.

• Biodiversity: the variety of life on Earth.
• Community organizing: the strategic collaboration carried out by local residents to promote the interests of the community.

If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.💛

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Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Brandon Rothrock (he/him) is a queer geographer supporting fellow LGBTQ+ environmentalists as they navigate their careers. Through his research and advocacy, he advances environmental justice for marginalized communities. Brandon’s experience in higher education, sustainability issues, and energy policy demonstrates his commitment to a better world for everyone, especially those historically discriminated against. He uses his connections and knowledge to help advance social change while embracing his identity and communities. 

Brandon is also a Board Member for OUT for Sustainability (OUT4S), a U.S.-based non-profit that “co-creates a platform for environmental justice and climate resilience by and for the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Connect with Brandon Rothrock

• Website
• Resources 

Support Out 4 Sustainability

• Website
• Instagram

Brandon’s Affiliations

• Environmental Defense Fund
• Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellowship

Resources

• Just Solutions’ Post on the LGBTQ’s vulnerability to climate change
• Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney
• Fire & Flood DocuSeries
• Can’t Stop Change: Queer Climate Stories from the Florida Frontlines

Definitions

• LGBTQIA+: stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and the + symbol stands for other individuals who identify outside of sexual and gender norms 

• Environmental Justice: a movement to address environmental injustices, including air pollution and land use, that disproportionately harm historically marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color and LGBTQIIA+

If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.💛

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Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

When we understand what brought us to where we are today, we can decide where to go from here. In this episode, co-hosts Tania Roa + Adriana Maria Medina discuss social justice events in 2023 that led to collective action. As we reflect, we can learn from them and determine our priorities for 2024. It’s a new year, but our struggles are the same.

*Please note: some of the events we discuss include violence, police brutality, and Palestine.

Resources for events mentioned in this episode, and organizations supporting the causes mentioned, are below. Also, as always, scroll to find definitions. 

U.S. News

• Former Officers Charged in Tyre Nichols' Death

• East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment

• Tortuguita Shot Protecting Atlanta Forest

• Willow Project for Alaska Campaign

U.S. Organizations to Support

• Color of Change
• Stop Cop City
• Alaska Conservation Foundation

International News

• Plastic Crisis and Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• Panama's High Court Stops Canadian Mining Attempt 

• Ecuador Stops Oil Drilling in Amazon

• Latest on Palestine and South Africa Sues Israel

• Crisis in Sudan

• Democratic Republic of Congo Calls for Peace

International Organizations to Support

• 4Ocean
• Amazon Watch
• Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
• International Rescue Committee

Definitions

• Biodiversity: short for biological diversity; it is the variety of life on Earth and includes the variety of genetic, species, and ecosystem levels

• Occupation: when one group or country takes control over another territory through force, and the invading group establishes its own law in the now occupied region

• Zionism: a nationalist movement that emerged in the 19th century with a goal of establishing a homeland, protected by law, for Jewish people in Palestine - a region roughly corresponding to the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition

• Anti Semitism: hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews

• Genocide: the intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, or racial group in whole or in part

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Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)

Chi Bailey, lover of God and high quality clothing, expresses his spirituality and fashion taste through his brand Chi qc™. All pieces are upcycled, hand crafted, and sweatshop free, speaking out against the harmful impacts of fast fashion on people and the planet. Low quality clothes produced in mass volumes degrade the environment, mistreat garment workers, and encourage consumers to buy more clothes than they need. Chi shows us another way of living that respects God’s creation. 

Chi is of African and Korean descent, and his cultural upbringing also plays a role in his creativity. Chi qc™ inspires us to be more childlike through its Born Again Garments that incorporates colorful, playful designs with deep storytelling.

Closing the Gap recognizes that Charlotte, North Carolina is unceded land of the Cheraw Indigenous people. 

Support Chi qc™

• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube

Definitions

• Fast fashion - mass-producing trending clothes at a low cost to incentivize consumers to buy quickly, often characterized with cheap quality, environmental pollution, and severely low wages

• Upcycling- the process of transforming unwanted or used materials into new products

• Slow fashion - an aspect of sustainable fashion and a concept describing the opposite to fast fashion, advocating for clothing manufacturing and consumption that respects people, environment and animals

Fast Fashion Articles

• Slow Fashion: For Your Wallet and the Planet (page 4)
• Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact
• The Best Small Businesses in Los Angeles

Work Labor Conditions and Rights Articles 

• Garment Industry
• Coal Mining
• Chocolate Industry

Slow fashion brands mentioned

• Reformation
• Industry of All Nations

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Cover art by Vivian Garcia (@viv_doodles)

Intro and Outro music: Clocks by Smith the Mister (All rights and credit go to Smith the Mister. No copyright infringements intended)