Leonina Arismendi is an immigrant from Uruguay who has lived many lives — as an artist, a civil rights activist, and now a published author. Their story has taken many turns, but the running thread has always been about creation: finding a career in art, establishing safe spaces for marginalized artists, building grassroots organizations from the ground up, and now helping migrant farmers share their stories through Farmer’s Footprint for the past three years.

Leonina is currently working on a series of writings in Spanish for News Latino Today supporting communities in North Carolina and beyond with information on the impact of climate change. They currently serve as a Lead Prevention Ambassador for Young Gifted and Green and a Climate Reality Leader in DC. They also received one of eight inaugural Environmental Artivist Fellowships of 2024 from Social Arts and Culture and the Aspen Institute’s Arts Program, and is currently co-working on a public arts project in Ward 5. Listen to the episode to hear how Leonina has found a sense of power as an undocumented parent, and prioritizes work that’s rooted in joy.

The organizations mentioned in this episode include:

Defensores de la Cuenca

Young, Gifted & Green™

Iglesia del Pueblo Freedom Church of the Poor

Photo by Gabriela Paola Franco Peña and Ben Israel for Nature Forward’s Pertenecido: Nuestras Raíces, Nuestra Tierra: A Naturally Latinos Photo Book.