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From its beginning, CHIRLA organized and mobilized working-class immigrant families to encourage them to advance their own interests as those in government discussed policies affecting them. We work with families as a whole, encompassing members of different ages, sexual identities, ideologies, and immmigration status to help them realize their uniqueness and abilities. This is how our members gain the skills to help change their communities for a better future.

Our groups meet regularly to receive updates on federal, state and local policies that affect them, and mobilize to call lawmakers, testify at hearings, and use social media to express their opinion.

We develop our members into leaders to build community, teaching them to speak for themselves and lobby lawmakers. We also conduct workshops on their rights as they confront immigration officials, as well as how to talk to the media and how to plan activism campaigns in their region. Among the topics explored:

  • Cual es mi visión ​
  • Propósito​
  • Análisis económico​
  • Historia de sí mismo​
  • Cualidades de un leader ​
  • Trabajando en equipo ​
  • Organizaciones diversas e inclusivas​
  • Herramientas prácticas para organizar​
  • Alcance para reclutar​
  • El mundo como es y cómo debe ser​
  • Cómo organizar reuniones de casa ​
  • Cómo facilitar una reunión​
  • Principios para organizar​
  •  Escogiendo un asunto​
  • Como hacer un asunto Fuerte​
  • Cuándo y cómo decidir trabajar en coalición ​
  • La baraja de la planificación​
  • Revelando la identidad de indocumentado​
  • Pido la palabra ​
  • ​What is my vision
  • Purpose
  • Economic Analysis
  • History of yourself
  • Qualities of a leader
  • Working as a team
  • Diverse and inclusive organizations
  • Practical tools to organize
  • Reach to recruit
  • The world as it is and as it should be
  • How to organize at home meetings
  • How to facilitate a meeting
  • Principles for organizing
  • Choosing a subject
  • How to make a strong case
  • When and how to decide to work in coalition
  • The planning deck
  • Revealing the identity of the undocumented
  • I ask to speak
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OrganizingGroups

If you want to join an organizing group, see below for schedules and contacts:

Central Valley

Member and core leader meetings on the last Monday of the month. For information, contact Donna Serna at dserva@chirla.org.

Antelope Valley

Canyon Country group meets on the third Wednesday of the month. Palmdale group meets on the third Thursday of the month. Lancaster group meets on the fourth Monday of the month. AVC core leaders meet on the second Tuesday of the month. For more information, contact Patricia Salazar at psalazar@chirla.org.

San Fernando Valley

Van Nuys group meets on the second Friday of the month. Canoga Park group meets on the second Tuesday of the month. Pacoima group meets on the third Thursday of the  month. SFV core leaders meet on the last Sunday of the month. For more information, contact Maru Galvan at mgalvan@chirla.org.

​Downtown LA

Member and core leader meetings on the third Wednesday of the month. For more information, contact Antonio Bernabé at abernabe@chirla.org.

San Bernardino

San Bernardino group meets on the second Tuesday of the month. Fontana group meets on the third Friday of the month. Core leader meetings once a month. For more information, contact Mireya Suarez at msuarez@chirla.org.

High Desert

Group meeting once a month. For more information, contact Mariela Jaquez at mjaquez@chirla.org.

Covid-19 information

Because of COVID-19, organizers are giving members information on tenant rights, as well as available aid and resources for which they can apply. Watch the CHIRLA En Tu Casa livestream on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on our Facebook page.