Hi John,
I’m Luis Perez, Product & Strategic Projects Manager at Immigrants Rising.
This month was eventful for entrepreneurs everywhere with the National Small Business Month. With our immigrant and undocumented communities under attack and uncertainty, May is an opportunity for us to highlight our relentless creativity and innovation. When immigration reform and employment opportunities are absent, entrepreneurship shows us the possibilities to realize our aspirations, exercise individual agency, and establish economic safety for ourselves and our families.
At Immigrants Rising, we recently held the Fresno Pitch Rise & Thrive Competition and launched the much-anticipated online learning platform, ImmigrantBizHub, continuing the decades-long legacy of our community pivoting, innovating, and finding ways to thrive with fellow immigrants. I couldn’t be any prouder to be a part of this work.
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Immigrants—especially without status—have faced and continue to overcome significant systemic, cultural, and social barriers. We are resilient, adaptable, persistent, and tenacious.
Innovating Together,
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Luis Perez
Product & Strategic Projects Manager
Immigrants Rising
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P.S. Did you know May is also AAPI Heritage Month? In celebration, here are some of our favorites by undocuAPI creators:
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I Am Undocumented, a TEDx talk with a spoken word poetry piece by Ken Gonzales.
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Atsuko's Story, a short coming-of-age story about Atsuko Okatsuka, a comedian, actress, and writer.
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Beautiful Country, a memoir by Qian Julie Wang about growing up undocumented in New York’s Chinatown.
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The Body Papers, a memoir by Grace Talusan about being a Filipino immigrant and survivor of cancer and childhood abuse.
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Advocacy Updates
As we build capacity for current and aspiring immigrant entrepreneurs, breaking barriers is at the forefront of our work! Most recently, AB 667 (Language Access in Professional Licensing) is progressing through the CA legislature with bipartisan support. On May 13, 2025, Umaña Muñoz v. UC Regents (paid employment opportunities for students in higher education, regardless of status) held its oral argument and is now awaiting a court decision.
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From Our Recent Live Events
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We are hiring! Join our Mental Health Team as a Wellness Support Group Coordinator! In this full-time role, you will coordinate Immigrants Rising’s Wellness Support Groups, including outreach, implementation, and evaluation to ensure facilitators’ and participants’ positive experience in the service. Read more about the position here. The priority deadline is June 6, 2025, with a final deadline of June 13, 2025.
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Executive Order Update
On April 29, 2025, an executive order was issued restricting state and local laws, including offering in-state tuition at public higher education institutions, to target sanctuary states. While the news initially sparked worry, immigrant rights advocates and legal experts, including Immigrants Rising, encourage calm. Policies that allow undocumented students to access in-state tuition, like AB 540, have been challenged in the past and have been found legally sound.
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