Over 9 years ago, Mijente co-founder Marisa Franco said: “Movements in this country have come alive because so many people simply can’t wait anymore. And when we seek to enter movement, and we converge these spaces, they are sacred, because they are a form of sanctuary.“
This year, Mijente is reflecting on a decade of organizing, fighting, and building our political home, juntes. Much like all those years ago, we find ourselves facing a moment where it’s time to get plugged in and attuned to the needs of our gente. That’s why, over the next few months we’re taking deep dives into the campaigns we’ve run, the wins we’ve built together, and the lessons we’ve learned. Check out a recap of the last month’s throwbacks:
Why Mijente and el Buenvivir
Our hope was to support our gente, across different spaces, ages, and experiences, and more, in coming together in the fight for el Buenvivir. We wanted to make it very clear that building the power of Latinx people cannot come at the expense of other communities, nor can it be realized if it involves the exclusion of parts of ourselves and our community in the process.
El Buenvivir is about collective abundance– a world where our gente have what they need to live well, together. It’s about being in right relationship with ourselves, each other, and Pachamama. It means clean air and water. Healthcare and housing. Time to rest and dream. The self-determination to shape the decisions that impact our lives everyday.
What’s in a “Misspelled” Name?
Ever wonder why we spell Mijente with a “J”? Ten years ago, when this movement was just getting started, we needed a new word for a new kind of political home. We fought about it for a while, but we realized that language and words, just like culture, are living, breathing, and imperfect. You’ve seen it over the years: “The J stands for Justice.” But also for jotería, jugoso, juntes, and joy.
Mijente’s First Convening: Lánzate the Jumpoff
From December 12-13th 2015, close to 200 Latinx movement leaders and shakers gathered to explore the possibility of political home, to co-conspire, imagine and act. We had conversations around healing from colonization, pro-Black politics and racial justice work, holding political power through elected positions, organization as a vehicle to support direct organizing to make change in our lived reality, and more.
