Socorro Montaño (Co-Director & Organizing Coordinator)
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As the Organizing Coordinator, working beside their team, they collaborate to empower leaders at the neighborhood level across issues. Socorro sees this work connected towards global liberation. Born and raised in San Jose, they have respect for all of the brilliance that has been here long before the tech companies boomed. Socorro studied Ethnic Studies and Public Policy at Mills College in Oakland to understand the link between race and power structures. Formerly a summer camp counselor at the Children's Discovery Museum, they also have a passion for empowering youth to be active leaders and visionaries for the worlds we need in the future. Socorro envisions a world where we treat the earth and each other with care. When they're not organizing, Socorro is probably napping, creating art, spending time with their cats, or at the beach.
[email protected]
As the Organizing Coordinator, working beside their team, they collaborate to empower leaders at the neighborhood level across issues. Socorro sees this work connected towards global liberation. Born and raised in San Jose, they have respect for all of the brilliance that has been here long before the tech companies boomed. Socorro studied Ethnic Studies and Public Policy at Mills College in Oakland to understand the link between race and power structures. Formerly a summer camp counselor at the Children's Discovery Museum, they also have a passion for empowering youth to be active leaders and visionaries for the worlds we need in the future. Socorro envisions a world where we treat the earth and each other with care. When they're not organizing, Socorro is probably napping, creating art, spending time with their cats, or at the beach.
Jose "Tony" Romero (Co-Director & Community Organizer)
[email protected]
Born in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. At the age of 10, he moved to San Diego county with his family. As a first-generation college student, he knows the importance of mentorship, guidance, and support. He served as an academic advisor for college-bound high school students with Trio Educational Talent Search. Also, he served as a mentor to middle school students with AmeriCorps and served in the Peace Corps Ecuador program as a Youth and Family Development volunteer.
Now as a community organizer, he has worked to engage the Latinx community in policies and to bring educational resources to the East Side. He is currently working with the Bonita & 24th chapter to working to engage families in social justice activities. He looks forward to implementing his all his knowledge to help LUNA grow. Tony has two master's degrees in Public Administration and International Education Management.
[email protected]
Born in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. At the age of 10, he moved to San Diego county with his family. As a first-generation college student, he knows the importance of mentorship, guidance, and support. He served as an academic advisor for college-bound high school students with Trio Educational Talent Search. Also, he served as a mentor to middle school students with AmeriCorps and served in the Peace Corps Ecuador program as a Youth and Family Development volunteer.
Now as a community organizer, he has worked to engage the Latinx community in policies and to bring educational resources to the East Side. He is currently working with the Bonita & 24th chapter to working to engage families in social justice activities. He looks forward to implementing his all his knowledge to help LUNA grow. Tony has two master's degrees in Public Administration and International Education Management.
Gabriel Manrique (Community Organizer)
[email protected]
Originally from Petatlán, Guerrero, a town on the Mexican Pacific coast. His immigrant journey started when his family decided to come to California in the 1990’s. They settled in the ESSJ. He graduated from high school & attended San Jose State University.
Gabriel got involved in an organization called Movimiento Estudiantil de Chicanas/os de Aztlán (MECHA) at SJSU. MECHA fought against budget cuts in education, better services for students of color in all California State Universities, & worked with other organizations to fight for immigrant rights, workers rights, & other issues affecting the Latine community. In 2008 he received a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology & in 2017 he got a graduate degree in Applied Anthropology.
Gabriel has advocated to bring awareness about the struggles undocumented students faced in higher education. This brought him to get involved in the efforts to bring statewide financial aid for undocumented students in California colleges. In 2012 the "California Dream Act" was signed by Governor Brown. Gabriel has been very active in organizing and volunteering fighting for comprehensive reform for everyone and other issues of importance.
[email protected]
Originally from Petatlán, Guerrero, a town on the Mexican Pacific coast. His immigrant journey started when his family decided to come to California in the 1990’s. They settled in the ESSJ. He graduated from high school & attended San Jose State University.
Gabriel got involved in an organization called Movimiento Estudiantil de Chicanas/os de Aztlán (MECHA) at SJSU. MECHA fought against budget cuts in education, better services for students of color in all California State Universities, & worked with other organizations to fight for immigrant rights, workers rights, & other issues affecting the Latine community. In 2008 he received a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology & in 2017 he got a graduate degree in Applied Anthropology.
Gabriel has advocated to bring awareness about the struggles undocumented students faced in higher education. This brought him to get involved in the efforts to bring statewide financial aid for undocumented students in California colleges. In 2012 the "California Dream Act" was signed by Governor Brown. Gabriel has been very active in organizing and volunteering fighting for comprehensive reform for everyone and other issues of importance.
Yurina Guzman (Community Organizer)
[email protected]
[email protected]
- From Guadalajara, Jalisco. She spent a large part of her life there and received a nursing degree. When she migrated to the US, she (like many immigrants)started working in the fields picking grapes in Paso Robles, CA. She also worked as a caregiver for the elderly and for the last 10 years she cleaned houses.
Yurina has been advocating with the immigrant community for many years and she became involved in the “dreamers” movement in 2012. - In 2017 she attended two impactful events. First being the Unity & Freedom Presidential Forum in Pasadena, CA with local organization SIREN. Here she learned that with movements you can make a change. Also, she learned that she could influence people who can make a change. She also attended the Abolish ICE conference in Fresno, CA. There she connected with a lot of folks and still keeps in touch with them. This experience further engrained the fact that everyone has rights, regardless of immigration status and to not be scared of ICE/Detention Centers. Yurina is now an organizer with LUNA and "Papeles ParaTodos" (PPT) developing more organic leaders so that our communities are educated and empowered by raising their voices and showing their collective power to make the necessary changes that benefit us all with respect and compassion.
Mariana Mejia (Community Organizer)
[email protected]
From Mexico City, Mexico Mariana and her family migrant journey began when she was 7 years old. Growing up on the East Side of San Jose, she witnessed the challenges her community faced, which inspired her dedication to advocacy.
Mariana Mejia is a passionate community organizer with a deep commitment to social justice. She leads the "Union y Fuerza Gramercy Association" campaign in the Gramercy neighborhood, established in March 2023. Currently it has grown to 98 members and counting. This campaign organizes monthly community meetings, neighborhood clean-ups, informative presentations and more, fostering unity and empowerment.
Through her volunteer work and various campaigns, Mariana continually seeks to create lasting and positive change within her community.
[email protected]
From Mexico City, Mexico Mariana and her family migrant journey began when she was 7 years old. Growing up on the East Side of San Jose, she witnessed the challenges her community faced, which inspired her dedication to advocacy.
Mariana Mejia is a passionate community organizer with a deep commitment to social justice. She leads the "Union y Fuerza Gramercy Association" campaign in the Gramercy neighborhood, established in March 2023. Currently it has grown to 98 members and counting. This campaign organizes monthly community meetings, neighborhood clean-ups, informative presentations and more, fostering unity and empowerment.
Through her volunteer work and various campaigns, Mariana continually seeks to create lasting and positive change within her community.
Cesar Navarro (Community Organizer)
[email protected]
Cesar is a South Bay Area SF native born to Mexican immigrant parents in West San Jose. He moved to Santa Clara in his early teens as a result of his family's financial hardships during the Great Recession. Little did he know that that experience would shape his education and turn into his passion.
After graduating from high school he continued to pursue his education at the community college level, and made one of the best decisions of his life. He decided to attend a speaker event held at Mission College on American Racism. This event resonated with him so deeply he declared his major as Sociology and shortly after transferred to San Jose State University to pursue his Bachelor’s Degree.
During this time, he was a student organizer and co-founder of a student organization, Students Against Displacement (SAD). SAD was politically active, both on and off campus, pushing for housing reform with a coalition of community organizations in the San Jose area. His activities during his studies led him to look for work in San Jose where he could continue his passion as an organizer leading him at LUNA.
[email protected]
Cesar is a South Bay Area SF native born to Mexican immigrant parents in West San Jose. He moved to Santa Clara in his early teens as a result of his family's financial hardships during the Great Recession. Little did he know that that experience would shape his education and turn into his passion.
After graduating from high school he continued to pursue his education at the community college level, and made one of the best decisions of his life. He decided to attend a speaker event held at Mission College on American Racism. This event resonated with him so deeply he declared his major as Sociology and shortly after transferred to San Jose State University to pursue his Bachelor’s Degree.
During this time, he was a student organizer and co-founder of a student organization, Students Against Displacement (SAD). SAD was politically active, both on and off campus, pushing for housing reform with a coalition of community organizations in the San Jose area. His activities during his studies led him to look for work in San Jose where he could continue his passion as an organizer leading him at LUNA.
Estefania Bautista (Communications Specialist)
[email protected]
Born in El Salvador, she migrated to California at the age of four alongside her mother and older sister. This big move was to reconnect with her immediate family.
Estefania was the first of her siblings to receive a degree from a university. She attended San Jose State University and finished with a B.A in Studio Art. During her time in college, she joined many student organizations that advocated for undocumented students. Ever since then she has found ways to be involved in community organizing.
She is also an artist. She focuses on creating art that brings awareness to different social issues and that everyone is deserving of healing.
[email protected]
Born in El Salvador, she migrated to California at the age of four alongside her mother and older sister. This big move was to reconnect with her immediate family.
Estefania was the first of her siblings to receive a degree from a university. She attended San Jose State University and finished with a B.A in Studio Art. During her time in college, she joined many student organizations that advocated for undocumented students. Ever since then she has found ways to be involved in community organizing.
She is also an artist. She focuses on creating art that brings awareness to different social issues and that everyone is deserving of healing.
Past Team Members
Mayra Pelagio
Mayra was raised in Penjamo, a small pueblo in Guanajuato, Mexico. At the age of 13, she set on a journey to establish her roots in East San Jose with her mom and two siblings.
Mayra left her community in East San Jose to attend UC Davis where she earned a degree in Environmental Science and Management and Wildlife Conservation Biology. Additionally, she completed a Master's degree in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.
As one of the co-directors of LUNA, Mayra taps into her own experience facing poverty, language barriers and discrimination as she works to enhance the organization's mission and to build leadership in the neighborhoods she grew up in.
Mayra was raised in Penjamo, a small pueblo in Guanajuato, Mexico. At the age of 13, she set on a journey to establish her roots in East San Jose with her mom and two siblings.
Mayra left her community in East San Jose to attend UC Davis where she earned a degree in Environmental Science and Management and Wildlife Conservation Biology. Additionally, she completed a Master's degree in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.
As one of the co-directors of LUNA, Mayra taps into her own experience facing poverty, language barriers and discrimination as she works to enhance the organization's mission and to build leadership in the neighborhoods she grew up in.
Ellena Tran
With an interest and passion for helping others, Ellena naturally found herself in various positions of supporting the community, such as volunteering at a domestic violence shelter for a local nonprofit, Asian American Community Involvement (AACI), working as a Project Coordinator for the Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO), and was a paralegal focused on immigration and family cases.
As Deputy Director, Ellena uses her community and professional experiences to help support the different campaigns at LUNA and to continually identify personal ways she can be part of the changes she hopes to see in the world.
With an interest and passion for helping others, Ellena naturally found herself in various positions of supporting the community, such as volunteering at a domestic violence shelter for a local nonprofit, Asian American Community Involvement (AACI), working as a Project Coordinator for the Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO), and was a paralegal focused on immigration and family cases.
As Deputy Director, Ellena uses her community and professional experiences to help support the different campaigns at LUNA and to continually identify personal ways she can be part of the changes she hopes to see in the world.
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