Jorge Paz Reyes: From Honduras to Mixteca’s Community Organizer
Jorge is an extremely unassuming young man. When talking to him you are immediately taken in by his generosity of spirit and engaging demeanor. He is quite passionate about his work, and he quickly lets you in on the particular challenges that being a Community Organizer means in these historic times. But just as quickly he flashes a wide smile, allowing you to see his strength and resilience head on.
Jorge has been Mixteca’s head Community Organizer for several months now. He was initially hired as a Health Advocate but when the position of Community Organizer opened up, he applied for it and was perceived as a natural for this leadership role. Although young, Jorge comes with a wealth of experience, that springs both from his professional and personal backgrounds. He graduated from Haverford University, where he was a Mellon Mays Fellow and participated widely in student organizations, ultimately being elected to be part of the leadership of the university’s student government.
His double focus, on Political Science and Latinx and Latin American Studies, reflected his ongoing concern for the social issues of our day. A fact that his academic years dealt with the larger social issues of the pandemic, the ongoing warfare and genocide in Ukraine and Gaza, respectively, as well as the onslaught on migrant communities tempered his outlook on society and also influenced his professional goals. These global realities in unison with his own immigrant experience made him choose a path committed to the service and solidarity with others.
Now as Community Organizer at Mixteca he finds it particularly trying to meet the constant and different needs of the community. There is a growing concern for different resources and support that are being eroded and that need constant advocacy. Therefore, he has learned to prepare himself for a marathon and not a sprint, that is, for the long-haul work needed to fight for and defend immigrant rights. And for “fighting the good fight” he finds ample inspiration in his co-workers, his family, and above all his mother.
Jorge’s story recently reached a global audience through a powerful Al Jazeera documentary that featured his journey from arriving in the US from Honduras as a child, to growing up undocumented in New York City, to now organizing in the face of rising threats of mass deportation. He speaks candidly about the fears his family still carries, and how that experience drives his commitment to protect and empower immigrant communities. You can watch the full feature here:
I'm a Latino preparing for Trump's mass deportation of migrants – Jorge Paz Reyes on Al Jazeera
Jorge’s leadership reminds us that advocacy is not just a role, but a responsibility. His journey is proof that lived experience is a powerful force for change. Let’s stand with Jorge and with all those working at the front lines of immigrant justice. Support grassroots organizing today because communities thrive when their voices are heard and their rights defended.
