April 26, 2022 – The Listeners Project: Queremos Escucharte will present a free screening of the documentary film Protejiendo Nuestras Raíces: Un Proyecto de Salma Anguiano (Protecting Our Roots: A Salma Anguiano Project) on Saturday, May 7 at 4:30 p.m. at Gesa Power House Theatre.

Growing up in a migrant working community Salma Anguiana often saw many injustices and unsafe working conditions faced by people in her community. During her first year of college, Anguiana embarked on a journey to advocate for the community she grew up in. She formed Protejiendo Nuestras Raices, and began advocacy efforts to address the unsafe working conditions that people like her parents faced in the workplace. Through this effort she also hoped to create spaces for people in our communities to speak their truths. For so long, she saw people around her stay quiet due to fear. She wanted to end the cycle and bring light to the atrocities that occur in the workplace, in our own backyards.

Anguiano began collecting stories of farmworkers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was oftentimes difficult to bring these stories—including many from undocumented workers—to a wider audience. Anguiano and her collaborators navigated these challenges by making the narrators in the film completely anonymous.

Artist statement from Salma Anguiano:

The people who often live in the shadows, people like my parents. People who have names, stories, feelings, and emotions. People who are often silenced or discouraged from speaking, were the people who I sought to elevate. Today I hope that their voices are projected in this space, the way they have asked for it, anonymously. The film is for my parents, for the Latinx community, and for the migrant and undocumented folk across the globe. I hope you all feel empowered.

A facilitated interview with Anguiano will precede a screening of Protejiendo Nuestras Raices. The audience will be given space to reflect on their experience during pauses throughout the thirty-minute screening. A Q&A session will follow the screening. A resource fair with complimentary refreshments follows at 5:30 p.m. with resource tables hosted by the WWIRC (Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition) and Blue Mountain Action Council.

This event is free and open to the public and is cosponsored by WWIRC, Colectivo de Arte Social, The Listeners Project: Queremos Escucharte, Whitman College and Northwest Archives, Associated Students of Whitman College, Project Pericles, Hernandez Immigration Law, LLC, Walla Walla Public Library, and Gesa Power House Theatre.

Gesa Power House Theatre is currently operating at full capacity, but will continue to follow the most recent guidance from state and county Departments of Health. Current health and safety guidelines at Gesa Power House Theatre are available online or by calling the box office.

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April 26, 2022 – Al crecer en una comunidad de trabajadores inmigrantes, Salma Anguiano con frecuencia vio muchas injusticias y condiciones de trabajo inseguras que enfrentan las personas de la comunidad. Durante su primer año de universidad, Anguiano se embarcó en abogar por la comunidad en la que creció. Formó Protejiendo Nuestras Raíces y comenzó esfuerzos para abordar las condiciones laborales inseguras que personas como sus padres enfrentaban en el lugar de trabajo. A través de este esfuerzo, también esperaba crear espacios para que las personas de nuestras comunidades compartieran sus historias. Durante mucho tiempo, vio que la gente a su alrededor permanecía en silencio debido al miedo. Ella quería terminar el ciclo y resaltar las atrocidades que ocurren en el lugar de trabajo, en nuestros propios pueblos.

Una declaración de la artista, Salma Anguiano:

Las personas que viven en las sombras, personas como mis padres. Personas que tienen nombres, historias, sentimientos y emociones. Las personas que son silenciadas o desalentados de hablar, fueron las personas que busquen elevar. Hoy espero que sus voces se proyecten en este espacio, como lo han pedido, de forma anónima. La película es para mis padres, para la comunidad latinx y para las personas inmigrantes e indocumentadas de todo el mundo. Espero que todos se sientan empoderados.

El evento comenzará a las 4:30 pm. Una entrevista facilitada con Anguiano precederá a la proyección de la película. La audiencia tendrá espacio para reflexionar sobre su experiencia durante las pausas a lo largo de la proyección de la película de treinta minutos. Una sesión de preguntas y respuestas seguirá con la proyección. Una feria de recursos con refrescos sigue a las 5:30 p.m. con mesas de recursos organizadas por WWIRC (Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition) y Blue Mountain Action Council.

El evento está co patrocinado por la WWIRC (Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition), el Colectivo de Arte Social, The Listeners Project: Queremos Escucharte, Whitman College and Northwest Archives, the Associated Students of Whitman College, Project Pericles, Hernandez Immigration Law, LLC, and Gesa Power House Theatre.