Today I am excited to talk with three members of Youth United for Community Action, an organization based in East Palo Alto that has been fighting for community empowerment since 1994, when a small group of young people of color active in their communities came together to form YUCA—“a grassroots community organization created, led, and run by young people of color, the majority from low-income communities. It “provides a safe space for young people to empower[themselves] and work on environmental and social justice issues to establish positive systemic change through grassroots community organizing.”
We talk about how YUCA chooses its causes, the way it interacts with the community, and the most pressing issues it is addressing today. We hear inspiring stories about how YUCA workers interact with people in the community in big and small ways, and how this work is giving them the political education needed for meaningful change.
Larissa Perez is a junior in high school. She has lived in East Palo Alto for the majority of her life and is passionate about being able to help others and give back to her community. Through her involvement with YUCA, she has deepened her understanding of East Palo Alto’s rich history while also developing the skills to become a strong leader and advocate for justice.
Estefani Ruiz first joined Youth United for Community Action in August of 2022 and has climbed the pipeline ever since. She first started off as a core member and now finds herself in a Youth Organizer role. Estefani is extremely passionate about giving back to her community and learning new things. This is where her interest in housing and social justice issues first started. She has participated in outreach, community events, and city meetings. She hopes to continue this work as she moves into the next stage of her life by making connections of her prior knowledge to the new area she will find herself in this upcoming academic year.
Filiberto “Fili” Zaragoza is one of the campaign organizers and Co-program director at Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) in East Palo Alto, where he grew up. Since joining YUCA in 2019 as a sophomore in high school and moving into a staff position in 2023, he’s developed organizing skills while fighting for his community. Fili draws his passion for advocacy from witnessing social injustices in East Palo Alto and across the Bay Area. He plans to continue his education while building his career in community organizing.
