our work

What we're doing

Learn about the different ways FIRM is working with the community.

Community education

Tayo At Sila Series

Tayo At Sila: Ang Ating Magkaugnay Na Kasaysayan – Us and Them: Our Intertwined Histories is a community political education series focused on the shared learning of Filipinx colonial history and the broader BIPOC history, the history of Fil-Am activism, and community storytelling from members of the Filpinx community of Minnesota centered on identity, activism, and what it means to be Filipinx during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Civic Engagement

FIRM connects with other Asian American and Pacific Islander communities (AAPI) in the Twin Cities, focusing on voter education and access. Programs focused on civic engagement includes phone banking, doorknocking and community outreach events that engage the Filipinx community to impact policies in immigration, educate to make informed decisions during an election, and to fight for political rights and voice.

Immigration Advocacy

Family-Based Immigration

Eighty percent of Filipinx gain permanent residence through family-based sponsorship. We support simplifying and expanding family-based immigration and support policies that reduce visa cost and backlog waiting times.

Protecting the rights of the undocumented

It is estimated between 300,00 and 800,000 Filipinx are undocumented. We believe that strong separation between law enforcement and immigration keeps communities safer and that any immigrant detained by ICE should have their human rights respected and have access to legal representation.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)

We also support a permanent legislative solution to protect the 3,800 young Filipinx immigrants who are DACA recipients.

j-1 visa program educational forum

Posted July 12, 2020

Labor Attache’ Angela Librado-Trinidad explains how the J-1 visa program was designed, the issues with it today, and potential changes to the program in the future. Co-hosted with Filipino Community Organizations.

State of immigration during
Covid-19

Posted August 30, 2020

Immigration attorney, Federico Malibago, gives an update on changes to the immigration system during the COVID pandemic and answers question on work visas, spouse visas, DACA, LIFA and more.

immigration in the biden era

Posted April 10, 2021

Learn about the current state of immigration, future prospects for immigration changes during the Biden Era, and their impact on the Filipinx community.

storytelling

Immigration Narrative Storytelling

Informal personal story-sharing workshops are periodic gatherings where community members share memories, experiences, and reflections about the journeys of leaving home and building new lives across the ocean. These gatherings are audio-recorded. Participants sign non-disclosure agreements to respect the privacy and confidentiality of personal stories. Our hope is to use these stories to empower the facts and figures as well as bash the stereotypes about immigrants. Future video and participatory multi-media presentations around the shared stories are currently in development.

Contact info

Minneapolis, MN

filipinxmn@gmail.com