La Coalición · Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Welcome to La Coalición
·34 min·3 clips
Eddie Torres launches La Coalición to uplift immigrant voices across the Inland Empire.
This inaugural episode of La Coalición introduces a new podcast focused on the stories, issues, and victories within California's Inland Empire region. The hosts are Eddie Torres, Jessica Alcocer, and Esmeralda Santos, all organizers with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ). They aim to uplift the voices of the immigrant community across a geographic span from Pomona to the high desert.
The conversation centers on the hosts' personal connections to the Inland Empire and their professional roles in immigrant, economic, and environmental justice. Esmeralda Santos admits she was not very familiar with local issues before joining ICIJ, despite having lived in the area. Eddie Torres notes observing significant changes across multiple cities like Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Pomona over the past two decades. Jessica Alcocer shares her family's immigration story, having moved from Mexico to Los Angeles before settling in the Inland Empire when she was a child.
A key insight is how the region provided a critical opportunity for family stability, as Alcocer credits the Inland Empire with giving her parents the ability to offer their family a home. The hosts express a shared excitement about learning and sharing stories related to broader topics like labor rights and environmental justice, not solely immigrant rights. The episode establishes the Inland Empire not just as a geographic location but as a formative and evolving community for its residents.
The tone is conversational, introductory, and warmly personal as the co-hosts establish their rapport and shared mission. The style is community-oriented and advocacy-focused, framing the podcast as an educational platform.
This episode is ideal for listeners interested in grassroots organizing, local California politics, and immigrant narratives from a first-person perspective. Those seeking a deep dive into a specific policy debate or current event may prefer to wait for a future installment.
