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A community organizer and immigrant. She was born and raised in Mexico City. Since she was very young in Mexico, she was involved in protests and marches and supporting work stoppages or strikes.

She is a long-time community organizer, fighting the immigration enforcement system for over 25 years.

She is the founder of La Resistencia, the group’s main focus is to end all detentions and deportations, and to shut down the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. The group continues after 11 years of work under new leadership, with a transition developed by Maru after 5 years of planning and implementation. Now Maru is a proud volunteer of La Resistencia supporting the group as an advisor.

Unlike many other immigrants, she has been an outspoken organizer and has been upfront about staying in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant for over two decades. Due to her work against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency put her in deportation proceedings in 2017. Despite these challenges, Maru, her family and her community remained undeterred and continued their community work. In September 2021 Maru was granted prosecutorial discretion by the same agency that tried to deport her, and with this win Maru continues the work to end all detentions and deportations.

Since 2024 Maru joined the national organization Community Justice Exchange and their immigration program, to work with grassroots immigrant led groups across the country to support their leadership and critical work to undo the immigration enforcement

Stan Shikuma is a social activist, writer, and organizer based in the Seattle Japanese American community. Currently he works with Tsuru for Solidarity, Tule Lake Pilgrimage, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Nisei Veterans Committee, From Hiroshima to Hope, and APALA (Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance). As a longtime taiko player, he also performs, writes, and lectures on the history, teaching, and performance of taiko in North America. Stan lives on North Beacon Hill with his spouse, Tracy Lai.

Aleksa Manila is Seattle’s sweetheart of fundraising and everything fabulous! She’s a former Miss Gay Filipino, Miss Gay Seattle and Empress of Seattle among many of her crowns. She’s recognized for her social activism and community leadership by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, The Greater Seattle Business Association, Seattle Women’s Pride, Public Health – Seattle & King County, The Filipino Community of Seattle and so on. She is featured in GLAAD and Emmy nominated PBS documentary, CARETAKERS. ​Follow her journey at ALEKSAMANILA.com and all social media platforms via @ALEKSAMANILA

Arnaldo! began as a soloist with the Seattle Men’s Chorus, performing in major concert halls worldwide. In 1995, he founded Cabaret Q, debuting his “drag chanteuse” persona, and by 1999 launched solo cabaret shows in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, later performing in Portland, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Puerto Vallarta, New York, and Manila. He completed Yale’s Cabaret Workshop, founded the Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association, and created “Seattle’s March is Cabaret Month.” His New York debut earned a 2008 Backstage Bistro Award, his Manila debut a 2014 “Most Innovative Concert Artist” honor, and in 2016 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Filipino Community of Seattle.