Introducing E4FC's Director of Outreach & Organizing!

Jose's Good Side

Introducing the E4FC Staff!

Starting today, we will be releasing profiles of our E4FC Staff Members on a weekly basis. At E4FC most of our programs were created and are run by undocumented college graduates with the help of committed allies. Learn more about who we are and what we do!

This week's luck staff member is our Director of Outreach and Organizing.

Full name: Jose Ivan Arreola
Birth place: Durango, Mexico
Birth date: 01/25/1988
Hometown: Mountain View, CA, USA
High School: Mountain View High School
College: Santa Clara University

Books or movies? 
I love reading, but I only read non-fiction. So I get my nerdy sci-fi, fantasy, action fix from watching movies!
Chocolate or vanilla? 
Vanilla & chocolate swirls! 
Winter or summer? 
Summer! Not even a question! Not even close!  
Crushed ice or cubed ice? 
Cubed ice! I don't understand crushed ice.
Pancakes or waffles? 
Banana pancakes all day everyday! But add some fried chicken to the waffles and we definitely have a competition! 
Sunrise or sunset? 
I'm a morning person, so its definitely sunrise! It symbolizes rebirth, new possibility, and vitality. The light after the darkness... 

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Jose and Alex. Global Village.
 Santa Clara University. Circa 2010.

How did you become involved and interested in the undocumented/ DREAMER movement? I was always aware of my immigration status and of the danger/uncertainty that came with being undocumented in the U.S. so growing up was more about managing the challenges and navigating the barriers day to day. I was activated in 2006, as many were, in response to the anti-immigrant sentiment around the country. It was an incredible moment in time and it was the first time I had truly realized how powerful we were as a people and as a movement. However, I did not take a leadership role until I graduated from college in 2010 and started at E4FC. 

How did you become involved with E4FC? I had just come back to the bay area after doing some amazing community organizing work in Los Angeles and I found myself search for different ways to continue the social justice and movement building work I had done during college and in my organizing work. A good friend and mentor of mine, Jennifer, emailed me one day and told me about this organization which helped to support and advocate for undocumented students. As an undocumented college graduate- and a latino male- I always believe that it was my obligation to come back to my community and help to build power, knowledge and leadership. So I email Kathy Gin (Co-Founder and Executive Director) and asked to have a meeting to discuss ways that I could get involved. She emailed me back with a HUGE list of questions that she need me to answer before she would agree to meet with me. What I didn't know was that this was her way of both screening me and also getting me to think deeply about my passions, intentions and contributions to E4FC. However, not knowing that, I thought it was pretty ridiculous that I had to answer all these questions just to get a meeting! However, eventually, I came to my senses and I emailed Kathy back with responses to all the questions she had asked. We met at the old, old, old E4FC office and discussed ways that I could contribute to the work that E4FC was doing. We came to the conclusion that we needed to start building more of a community presence through starting a new Outreach Program. 

What do you do at E4FC? I serve as the Director of Outreach and Organizing. I am dedicated to supporting and developing the Outreach Coordinator who runs and executes the program. I train our team of Outreach Ambassadors in public speaking, narrative building, content expertise and emotional/personal/spiritual development. I am also asked to speak and represent E4FC at large conferences or high profile events. 

What has been the most rewarding experience at your position in E4FC? The most rewarding experience I've had at E4FC is still my very first presentation. It was in October of 2010 and I was invited to sit on a panel for a parent event at a high school in Oakland. This will always be my most precious experience because I had a chance to share the panel with my father. My father is a very quiet person and it took a great deal of work to convince him to come with me. And yet, when the panel started, it was an amazing experience to see my father in a position to speak to other parents. As he spoke, the audience was completely focused on his every word. He had never been involved in any movement and he was never very informed politically, but as he spoke about his life, his struggles as an undocumented immigrant and his aspirations for his children, he validated the struggles and sacrifices of all the parents he met that day. I was so proud of my father that day! 

Jose enjoying family time with his two younger sisters, mom and dad. Circa Who Knows?

How has E4FC made you grow personally and professionally? I have grown a tremendous amount as a public speaker. I have built a program from scratch and learned how to build a staff. I have connected to thousands of community members from all across the country. I have advocated for equitable and humane local, state and federal immigration policies. I have developed deep friendships and I have found amazing mentors. All while coming to understand the life I have led and the future I want to see come into reality.

Jose, sisters and friend at E4FC's Halloween Party. Circa 2012.

Would you rather be able to run 100 mph or fly at 10 mph? Fly! And then I would rope myself to one of the other E4FC staff members who picked running 100 mph!

What is your favorite movie of all time? Why so?
 V for Vendetta! It contains within it a powerful truth about the way power operates, the way people are oppressed and the way hope/love can save us all.

Read more about Jose's Bio here!