Photo by Carlos Puma.
Luis Nolasco is a senior community engagement and policy advocate at the ACLU of Southern California in the Inland Empire office. His career in immigrant advocacy started in his youth and continues today with his seat on the board of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ). Before joining us on the panel for “How Does the Inland Empire Strike Back Against Hate?” a Zócalo public program presented in partnership with California Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities and Social Sciences, he joined us in the green room to talk “brat summer”, youth organizing, and The Bear.
You’ve talked a lot about belonging and community in the past. What is one thing that makes a community feel like home to you?
I think I’d probably say a place that accepts me for me 100% and not just fractions of my identity. I think that’s always a difficult thing when you have a multi-faceted identity—your immigration status, your sexuality, your race, your ethnicity. There are very few spaces that truly embrace people for their full identities and not just part.
You’ve been working in this advocacy space since you were really young. Do you think there’s something that your teenage self would be most surprised to learn about your life today?
I think I would probably be the most surprised at how calm I am. Because younger me was a lot more rambunctious. I’m still sort of that way, but I think the older you get, the more you realize there are other people doing the work out there, too. It’s transitioning from the youth to the elders. I’ve seen that shift, and I’ve embraced it. I wholeheartedly trust Gen Z to handle it. They’re doing amazing. I’m like that Kris Jenner meme, that’s totally me.
Is there anything in particular you do to help you feel more relaxed?
Relaxed? I don’t know her. But pets! Dogs help a lot. I highly recommend a cat or a dog for anyone that doesn’t have one. But I think the other one that’s been really important is just taking care of myself. Within organizing, there’s a really heavy grind culture. You’re always on the road and you always put yourself last. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really learned to prioritize my mental health, my physical health—all these things I rejected when I was younger and didn’t know any better. I think I’ve learned to embrace and help myself. Now if I’m really having a really busy day or I’m in a bad headspace, I go to YouTube and listen to a meditation and get myself in the zone.
Is there something you think adults should know about working with young people and better supporting them?
I would say validating their experience. I think so often we dismiss youth and tell them they don’t have enough life experience or don’t know enough about an issue, but that’s not true.
Their life is an experience. We should not invalidate them because of their age. If anything, let’s embrace it. The fact that they’re so young means they have so much more to contribute. I think that’s often a barrier I faced—the infantilization of youth. But these kids are capable. They’re so well-read and knowledgeable on issues around race and sexuality. I’m dating myself here, but I’m a millennial, and in school, I remember it was not okay to talk about being gay, bisexual, anything. It’s still obviously difficult but if you ask so many young people now, everyone’s so fully chill and has like 500 bisexual friends. It’s just been really amazing to see them be so welcoming and embracing.
What has been the soundtrack to your summer?
When I got my Zócalo gift bag, it was lime green and I said this is a sign. This is “brat summer.” I’ve been listening to a lot of Charli XCX. The one I’ve been listening to on repeat is “Girl, so confusing” with Lorde. How could you not? They worked it out on the remix. That, and I’ve been learning the “Apple” dance. I’ve been watching all these TikToks of little cats doing it. I think those two are my favorites right now.
Do you have a go-to comfort food?
I love to cook. In Mexico, we have this dish: It’ s a bread, torta bread, sort of baguette-esque bread. Then you put refried beans, cheese of your choice, and often I’ll put some fresh salsa. You can eat it for breakfast, you can eat it for lunch, you can eat it for dinner. It’s an all-time meal. That just makes me think of home. Or just a simple homemade tortilla with beans. Just a simple meal that brings me comfort and makes me think of my childhood, home, and my mom.
When did you get into cooking?
I started when I was 18 because I went vegetarian. Coming from a Latino household meat was always very prevalent, so I essentially had to learn in order to feed myself. I’m not a vegetarian anymore, except sometimes by force of habit, but I found it very cool to be able to provide for myself, cook my own meals, and get creative.
Do you have a favorite character on television right now?
I am super behind on The Bear. I just started it. My favorite right now is Ayo Edebiri’s character, Sydney. I relate to her, low key. She’s a little perfectionist, but also really bold and ambitious. I feel like I get her. I also really like her as a comedian and a professional, she’s so great.
What is one book you think everybody should read and why?
I’m so behind on reading. But one of the ones that was really formative for me in terms of political ideology is Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis. I think it helped set the frameworks for a lot of the work that I do. Everything I do is really involved with the criminal legal system, both immigration and the legal issues themselves. It helped shape how I see things from a prison abolition framework. My attention span varies, so having a book that is short, to the point, and so powerful: That’s my kind of book. It’s a short read, and I highly recommend it. The New Jim Crow is the other one, but everyone’s already recommending that one.