ÓRALE: Organizing Rooted in Abolition Liberation and Empowerment

Maribel Cruz (she/her)

“As an undocumented person, I lacked health insurance and access to safety net programs for most of my childhood and young adult life. Now, one of my primary concerns is the challenges that undocumented people like my parents will face as they age in this country.”

Health Justice for Undocumented Communities, an initiative of Organizing Rooted in Abolition Liberation and Empowerment (ÓRALE), focuses on creating access to healthcare and safety net programs, emphasizing the critical role of primary care in ensuring the health and dignity of aging undocumented communities.

Maribel Cruz, the Associate Director of ÓRALE, leads the organization's Health Justice and Communications initiatives. As an Indigenous Oaxacan with nearly a decade of experience in organizing for undocumented and low-income communities in Long Beach, Maribel has been instrumental in advocating for statewide policy changes to improve healthcare access for undocumented Californians. Under her leadership, ÓRALE has developed an innovative health and power hub that employs a holistic approach to health justice, incorporating healing programs, food distribution, and mutual aid. Growing up undocumented, Maribel shares the lived experiences of the immigrant community she serves, enhancing her ability to effectively organize and build power with them.