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Mother, Filmmaker, Author and Organizer.
SOLIS 📖, the companion book to Sanctuary, is out now.
🇨🇴
Bookings: paolaspeaks (@) gmail. com

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We came together on June 1st to demand the 238 men the Trump administration disappeared to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador be released.

When the Trump administration announces that some people are not deserving of due process, there is no longer due process for any of us. The rise of authoritarianism is predicated on the erosion of democratic norms and constitutional protections. We are witnessing them being systematically disregarded and denied.

To disappear our immigrant family and friends, the regime erodes and eliminates due process. When we resist, they deny our First Amendment right to protest. When we insist on standing up for our families and our principles, they call in the military inching towards martial law. Each erosion of a constitutional right normalizes the erosion of the next one.

They are depending on our complacency and our internal division. And so, we unite and resist.

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Directed and conceived by @paolamendoza
Produced by @thatbex & @thelightislit
Edited by @yaratravieso
Singer @miriamelhajli
DP @nyccinematographer
Assistant Editor @habibkhanawan
Music by @sawcrawf

Special thanks to @popcollab by @paolamendoza

The government must manipulate memory to conscript us into their false narrative and justify the erosion of our most fundamental values. It must erase history. It must overwhelm us with misinformation and fear.

This is the machinery of authoritarianism. And this is exactly where art becomes essential—not decorative, not symbolic, but urgent and necessary. In the face of institutionalized gaslighting, art becomes a vessel for truth-telling. It resists silence. Art insists: We were here, we saw, we remember.

You can read my full op-ed in the link in my bio. by @paolamendoza

$In 2020, in front of the Harvey Weinstein trial in New York , we performed “El Violador Eres Tu” by and in collaboration with @lastesis. Misogyny and enforced gender norms are the undergirding of fascism. #MeToo went too far they said. And we find ourselves here…. The Cornell 7, Graham Platner, The Epstein Files, the manosphere, the Tate brothers, sexual assault and rape in ICE detention centers, attacks on trans people and enforced gender norms, predators, pedophiles and rapists in power and a convicted rapist in the White House, abortion, gender affirming care, birth control and our voting rights are under attack…to name just a fraction of this litany. It’s been 10 years since “Grab them by the p*ssy” to the Cornell “Free p*ssy” chat with 57 young men. These ‘boys’ were 10 years old when they first heard this mantra from a future president. And then the Epstein case broke. We are teaching a generation they can do this with impunity. Men, step up, speak out. Everyone vote. Get involved in defying fascism. Defy every day. Fury is brewing. Video and part of caption by @sandibachom by @paolamendoza$

Today, the distance feels heavier. 🇨🇴❤️‍🩹

Colombia is currently facing a massive national emergency following yesterday’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake. More than 180 people have been confirmed dead, around 1,300 injured, and more than 2,700 reported missing. Some of the hardest-hit areas include Chocó, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca.

As communities across the country respond and search and rescue efforts continue, many people are looking for ways to help. Verified organizations are receiving donations to support relief efforts and people affected by the disaster. If you’re donating from abroad, you can find direct donation links in the bio.

If you’re able to donate, please do so through verified channels. And if you can’t donate today, sharing this information can still make a difference by helping it reach more people who may be able to support.

@cruzrojacol
@wckitchen
@fundacionplan
@unicef_colombia
@bancodealimentosbgt
@globalempowermentmission
@pueblo_negrofuerte
@presentescorporacion by @paolamendoza

The World Cup is meant to be a time when billions of people across the planet join together to celebrate their love for the global game of soccer. But Trump has other ideas. ⁠
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He's used the World Cup to bully, divide, spread fear in immigrant communities, and even demand special treatment from the tournament’s governing body. On the latest episode of Rights This Way, we speak with Paola Mendoza, filmmaker and author of the books Sanctuary and Solis. She is also one of the organizers of the No ICE in the Cup campaign, a national call to action to keep the World Cup joyful, safe and secure for all to enjoy. Check out the full episode at our link in bio, or wherever you get your podcasts. by @paolamendoza

The World Cup is here and we demand No ICE in the Cup!

Through the statue of liberty, we purport to proclaim, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” and yet, in this moment we turn people away with cruelty and division, we separate families with deportations and disappear people into the hell of detention centers.

As the people’s game comes to our shores, let us be a beacon of safety for all people regardless of their immigration status. Each night when we come together as immigrants, families, fans, and dreamers, to cheer for the beautiful game, we commit to caring and protecting each other.

As the World Cup kicks off, we stand for a simple idea:

Fútbol para todos. Soccer for everyone. No ICE in the Cup.

Conceived and directed by: Paola Mendoza @paolamendoza

Produced by: Becky Morrison: @thatbex
Aerial Cinematographer: Keith Ferreira @steadishot
Editor - Austin Kase @akasefilms
Helicopter pilot - Billy Richards
Production Company @thelightislit by @paolamendoza

This past Sunday, local youth in NYC came together to play, connect, and celebrate the game that belongs to our communities.

But this wasn’t just about soccer.

We came together to demand that ICE leave our communities alone. Kids should be able to play, families should be able to gather, and neighbors should be able to celebrate the sport they love without fear of detention, surveillance, or separation.

The communities that built the culture of this game deserve safety, dignity, and joy.

Host your own local tournament! Learn more @ NoICEinTheCup.us (link in bio)

🎥 @trufilmsmovesyou @marjantehraninoble by @paolamendoza

Soccer has always been about more than what happens on the pitch.

In a new op-ed, @PaolaMendoza writes about soccer motherhood and the ways fútbol fosters belonging, cultivates resilience, and brings joy across generations.

As the world turns its attention to the game, we must remember and protect who has always sustained it.

Read more @ScaryMommy. by @paolamendoza

I ❤️ New York. I ❤️ my local abortion fund. I ❤️ @nyaafund (my shirt at nyaf.org/love) by @paolamendoza

In the 1950’s my Colombian grandfather was getting his graduate degree in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My mother was born during this time. Her birth in the United States granted her citizenship because the 14th amendment gave her this right.

I am a direct product of the 14th amendment.

Millions upon millions of people are citizens of this country because of the 14th amendment. The fact that we are having to defend this fundamental right at the Supreme Court speaks to how far this country has fallen from our most basic rights and freedoms. I am disappointed and disgusted by our reality.

I am deeply grateful to Cecillia Wang ( @theoriginalcdubs ) for her brilliance and her leadership in arguing this case and to the aclu for always fighting for us, the people. by @paolamendoza

Fuck Ice today, tomorrow, every day!

📸 @kishabari by @paolamendoza

Paola Mendoza

@paolamendoza