From Ecuador to Queens: Cristina Jiménez Moreta on Immigration, Fascism, and Liberation
Episode Description
This edition of The Fascism Barometer finds host Ejeris Dixon sitting down with Cristina Jiménez Moreta—bestselling author, MacArthur Genius Fellow, and co-founder of United We Dream—for a timely conversation on how fascism shows up in the everyday lives of immigrant communities. Cristina reflects on her own journey from Ecuador to the U.S. and speaks to the experiences of immigrants who flee authoritarian and fascist regimes, only to be targeted in the United States. Cristina highlights the acts of resistance that everyday people are taking and the opportunities to build bigger, more visionary possibilities that this moment creates. This is not a theoretical conversation—it’s about real people, real histories, and real stakes.
About Cristina
Cristina Jiménez Moreta is an award-winning community organizer, bestselling author, and a leading voice in movements for social justice. She is the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of United We Dream (UWD), the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country. Cristina has led multiple national and local campaigns for immigrant justice, playing a leadership role in the campaign to win and implement the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA). A distinguished lecturer at the City University of New York, Jiménez was awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and named one of Time's 100 most influential people. Her USA Today bestselling debut memoir, Dreaming of Home, was published in May 2025. She came to the U.S. from Ecuador in 1998 and grew up undocumented in Queens, New York.
About Ejeris
Ejeris is a political strategist passionate about strengthening liberation movements and building community safety. Ejeris serves as the Fascism Barometer's "movement meteorologist," exploring the impact of fascist movements on communities of color, queer and trans communities, and all marginalized people. Having worked for the past twenty-five years at the intersections of racial justice, LGBTQ liberation, anti-violence, transformative justice, and economic justice movements, Ejeris focuses on creating political and strategic experiments to strengthen social justice movements through the organization Ejerie Labs.
Resources
Reading
Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power, and Real Change — Cristina Jiménez
“Trump’s Big Ugly Bill is Fascism in Writing" — Robert Reich, Common Dreams
“10 Egregious Things You May Not Know About The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — The Center for American Progress
“As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas” — Christopher Flavelle, The New York Times
Learn more about eugenics through The Anti-Eugenics Project
“National Debt vs. Deficit vs. Surplus: Understanding Government Money" — GovFacts
Roundup Sources
Watching
Action
Protect Immigrant Communities! Join the Here to Stay Network with United We Dream
Attend Fuera Fachos’s Mijente’s Virtual Political Education Course on the history fascism and how it impacts us today
Attend It’s Giving Feminist Mutual Aid by the Women’s March. Learn about mutual aid and how communities can support through changing political conditions
Defend immigrant communities from ICE raids: Attend trainings and actions through the Defend and Recruit Project of SIEMBRA NC
Write to your congressperson about the Block the Bombs Act!
Attend the Katrina 20 Movement Assembly and Join the Katrina 20 Week of Action
Donate to The Fascism Barometer and support us in continuing to create episodes and resources for you!
Donate to Mohsan Mahdawi’s immigrant legal defense fund! Support the Vermont Immigrant Legal Defense Fund
Check out the All of US Directory, a sortable database that seeks to make it possible for newly activated people to easily connect with organizing and mutual aid efforts.
Check out the resource hub!