From its formation as an organization, advocacy has been at the core of CATA's work. Worker and community organizing, and advocacy often go hand in hand as people come together to identify the changes they want to see and how they want to act on those ideas. Many times, advocacy is geared towards pushing politicians at any level to create or change a policy or law to address an injustice or meet a community need.  

When CATA members talk about advocacy, they talk about all the different ways it can look. It can be big actions like protests, rallies, and marches. It can also be smaller actions like letter writing campaigns, collecting petition signatures, and sharing an informational flyer with your neighbors. All of these actions have an impact and bring the community closer together so they can continue to fight for their rights as a united group.  

CATA members have organized and advocated for state and federal policy changes including increases to the minimum wage, access to driver's licenses, access to municipal IDs, and stronger health and safety regulations in the workplace. And, working in coalition with many other communities and organizations, we had many wins with those advocacy campaigns and have seen the positive impact that have had on the immigrant communities that fought so hard for them.  

Advocacy is hard work and results can take a long time to come to fruition. The campaign for access for driver’s licenses for people without a social security number in New Jersey took over 10 years of constant advocacy and public action. Meeting with legislators can be a frustrating process and waiting for politicians to fulfill their promises to communities can be disheartening and discouraging.  Advocacy requires an incredible level of sustained energy, resilience, and commitment that sometimes doesn’t seem fair to ask of the impacted communities fighting so hard for change.  

The hard work of advocacy does not, however, always end in a win. For over 20 years, CATA members have been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, and this is a fight we see going on still for many years to come. But we don’t stop, because we know what’s right and what our communities deserve, so we keep pushing forward, always making sure our voices are heard. 

Beginning in April, CATA will be launching a new training program in Spanish designed to train community members and leaders in topics associated with Workers' Rights in New Jersey!

"Violations of workers' rights are too common in our community. We hope that by having more people who understand how to respond to questions about workplace issues and who to call, more people will stand up for their rights and denounce workplace violations. 

We are excited to embark on a more in-depth training of community members on these issues that impact so many," said Jessica Culley, CATA's General Coordinator.

If you want more information on this training program, please get in touch with Jessica at jculley@cata-farmworkers.org.

This week the Department of Homeland Security turns 20 years old.

We are PUNCHING BACK through pizza, posters, and community power. On 3/3, we'll host an art build and power hour for our members. 

Art Build & Power Hour

When: Friday, March 3rd, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Where: Newark, NJ (Location sent after RSVP)

What: Pizza, Posters, Paintings, and Postcards

Who: YOU!

New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ) will supply the markers, tools, and materials for our build. You are welcome to bring clean, recyclable materials (think boxes, bedsheets, etc.) as well. This is a family-friendly space if you have young artists who want to help build with us!

Please join us for a night of art, music, and community building. Please RSVP here so we can get a headcount for supplies and food.

CATA's Book of Herbal Remedies and Healthy Food is an effort to preserve the knowledge of herbs our Spanish-speaking community brings from their homeland to the U.S. during migration. We needed to document these recipes so that the next generation could learn about alternative ways to take care of their health outside of the pharmaceutical sector.

This book includes 16 herbal remedies and healthy foods recipes gathered from CATA members and others through CATA's Herbal Medicine Exchange program. For a small donation ($5), we will send you the book to your email so you can access all these fantastic recipes to live healthier lives.

We share the ingredients and preparation techniques for each recipe to make the herbal remedy or plant-based food. Some recipes also include the beneficial properties of the herb or food.

This month we would like to share the recipe for Homemade Rosemary Shampoo (Page 8):

Items Needed:
• Shampoo (any brand)

• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Preparation:

Use fresh sprigs because they contain and release more of their properties during the resting period. Place the sprigs inside the shampoo and cover it with the lid. Let the infused shampoo rest for 1 week until you use it.

After a week, you will notice a color change in the shampoo. The longer you leave the shampoo, the better and more concentrated. Also, the original smell of the shampoo will be replaced by the powerful smell of rosemary.

If you shampoo your hair daily, you are removing the beneficial oils that are released by the hair - this is necessary to support growth and health.

It is recommended to use the shampoo every other day to replenish the loss of vitamins the hair needs to look shiny and healthy.

Benefits of Rosemary in the Hair: 

• Slows down hair loss

• Acts as a hair stimulant

• Regulates scalp oil production

• Promotes hair pigmentation

• Prevents premature graying