SALT LAKE CITY — March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions women have made in the United States and recognize specific achievements.
Cuminidades Unidas originated from a group of immigrant women in Midvale 25 years ago, and today the organization continues to empower women.
"I am very proud of the team we have at Comunidades Unidas. I think it's important to mention that we are immigrant-led and women-led and I am so very proud to be leading and to be organizing aside some many different power women," said Mayra Cedano, Comunidades Unidas Executive Director.
The organization fights to build the social and political power of people who identify as Latinx immigrants, including those who may have entered the country illegally, lack the documents required for legal residence or were brought into the country as children.
Cedano was eleven years old when she immigrated to the United States. She started her activism in the immigrant rights movement at fifteen years old, and after college she joined the organization.
FOX 13 News got to know the women of Comunidades Unidas at an event they were having for day laborers. The organization was there to talk about worker safety and to celebrate their contributions to the community.
"We're trying to create a safe space for everyone to be a part of that," said Cedano.
Although the organization started in Midvale, Cedona said they are now doing a lot of outreach out of Salt Lake County.
"There's so many beautiful things that are happening and I'm very proud of everything we've accomplished as an organization but also this leadership pipeline that we have at Comunidades Unidas," she explained.
Eighteen-year-old Cynthia Ponce is the Youth Community Organizer and has been with the organization for about a year.
"I think Comunidades Unidas has really changed people's lives just because they come here not knowing anything, not having any type of resources and Comunidades Unidas is exactly that," said Ponce.
Ponce said she has always wanted to help people and Comunidades Unidas gives her that opportunity.
"I knew I wanted to make an impact just because I come from undocumented parents and a brother and seeing them struggle," she said. "Knowing I have the privilege and the right to be a U.S. citizen here has always empowered me to continue to move forward for my family."
Ponce said youth are often told they don't have a voice and Comuidades Unidas has given her one.
"It's been something very healing to my inner child as well just because I can finally tell the little girl that thought she didn't have a voice that she does and through this work, she's not going to be able to impact not only her own life but a bunch of other people's lives."
Dominique Byrd is the Development Coordinator at Comunidades Unidas. She started as an intern in 2022 and became a staff member shortly after.
"People in our community are struggling and they're suffering and the systems that are here in place right now are oppressive. If we don't work to change those who will? If not us, then who? If not now, then when?" said Byrd.
She said it's a privilege for her to be a part of an organization that allows her to get into those conversations, to open doors where the voices of individual community members get amplified.
"I myself am not Latina but I do have a story of immigration in my family with my great-grandparents and I carry that with me. I carry around the stories of all the people I know."
Byrd said she's proud to be a part of an organization that is women-led.
"It's great! It's inspiring and it's powerful and I just feel fortunate to be able to be part of a community like this. It's incredibly inspiring. I am very fortunate. I have a couple of really strong women role models in my life but to be in a workplace especially so young in my professional career that I get to see women in positions of power, you know, being the Executive Director, being Program Manager, being the head of a company, you know, the head of an organization it just, it feels, it's very validating."
Byrd hopes other young women could look to her Executive Director and her leadership team, and they too could be inspired and motivated.
"See us and realize that to be a woman does not mean to be any one thing. You can take up space, you can be in these positions of power, you can be a voice for your community and you can be taken seriously. "
Go to cuutah.orgto learn more about the women of Comunidades Unidas and to find out how you could get involved or help their cause.
