On the Right Side of History: Michelle's Fight for Justice and Dignity

The second installment of "You Are The Art.” This project is a photo journalistic series that features community members in their own words and environments. As an artist, author and educator in San Jose, I have watched countless changes occur over time. Recently, many of those changes have been negative. There are more people who are unhoused. There are greater numbers of our vital immigrant population who are afraid for their safety, their families and their livelihoods. Worse yet, their voices go unheard out of fear. Fear of discovery, fear of apathy or even fear of punishment keep people silent and in the shadows. This series exists in order to elevate the voices of the people at the forefront of these issues. People whose life experience and point of view, when revealed, can help to educate and inspire us all. The more we listen, the more we learn. Learning leads to higher levels of empathy, which can spark the connections we need to move forward together. 

-Khalilah Ramirez

---

Michelle is pictured on the left with her friend .

In a bilingual fourth-grade classroom in the heart of Silicon Valley, Michelle is doing more than teaching math and reading. She's teaching resistance, resilience, and the power of solidarity.

Originally from Bakersfield and a graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Michelle is a passionate educator and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, where she advocates for immigrant rights and working-class justice. Her activism is not abstract — it’s rooted in personal history and lived experience.

“Most of my family are in L.A. right now, experiencing this on a daily basis,” Michelle says. “They migrated from Mexico in the ’80s. Our struggle is interconnected.”

As immigration raids continue and anti-immigrant rhetoric rises, Michelle’s resolve strengthens. She organizes with and for those most affected, particularly undocumented community members, most of whom are friends, neighbors, and the family members of her students.

“Many folks around me are undocumented. I help by creating plans and strategies with people. I try to remain strong. I use my privilege as a U.S. citizen to protect those around me.”

Michelle knows that burnout is real. “People care, but people are burned out,” she observes. Yet her commitment never wavers — because the stakes are too high. Her activism is driven by love: for her students, for her family, and for a future where no one is criminalized for seeking a better life.

“I want my kids and community to know that I am on the right side of history.”

When asked what she would say to lawmakers and policy architects, Michelle doesn’t hesitate:

“Remind yourselves that we are all immigrants. This country was founded by immigrants — we can’t undermine that. Everyone deserves a dignified life. No one leaves their country willingly. Everyone who migrates does so out of necessity. Migration is natural — it’s a human right.”

Michelle is clear about the contradictions at play. “Our government embraces immigrants when it wants to exploit their labor,” she says. “But turns its back when they need protection.”

Still, she presses forward. As a working-class Latina, as a teacher, and as an activist, Michelle represents a rising tide of grassroots leadership — grounded in compassion and propelled by justice.

Portrait by John Dee Jackson