Paola Mendoza, Film Director, Activist, and a Co-Founder of the Women’s March, joins us on @immigrationmicpodcast to talk about her upcoming book “Sanctuary”!

In this interview, Paola and I discuss her personal commitment to the immigration reform work, the intersections between her work in the film industry and serving as the artistic director for the Women’s March, the inspiration for “Sanctuary” and some of the books themes and elements that mirrors the difficult reality we’re grappling with. We also go into her experience being front and center election night at the Javits Center, the idea of artists working to reopen/ heal “the heart of America”, and her role as we move towards this year’s presidential elections.

About Sanctuary (available for pre-order, out September 1): It's 2032, and in this near-future America, all citizens are chipped and everyone is tracked—from buses to grocery stores. It's almost impossible to survive as an undocumented immigrant, but that's exactly what sixteen-year-old Vali is trying to do. She and her family have carved out a stable, happy life in small-town Vermont, until Vali's mother's counterfeit chip starts malfunctioning and the Deportation Forces raid their town, forcing them to flee. On the run, Vali and her family are desperately trying to make it to her tía Luna's in California, a sanctuary state that is currently being walled off from the rest of the country. When Vali's mom is captured, Vali must carry on with her younger brother across this brutal country to get to safety before it's too late.

Pre-Order Sanctuary: 

https://www.greenlightbookstore.com/book/9781984815712

Paola Mendoza Twitter

https://twitter.com/paolamendoza

Paola Mendoza Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/paolamendoza

"Artists We Need You" Talk @ The New School 

https://bit.ly/3awJJwd

Tink Media 

https://tinkmedia.co/