From 16 hour workdays earning $100 to passing history making labor laws and freeing community members from ICE detention, this is the unvarnished story of Adhikaar, a women led, women founded grassroots organization serving the Nepali speaking and Himalayan diaspora in New York City.
In this episode, host Anup Ghimire sits down with Adhikaar’s leadership: Mamta Gurung Yangmi (Interim Executive Director), Tsering Lama (Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy), and Nila Rai (Case Management Staff) to pull back the curtain on the hidden machinery of NYC's working class immigrants.
They dive into the frontline realities of organizing domestic workers and nail technicians, winning Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the $89 billion tax contribution of undocumented workers, and how grassroots organizers carry out 1 on 1 deportation defense and emergency safety planning.
Timestamps & Chapters:
00:00 Episode Highlights
02:53 Meet the Women Leading Adhikaar
04:42 The Queens Hub: Home for Himalayan Immigrants
08:25 Why Adhikaar Was Founded in 2005
09:57 The Hidden Reality of NYC Working Class Immigrants
13:29 Passing the 2010 Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
13:48 From 16 Hour Days to Grassroots Organizer
18:45 Chemical Hazards and Organizing Nail Salons
23:54 The Power of Cross Cultural Solidarity
26:49 Winning TPS After the 2015 Nepal Earthquake
33:25 Woodside and Jackson Heights: The Cultural Anchor
37:23 Debunking the American Dream and NYC Cost of Living
39:58 Handling Asylum, TPS, and Trafficking Cases
42:53 Freeing a Community Member from ICE Detention
50:27 The $89 Billion Tax Reality of Undocumented Workers
52:48 Rapid Response and Emergency Safety Planning
59:48 How Grassroots Nonprofits Fund the Fight
01:02:52 Youth Mental Health and Generational Shifts
01:17:19 Protecting Families from ICE Raids
01:24:08 When We Organize, We Thrive
🎤 Host: Anup Ghimire Founder of The Doers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anup-ghimire-9366aa5a/
🎙️ Guests: Mamta Gurung Nyangmi
Interim Executive Director, Adhikaar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamta-gurung-nyangmi-a6a0a16b/
Tsering Lama
Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy, Adhikaar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsering-d-lama-6124671b8/
Nila Rai
Case Manager (Deportation & Detention), Adhikaar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nila-rai-29049b98/
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