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Claudia Medina, Executive Director of Enlace Comunitario
To kick-off the Independent’s new feature highlighting New Mexicans from all walks of life, I connected with Claudia Medina — founder and executive director of Enlace Comunitario, which provides comprehensive domestic violence services to immigrant women.
Claudia, a Colombian immigrant who has lived in New Mexico for almost 20 years, received her Master’s degree in Latin American Studies, with a specialization in Community and Regional Planning, from the University of New Mexico in 1993.
Her work since then has led to the creation of three important projects in support of immigrant families in New Mexico: Enlace, El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos—an immigrant rights organization—and Mujeres en Accion, which is a cooperative that sells tamalas.
NMI: What led you to the creation of Enlace Comunitario?
CM: In 1994 I began working for UNM in the family planning program as a community planner in the South Broadway area of Albuquerque. I soon realized that domestic violence was a serious problem for the immigrant women I was encountering. I brought in volunteers and organized a training process that 13 women signed up for. Then, during that period one of the women was killed by her husband in a case of domestic violence. That changed my perception of what I needed to do. I realized I needed to do more–that this community really needed help.
So what did you do to get started?
We formed a grupo which was composed of myself and these community women. We met for eight months, every Monday, to think through what was needed most. The two main things were counseling services and an economic development project that would allow these women to leave their abusers.
And the economic development project was Mujeres en Accion, which makes those wonderful tamales, right?
Yes, but that wasn’t the original idea. They decided to create a cooperative that made pottery and ceramics. We were given space in the back of a church, Iglesia Congregational Unida, and got a kiln and donated materials. But, you know, the women then decided they were really bad at making pottery — at least the kind that can compete with all the beautiful pottery out there. That didn’t work, but they soon started making tamales to come up with money to pay for the electricity and materials, and those tamales started selling really well. And they have a thriving business today that is freestanding of Enlace.
And Enlace started by offering direct services?
Initially we were still part of UNM, in the education department. We got a grant for a part-time counselor and began forming the program. But our scope eventually expanded and we realized we needed to be independent. That’s when we became Enlace — in 2000.
We understood from the very beginning that in order to eliminate domestic violence, we needed to understand the root problems and take a systemic approach. We recognized that we needed to be both a domestic violence service-oriented and a social justice oriented organization, which means we have to be involved at the policy level through advocacy and organizing.
So, in 2000 we created Enlace and raised $45,000 through small grants here and there. Today, we have a budget of $1.2 million and 20 employees.
Isn’t El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos also an organization that was started through Enlace?
El Centro is our sister organization that does grassroots organizing for immigrant rights. Rachel Lazar, the executive director of El Centro, was one of the first employees of Enlace. We have a very collaborative relationship, and share a leadership institute that trains promotoras. These are immigrant women who are cross-trained on immigrant rights and domestic violence issues, who then go back out into the community to do education work.
And doesn’t Enlace also have a youth program?
When it comes to domestic violence, we can’t separate women from their children. Our program offers a comprehensive approach — from counseling, to legal services, to case management, and to prevention — and meeting the needs of the children is very important. We offer counseling to young children and have two youth groups, one for girls and one for boys.
What makes Enlace different from other domestic violence programs in the state?
We are the only culturally specific program for Latino immigrant victims of domestic violence in the state. Other programs may have Spanish services, but we are the only ones who offer a comprehensive package for that community.
Why is that important?
The needs of immigrant women have an added dimension. First, let me emphasize that domestic violence is something that faces women from all walks of life, regardless of who they are. But immigrant women face more challenges. They have significant language barriers. They might not seek help because they have a fear of deportation. We find that there is a real lack of understanding of their legal rights here, and they are often very intimidated by the legal system. Many are not able to find a job because they have no documentation, so will be reluctant to leave their abuser. These barriers make them isolated — often their extended families are in other countries so they don’t have support networks.
So, shifting gears a little, will the state budget crunch affect Enlace?
Yes, we are very worried –50 percent of our budget is state funding. Plus, private foundations are also facing difficulty because of the decline in the stock market. So we’re being very cautious, very lean in terms of managing our finances. It’s a scary time for the non-profit sector — we are very concerned.
Do you have any bills you’ll be supporting during the session?
We’ll be keeping a look-out with El Centro for anti-immigrant bills are proposed. Plus, I participate on a task force concerned with human trafficking. A bill was passed last year making it a crime — we think it needs some revisions that would include more protections, and the task force is working on creating a bill. I’ll also be helping the statewide domestic violence coalition in communicating to legislators about why it’s so important to not cut funding for domestic violence programs.
Why is that important?
Well, domestic violence is basically an epidemic. It affects more and more women every year. National reported statistics tell us that 15 women per 1,000 suffer from it. But in New Mexico, it’s more like 24.5 per 1,000. The problem is huge. And these women need the public to support programs that help them get out of these situations.
Do you generally find that the public is supportive of your work?
All I can say is that I feel very blessed with the amount of support we get year after year. We’ve had so much support from individuals, funders, and policy makers. It’s unbelievable, really.
And what about you personally? What do you do in your spare time?
Spending time with my family, first, plus a truly wonderful group of co-workers and friends. And then, I have a hammock in the backyard, and when I’m in it with a book I feel like a queen.
Do you have a favorite author?
Being from Colombia, I just love [Gabriel] Garcia Marquez. But at the same time, I read a lot and every time I put a book down I say, wow, that was my favorite author. What can I say? Life is good.
