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News, Youth

Youth Voices: Reclaim the Vote!

La Colaborativa
August 13, 2021
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La Collaborativa’s youth group, RIOT Squad, is on a mission to empower all residents to advocate for their needs and the needs of their family. One of the best ways to do this is by voting, a right that many community members do not currently have.

RIOT Squad has joined forces with Reclaim the Vote, a movement committed to expanding municipal voting rights to all residents 18 years and older in Chelsea and other communities across the Commonwealth. Reclaim the Vote recognizes the value and importance of our noncitizen community members, business owners, leaders, teachers, youth, parents, and neighbors.

As we are reminded by one of the youth in this video, noncitizen voting is not a new idea.
“From the founding of our country until the 1920’s immigrants were able to vote and even hold office. And in some states today, they are still able to vote.”

The idea of noncitizen voting is fueled by a desire to engage individuals in their community. Expanding municipal voting rights to noncitizens will lead to higher voter turnout, better representation, stronger democracy, community inclusion, increased stake in the community, and improved community health outcomes.

If you are interested in getting involved with this campaign or would like to learn more , please contact La Colaborativa at (617) 889-6080. Another way to help is to call or write a letter to your City Councilor to express your support for expanding local voting rights.

Your donations help these young people create videos and engage in community outreach in a meaningful way. Their passion and creativity is a force! Thank you for your continued support.

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Land Acknowledgment

At La Colaborativa, we believe that building a more just, equitable, and healthy future begins with recognizing the histories of the land and the communities that came before us, while confronting the systemic inequities that continue to shape our society today.

We acknowledge that La Colaborativa is located in Winnisimmet, now known as Chelsea, Massachusetts, on the ancestral and unceded homeland of the Massachusett People, whose deep connections to this land, culture, and community endure today.

We honor the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations and recognize the lasting consequences of colonization, forced displacement, dispossession, and systemic injustice. These histories are not simply part of the past. Their legacies continue to influence access to land, housing, healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and the resources that allow individuals, families, and communities to thrive.

At La Colaborativa, we understand that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the social determinants of health, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

Structural racism, poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and barriers to education, employment, and healthcare disproportionately affect immigrant, Indigenous, and historically marginalized communities, perpetuating cycles of inequality across generations.

This understanding is at the heart of La Colaborativa's holistic, community-driven model. Our work recognizes that the challenges facing our communities are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation. By integrating housing stability, food access, healthcare, workforce development, education, economic mobility, and community advocacy, we work to address the root causes of inequity, strengthen community resilience, and create pathways toward lasting social and economic opportunity.

Rooted in our mission of Levantando al Pueblo, we believe that meaningful change begins by centering the voices, experiences, cultural identities, and leadership of the communities most affected by systemic injustice. Just as we honor the resilience and enduring presence of Indigenous peoples, we recognize the strength of immigrant families and historically marginalized communities who continue to shape our collective future.

For us, a land acknowledgment is more than a statement of respect. It is a reminder of our responsibility to turn recognition into meaningful action, challenge the systems that perpetuate inequality, and advance a model of community well-being grounded in dignity, belonging, self-determination, and justice.

We offer this acknowledgment with respect and gratitude to the Massachusett People, their ancestors, elders, and present-day communities, and with a continued commitment to learning, solidarity, and building a future where every community has the resources, opportunities, and power to thrive.