Hi there,

My name is Lisa Sherman Luna, and I am the Executive Director of the Tennessee
Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC).

Recently, my daughter and I had the privilege of attending NILC's Freedom to
Thrive portrait event at TIRRC's headquarters. We joined an inspiring, diverse
group of people from Nashville's immigrant community to take pictures, share our
stories, and spend time together.

As the team took our portraits, they asked us to pick a word that describes what
thriving means to us. I chose "joy" because everyone should be able to live free from systemic
barriers, where pursuing dreams is rooted in joy, not struggle.



Though I was born in Nashville, I was raised in Guatemala and that’s where my
family is from. When I was 17, my family returned to the U.S. to seek safety
from violence. As you can imagine, it was traumatic and a big culture shock to
return to Tennessee after all that time.

Years later, I proudly call Nashville home and work here every day to advance
the rights of immigrants and refugees. It’s my passion and my purpose.

I am grateful I could share my story at this event, alongside my daughter, and
listen to others in our community. It reaffirmed to me that our collective power
comes from storytelling and our shared experiences. I look forward to hearing
more stories at NILC’s next event on October 18 in Atlanta, Georgia, which will
be hosted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) — Atlanta. To learn more about Freedom to Thrive and NILC’s next event, click here.
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Thank you for letting me share my story with you today. May we all work together
towards a world where everyone truly has the freedom to thrive.

Sincerely,

Lisa Sherman Luna
TIRRC Executive Director

P.S. Check out a full recap of NILC’s Nashville event here >>>
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