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.

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 >>>