Buoyed by energy and clarity from our staff retreat with Deepa Iyer and Eli Yong Lee in December, the Adhikaar team is kicking off the new year with alignment on key priorities for 2026.

Starting this month, we’ve added more English language and literacy classes, citizenship preparation, on-the-job training in nail technology and newborn care. We are also expanding our healthcare support and creating safe spaces for families to get trusted information, including our monthly legal Ask Me Anything sessions and clinics in partnership with Co-Counsel NYC and TakeRoot Justice. And, we’re reviving Chiya Charcha, a beloved community space where members across generations gather and foster collective care. 

Through all of our work, we are prioritizing members who face a heightened risk of deportation or who cannot afford or access mainstream services.

Come visit us on Sundays, when we share food and tactics for the struggles ahead. These are difficult times, and we know that we are stronger together.

This victory is a testament to the strength of a movement that refused to give up the fight. Adhikaar applauds all those who made this win possible. Read more here.

One Adhikaar member, who is also a TPS holder, shared: “I received TPS designation after the 2015 earthquake. As the sole breadwinner for my family, I am responsible for my children's higher education. TPS has allowed us to come out of the shadows. We should protect it at any cost.”

Even in the thick of winter and during a busy holiday season, nearly 20 youth gathered last month to share insights from their college application processes, as well as how Adhikaar’s youth program supported their personal growth and development, demonstrating the strength of their leadership and the growing energy of Adhikaar’s intergenerational programming.

We are excited to welcome four new board members who have joined the Adhikaar team: Tashi Chodron, manager of Himalayan Cultural Programs & Partnerships at the Rubin Museum, Sweta Baniya, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech, Shivana Jorawar, Esq., community advocate who co-founded Jahajee Sisters, and Duncan Maru, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Equitable Health System and professor at Mount Sinai.

We also take time to thank Meenu Gorkhali, who most recently served as Senior Director of Finance, Human Resources, and Operations, for her incredible decade of service. Read a powerful interview where Meenu details the behind-the-scenes work that the Adhikaar team participated in during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and what pivoting to remote work meant for a grassroots organization that was at the epicenter of the outbreak.

And, we invite applications for Deputy Director and Program & Research Associate by February 22. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis.

• Nail Technician training: 9AM-12PM (every Tuesday & Wednesday)
• Immigration Legal Clinics: 4-7PM (every first Wednesday)
• Ask me Anything Legal Sessions: 7-8PM (every third Wednesday)
• CPR Class: Jan 31, 10-3PM (Saturday)
• English for Empowerment Class: 9:30AM-3:00PM (every Sunday)
• Chiya Charcha: Feb 1, 4PM (every first Sunday)
• Wellness and Movement Sessions: Feb 8, 4-5PM (every second Sunday)
• New Born Care Training: Feb 21 & 28, 10-5PM (Saturday)

P.S. 12 James B Colgate School in Woodside, Queens

This year’s Nari Diwas (International Women’s Day), theme “Built by Our Mothers, Led by Our Youth”, centers youth leaders and shared leadership across generations. As Adhikaar enters its third decade, it is a moment to reckon and honor the intergenerational leadership in immigrant movements.

In solidarity,

Team Adhikaar

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