Debra is with Domestic Workers United, is from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. She came to the United States in the hopes to find a better life for herself and kids. She joined CNPI so to help tell the stories of the thousands of domestic workers who have come from the Caribbean.
Teresa has worked as a street vendor in New York City for the last 19 years and is a member of the Street Vendor Project, an organization that advocates for Vendor Rights in the City. Teresa has worked on radio projects that have aired both locally and nationally, including a national piece that compared the struggles for low-income workers in New York City and Hurricane Katrina survivors and on the plight of street vendors who lost their work location after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trace Center Towers.
Bilal is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee who moved to New York City after his home was destroyed in the storm. Bilal now works with the Huricane Katrina Survivors Coalition and is an original member of CNPI. Bilal has filed stories for a national audience concerning the plight of immigrant street vendors and has participated and produced stories looking at Katrina evacuees living in New York City. Bilal currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
James has worked as a street vendor for over 5 years and is a board member of the Street Vendor Project. James is a veteran of the first Gulf War. He has used that experience in an interview he conducted with an Iraq War veteran running for Congress in 2006 that was heard throughout the country. James has also begun conducting street vendor reviews for New York City local audience. He has also filed reports from New Orleans on the plight of Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Felix is with the New Immigrant Community Empowerment, is 22 years old and is from Mexico City. He works in construction but his true love is in photography and graffiti. He is currently working on bringing the voices of the region's day laborers to the airwaves.
Vivian is a member of Nah We Yone, she's originally from Nigerian. She has been in the US for the past few years trying to secure a better future for her young daughter Selma (meaning protected by God). Vivian loves traveling and enjoys helping other people in need. She is very active in the movement for the right of homeless people who she says are not given any opportunity for the betterment of their lives.
Jose is with the New Immigrant Community Empowerment, is from Ecuador and works as an Electrician. He has wanted to be involved in radio since he was a kid, and now that he is, he plans to use the skills he is learning to raise awareness of immigrant workers.
Donald, is with the group Families For Freedom, an organization that fights for immigrants facing deportation. Donald is also an environmental activist who has fought for social justice in his native country of Antigua and here in the United States. He is a street vendor who has traveled throughout the US and the Caribbean selling musical instruments and other art objects. Donald is co-host of a radio show produced by Family For Freedom that airs weekly on WBAI.
Abdulai is a member of Nah We Yone, currently studying Journalism at the City University of Staten Island. He has done some reports on the condition of detention of asylum seekers, and has worked on the production of stories involving victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Abdulai is actively involved with immigrant communities through the interpretation services he provides to various NYC & NJ law firms and NGOs handling pro-bono asylum cases.
Radha has worked as a domestic worker for the last three years and is a member of Domestic Workers United. As a CNPI reporter, Radha has filed reports both on a local and national level concerning the efforts of domestic workers fighting for the passage of the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights in the state legislature in Albany.
