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Lucia Lachmayr teaches all levels of English at Skyline College, from Composition through Literature courses, focusing often on themes of social & educational justice and how they are impacted by systems of power and privilege. Lucia's practice is informed by Paolo Freire's critical pedagogy in centering students' experience, knowledge, and agency in their own learning. Read Lucia Lachmayr's full bio.  

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Steven Mayers has been a professor in City College of San Francisco’s English Department since 2005. Steven has taught at San Francisco State University, University of San Francisco, and Cañada College. Steven is a writer and oral historian and has been conducting oral history research, especially with Central Americans, for over a decade. Read Steven Mayers' full bio.  

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Oscar Ramos is an elementary school teacher. I have been teaching in the Salinas Valley for 25 years. Oscar's passion is working with farm workers and migrant families. The work he has done in this area has been featured in multiple media outlets, the New York Times, and in the PBS documentary East of Salinas. Oscar has received multiple awards and recognitions over the years, including the California Teachers Association’s Cesar Chavez Human Rights Award. Read Oscar Ramos' full bio.  

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Nooshan Shekarabi is an Iranian immigrant residing in the United States since 1984. Nooshan is fluent in her native language of Farsi (Persian). She is a full professor of political science and chair of the political science department at Santiago Canyon College in Orange, California. Both Nooshan's undergraduate and graduate studies and degrees were completed at California State University, Fullerton. She is an author and a poet as well, and has also served as a political consultant for a number of Iranian news networks in California. Read Nooshan Shekarabi's full bio.  

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Gabriel Thompson is a freelance journalist and author in Oakland, and has written for publications that include the New York Times, New York, Nation, Mother Jones, Slate, and Harpers. Gabriel is the author of five books that focus on immigration, labor, and community organizing. His most recent book is Chasing the Harvest, an oral history collection from California's fields. Gabriel's journalism has won the Studs Terkel Media Award and a Sidney Award and he has been a guest on Marketplace and CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. Read Gabriel Thompson's full bio.