Growing up, I never imagined I would have the chance to walk through the doors of the White House, let alone as an invited guest. As an immigrant, certain spaces–like the heart of the United States, its capital–always felt distant and out of reach. However, just a day before the official birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., I found myself in Washington D.C., standing alongside beloved members of the Protect California Deserts coalition as former President Joe Biden designated two new national monuments in California, solidifying his conservation legacy only days before leaving office.
With a single stroke of a pen, he protected over 848,000 acres of interconnected landscapes in the state. While the moment was short-lived, it had been years in the making. More importantly, this moment was a result of a collective effort, mirrored by all the people and groups in the room. I came across a lot of familiar faces that day, each of whom played a key role in the success of these campaigns. More than anything, I kept thinking about the thousands of Americans who couldn’t be there in person, but still made their voices heard through petitions, letters, public comments, and other powerful ways. I held these people in my thoughts as I made my way through the halls of the White House, greeted partners, and entered the press room.
As I took my seat, I couldn’t help but feel the excitement radiating from everyone around me. The energy in the room was so electrifying that it brought a smile to my face. It was heartening to see so many Tribes represented in the crowd as well, and I felt a sense of awe as Secretary Deb Haaland entered the room and made her way to the stage, accompanied by the President of the United States. Without a doubt, one of my favorite moments of the night was seeing Rhian Reyes, a graduate of the Chuckwalla Youth Ambassador program, deliver an empowering speech, where she captured the magic of California’s beautiful deserts and affirmed the importance of preserving these revered places for us all.
It made me so proud to watch her shake hands with former President Joe Biden and introduce him as the next speaker. In his speech, he drew attention to the numerous wildfires devastating California that week, and in that moment, I felt the weight of my heart. I found myself thinking of my family and friends watching the livestream from Los Angeles, my home.
Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments
This moment, coupled with other events that month, really cemented in my mind how crucial it is to protect our planet for present and future generations before it’s too late. Then, in his closing remarks, he said something that gave me a deep sense of peace. He said, “[...] there’s nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.” It was a simple reminder of an idea I’ve always believed in my heart to be true, and one I witnessed in action throughout the course of this campaign.
We rose to our feet several times during his speech, but none with more enthusiasm than when he signed the proclamations designating the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments. There are so many memories of this day, and from the years leading up to this moment, that I’ll never forget. I flew home to California the next day, and from the plane, I caught glimpses of the Washington Monument and National Mall covered in snow. For so many years, these places existed only in the pages of my history books, so seeing them from the window now felt almost surreal. I could barely wrap my head around it. After all these years, we really did it! I can’t wait to see what we’ll do next!
