ISHR Student is working to rebuild her community after Almeda Fires
This past September, the Almeda fires blazed through Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, leaving nothing but ash. Niria Alicia, M.A. in Human Rights Candidate, is a member of the community affected by the devastating fires. A few weeks ago, The New York Times wrote an article about the destruction the fires brought to Oregon.
“I'm proud to come from this community. My mother is a farmworker and my father is a former wildland firefighter and tree planter who planted more than 12 million trees in the Pacific Northwest. My memories of this valley are clean water, fresh organic food and bountiful mountain air. I never thought my hometown would become a disaster zone but on September 8th my family, community and myself, along with more than 40,000 people in the Rogue Valley became climate refugees in our own hometown. We were at the mercy of the unforgiving Almeda Fire,” says Niria.