Taking it Upon Themselves to Seek Change
At the beginning of summer last year, protests were erupting across the country over a range of issues, including police violence and conditions at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. Helen Miranda and Ashley Solano decided they needed to do something about it. Being friends since their sophomore year of high school, the two decided to start Project UNITY, a group aimed at organizing protests and activism in the Reno area.
Solano was born and raised in Reno, while Miranda moved here from Los Angeles when she was eight years old. Disappointed in the lack of local action, Miranda and Solano took it upon themselves to create the change they wanted to see, even if it was just the two of them. Since then, they have organized protests against inadequate immigration facilities, sex trafficking, and police brutality. They have also hosted donation drives for Reno’s houseless community.
“Personally, I want the right people to care. I want our government officials to do things about what people want,” Miranda said, when asked about what she wants to see change in Reno. “Like we are out here trying to touch so many people, but if it doesn't touch the right people that have the power to change, then where are we ever going to go?”
Solano currently works at a warehouse sorting mail, while Miranda works as a realtor. Miranda is also a mother and soccer coach, with help from her mother when it comes to child care.
Project UNITY’s Facebook banner features two women, hand in hand, surrounded by cacti and butterflies. The signs surrounding them detail the issues Project UNITY cares about, such as fighting against racism and for immigration rights. The word “unity” is shown in Spanish and English. Photo from the Project UNITY Facebook page with permission to use.
Hope Despite the Doubts
Besides the limitations of COVID, one of the biggest setbacks for the duo were the initial fears and doubts surrounding Project UNITY, and whether people would listen to them or not.
“Maybe people's opinions in the beginning did get to me a little bit, but I feel like I'm way over that. And I feel like now it's just like, I know that I can make a change, whether it's just us or with a whole group of people,” Solano said.
“I didn’t want to feel the failure,” Miranda said. “But, at a point it just got to where me and Ashley were like, ‘Okay, if it's just going to be the two of us protesting, the two of us doing things, the two of us feeding the homeless, the two of us doing things for one individual.’ If it means changing one individual's life, because they decided to contact two people, I wanted to help.”
Miranda and Solano pointed out how they acted as extra support for each other, saying that even if they didn’t know each other, they would still be doing what they are doing now.
Solano (left) and Miranda (right) hold a Mexican flag at their first ICE protest on June 14, 2020. Photo from the Project UNITY Facebook page with permission to use.
Looking Forward to the Future
In the future, Miranda aims to be a soccer coach, so she can be the mentor to others like the one she had growing up. Beyond that, she wants to change Reno for the sake of her children and grandchildren. Solano plans on doing some sort of social work, while continuing to help others.
“Because if you're always thinking, ‘Okay, I want to, maybe one day I want to make a change. Maybe one day, I want to do this or that.’ Then it's never going to happen until you say, ‘Okay, well, this is how I'm going to make it work.’ Even if it's on your own. Even if it's yourself believing in yourself with, um, the whole world against you. If you believe in yourself, it's your, it's your life.” Miranda said.
Miranda and Solano’s passion for social justice mirrors that of their generation. The two young adults have shown that age doesn’t matter when it comes to helping others.
“I definitely want people of our age or younger to know that if you really want to make a change, just go for it,” Solano said. “Don't worry about what people think, don't worry about who's next to you, who's behind you, who's believing in you. You have the power to make a change. And if it's really like you have good intentions sooner or later, people are going to see it.”