Meet Paola Mendoza. She and 20 others helped a 14-year-old girl travel out of state for abortion care. Her film Romina tells this poignant post-Dobbs story.
Paola Mendoza is a proud immigrant from Colombia. She is an award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author and has organized some of the largest and most impactful cultural and political movements in the past decade, including the Women's March, Families Belong Together & Trans Prom. Paola is also a founder of The Resistance Revival Chorus, The Meteor and The Soze Agency.
Paola uses art to disrupt and disarm, to change our thinking, and to advance movements for immigrants, reproductive justice and the LGBTQ community. She co-authored the New York Times bestseller Together We Rise: Behind the Scenes at the Protest Heard Around the World. Her YA novel, Sanctuary, was a critical darling and is currently being adapted into a motion picture. Her most recent YA title, SOLIS (the sequel to Sanctuary), will be released in Oct 2024. Her films Igualada, Entre Nos, On the Outs & Free Like the Birds have garnered international and critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
Was there a defining moment in your life that inspired your activism, particularly in immigration and reproductive rights?
To be honest there wasn’t one moment that inspired me to organize around abortion or immigration. I am an immigrant. I grew up with immigrants. I have always been inspired by our stories of courage, faith, love and strength. When I saw my community being attacked I had no other choice than to do everything in my power to fight the hate and xenophobia that was and is enveloping this country.
As for abortion, my mother had an abortion when we first arrived in the United States. Her abortion story has always been part of my story. It was never a shameful thing. It was actually the opposite, I grew up being grateful for my mother’s abortion and all it afforded me.
Do you have a guiding mantra for your activism?
I was on a panel with Danielle Rodriguez from Sister Song and she asked the question, “What are you willing to do for someone else’s liberation?” I loved this question because it instantly places you in service to someone else. We live in a society where we are obsessed with ourselves. We center our needs. We think of ourselves first. Organizing and art (good art) asks the opposite of us. Both art and organizing are at their most powerful when they are uplifting a truth that is so profound it is undeniable. It has nothing to do with the organizer or the artist. It is a selfless act. It asks us to care for someone else rather than ourselves. I am always trying to hold on to that.
Your new book, "SOLIS," is the sequel to "Sanctuary." Can you tell us about the story and what you hope readers will take away from it?
SOLIS and Sanctuary tell the story of a dystopian futuristic United States where the government is rounding up undocumented immigrants. At the center of this story is Vali, a sixteen year old undocumented girl. Sanctuary is a story about running toward safety and SOLIS is a story about fighting back. Both serve as a clarion call for freedom. I want readers to be inspired to fight back against injustice and hate.
Beyond your work as an author, you're also a director. We loved your film "Romina," which tells the story of a 14-year-old girl who unexpectedly becomes pregnant in a state with an abortion ban and travels to seek a life-saving abortion. Can you share the process of making this film and how you discovered Romina's story?
I’ve known Romina since she was a little girl. Her mother called me the moment she found out Romina was pregnant because she knew I could help. When I got the call I knew I would do everything in my power to get Romina the abortion she wanted, but I also knew I couldn’t do it alone. Over 20 people helped Romina get an abortion. Some of the people were my closest friends, others were total strangers. It was really beautiful and inspiring to see so many people come together to help Romina. Of course it shouldn’t be this way. Romina was lucky but there are so many other Romina’s out there that aren’t able to access abortions and that is unacceptable.
We recently traveled together across Arizona and Florida for the "Aborto Es Salud: LatinX Storytelling Tour," where we heard abortion stories from Latin American organizers in LatinX communities in the US. What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?
Telling stories is a liberatory practice. We can find freedom in our stories. One of the most powerful moments of the entire tour was when a 60ish year old woman in a small border town told her abortion story. She stood in front of the room and through tears told us about the day she had her abortion. She confessed she had never shared her story because she was ashamed about it. She wiped away her tears and said,” I am done being ashamed. There is nothing to be ashamed about.” The entire room was weeping because we were able to witness this woman’s liberation.
How can individuals harness the power of storytelling to make an impact?
Tell your stories with honesty and integrity. Tell your stories with kindness and dignity. Tell your stories to inspire others. Tell your stories and get other people involved in voting. Tell your stories to open people’s hearts and fight against authoritarianism.
What does a liberated future look and feel like to you?
Liberation is when we all have bodily autonomy.
