Charis Guerzo

Youth Programs coordinator

Hello! I am Charis Guerzo, a second-generation Ilokana born and raised in North Stockton. I grew up attending predominantly white Christian institutions such as First Baptist in Stockton, Jim Elliot in Lodi, and Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Because of this, it wasn’t until my last year of undergrad that one of my textbooks finally had a paragraph on Pilipinx American history. Thankfully, I did not wait until then to learn about my identity, history, and community; however, it did take leaving Stockton to come back to Stockton. While in undergrad, I educated myself on Pilipinx American history through podcasts, books, YouTube videos, and online research, and I was surprised by how often Stockton and Little Manila came up. I went on to graduate from Westmont with a BA in Sociology and a deep desire to be in a community that valued lived experience, holistic well-being, and collaboration over competition.

After the pandemic brought about loss and mental health challenges, I decided to come back home to focus on healing and being with my community. I had a full-circle moment when my friend and previous Youth Advocate, Raziel, encouraged me to apply for the 2022 Little Manila Rising Youth Advocates Program. Through this program, I learned about the continued disenfranchisement of our historically redlined communities and the intersection between race and class. Being a Youth Advocate for Environmental Justice, I cultivated a passion for urban forestry and the environmental issues impacting South Stockton. I am very grateful to continue my work with LMR as the Youth Programs Assistant and to finally be in a community that advocates for visibility, equity, and healing.