Labor Justice

It's been a while since I've thought to update this blog, though I have not been lacking in material. I've started college, found new passions, made friends, gained family members...it's been a busy couple of months.
I'm writing now from my desk at Make the Road New York in Queens, NY. I'm an intern with the Labor Justice Campaign. So far, "internship" has meant making charts and copies, touring the Queens Center Mall, learning about injustice, and feeling mildly inadequate. Once again, I'm experiencing the feeling of confusion and lost-ness (for lack of a better word) that comes with immersion in a foreign language. I hear more Spanish during work than English. Greetings in the halls are quick but energetic "¿holacomoesta?" I'm embarrassed that I don't speak more Spanish than I do, so I've turned on my brain and am hoping to absorb as much as I can.
I really couldn't ask for a friendlier place to work. EVERYONE smiles at EVERYONE which is such a nice change from the cold (literally and figuratively) sidewalks of New York City. I feel a part of this dynamic place of passionate community organizers working on every NY related justice campaign I can think of.
I'm working on the Queens Center Mall Campaign (http://queenscentermall.org/). I am co-coordinating efforts to organize the community in support of the workers of the Queens Center Mall. We are asking that employers raise wages to a living wage ($10/hour). Starting tomorrow, I'll be standing outside the biggest mall I have ever seen, asking consumers to sign pledge cards saying that they support the workers of the Queens Center Mall in their campaign to receive a living wage. If you walk by, be nice. I'll keep you updated on how things go. Also, I hope start posting pictures.
Be well.