Areli Hernandez
Position: Board Member
Areli Ericel Hernandez (she/her/ella) is an immigrant Californian from Puebla, Mexico, and serves as Director of Executive Affairs at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). As the eldest daughter and a first-generation college student, she is strongly committed to social justice and liberation for the present and future generations.
Areli came to the U.S. as a child to reunite with her parents and younger brother. Growing up in rural Northern and Central California has given her a unique understanding of the immigrant experience. She first became aware of her immigration status during the 1990s when Proposition 187 was in the news, an elementary school teacher publicly inquired about her immigration status. A combined fear of INS detentions, witnessing mass discrimination, and work shortages led the family to permanently relocate from California’s Central Coast to Los Angeles County.
In 2001, while in high school, Areli saw a glimmer of hope to fix her status when The Dream Act was first introduced in Congress. That same year in the fall, California passed AB 540, the in-state tuition for immigrant students bill, which made college more financially accessible to immigrant students. The bill was a path for Areli to attend Pierce Community College and later California State University, Northridge. Areli is part of California’s first AB 540 in-state tuition beneficiary class.
Areli became active in the immigrant rights movement in 2006 when Los Angeles saw La Gran Marcha come alive in the streets as a protest against the anti-immigrant sentiment caused by the Sensenbrenner Bill. Still, with no immigration relief in sight, throughout college and after graduation in 2007, Areli worked the graveyard shift as a janitor to pay for college and make ends meet.
In 2010, Areli began her journey with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), making calls throughout the nation to raise awareness about immigrant bills such as The Dream Act and Legalization for Farm and Field Workers (Ag Jobs). In the fall of 2010, she worked on the effort to pass The Dream Act, a bill that fell short of votes and failed to pass. In 2012, Areli was at CHIRLA when the historic DACA announcement happened. She applied and was granted deferred action for childhood arrivals.
Areli proudly serves her community as a non-profit management professional, while continuing to advocate for true and just immigration reform legislation. Since 2012, she has witnessed the growth of the organization and the immigrant rights movement. In 2019, Areli was one of the DACA beneficiaries inside the Supreme Court when the historic Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California case was heard.
As a direct beneficiary of the advocacy and wins that CHIRLA has led, Areli is proud of her role within CHIRLA’s leadership team. Areli is a graduate of California State University Northridge (CSUN) with a B.A. in Psychology, minoring in Chicana/o Studies, and a master’s in Public Administration and Non-Profit Management. She calls L.A.’s San Fernando Valley home, is an avid Dodgers fan, and loves to celebrate people.
