How This Latina’s Passion for Climate Justice Fuels her Impact at Our Children’s Trust
October 5, 2024
Aly Bonilla at a climate rally
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are excited to highlight Aly Bonilla, Executive Legal Assistant at Our Children’s Trust. A proud Honduran raised in Norwalk, Connecticut, Aly joined our team earlier this year, bringing her passion and dedication to advancing our mission to protect children’s rights to a safe climate. Aly's deep-rooted commitment and her unique perspective as a member of the Latinx community enrich our work, and we are thrilled to have her as a vital part of our team.
Check out the Q&A below to learn more about Aly!
1. How has your identity as a Latina influenced your passion for climate justice?
I feel that as a Latina, my identity has always been rooted in an interest in climate justice. Having spent a good part of my childhood in a community of Honduras that was still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Mitch, I witnessed how natural disasters disproportionately affect marginalized groups, particularly our indigenous people, the Garifuna. With recent natural disasters increasingly impacting communities in the U.S. at an alarming rate, I feel a strong urgency to advocate for a more sustainable and earth-friendly future.
I am further empowered to want to make a change by cultural values like familia and comunidad, both of which emphasize the importance of the collective over the individual. There is an underlying commonality between our culture, nature, and the principles of climate justice in that way, where all rely on its participants feeling intertwined and interconnected. I resonate a lot with Xiye Bastidas’ sentiment that our attitude towards nature is naturally a relationship, though we act as if it were one of ownership. There is something sacred in our natural resources that is worth protecting and we lose it when we try to capitalize and exploit them.
2. What do you love the most about your heritage?
I love how so much of our culture is rooted in celebration – whether it be of our land, our people (living and deceased), or our history, there is always something to be joyous about. Our ancestors demonstrated a great deal of strength and adaptability to help ensure we would make it as far as we have, and we carry a deep sense of pride in our traditions and customs because of that. I would say that it has cultivated this sense of belonging and connection that emphasizes the togetherness that is imbedded in our way of life, and I am so fortunate to get to take part in all of it.
3. What is the most rewarding aspect of your role at Our Children’s Trust?
It is so rewarding to be able to help those who are directly contributing to meaningful change in the space of environmental justice. I am fortunate enough to get to be in the same spaces as individuals who are fighting to enact policy changes, as well as others who do all the important work to help us get closer to the goal of securing a safer environment for children. Whether they’re staff attorneys, media and communications coordinators, operations, or development – I am just honored to get to assist them and the mission of OCT in any way I can.
4. What advice would you give to young Latinx individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in environmental justice and climate rights advocacy?
I would encourage young Latinx individuals interested in careers in environmental justice and climate advocacy to remember that you don’t need to fit a specific mold—like owning every color of Chacos or having trekked through every national park—to make a difference. These experiences often aren’t the cultural norm for many in the Hispanic/Latinx community, and that shouldn’t disqualify anyone from engaging in important conversations about our planet. Environmental action must be inclusive, involving people from all backgrounds and walks of life; if it’s not accessible to everyone, it’s not truly sustainable.
Moreover, no role is more valuable than another when it comes to protecting our planet—whether you’re a wildlife specialist, an air turbine technician, an artist, or anything in between; every contribution is vital, especially in today’s climate crisis. There is no “wrong” field to be in for this work, so do what you love and go forward knowing that there is always going to be a way to use your passions to further the cause of climate justice.