Cultural Organizing as Critical Praxis: Tamejavi Builds Immigrant Voice, Belonging, and Power

Established in 1998, the American Friends Service Committee's Pan Valley Institute (PVI) is a popular education center located in Fresno, California. Since its inception, PVI has placed a high value on what immigrants bring with them to this country—their experiences, abilities, and cultural practices, which are often informed by prolonged and daily struggles against economic and social injustice. This article profiles PVI's “cultural organizing” work that supports immigrant cultural leaders representing the Valley's diverse populations. In conclusion, three contributions are highlighted that the Tamejavi approach brings to academic conversations about art as social practice.