Juan Monje, Comunidades Community Organizer
juan@comunidades.org 541-399-5354
Juan Monje works as the Comunidades community organizer focusing on outreach and community engagement within Latina/o/x communities in the Columbia River Gorge. He has been instrumental in building the change for communities of color in Southwest Washington, including advocating for laws that favor immigrant communities and fair representation. Juan’s strong stance against illegal contamination of natural resources and the challenges facing our rural communities with harmful fossil fuel terminals led him to volunteer and fight to close the methanol refinery in Kalama, Washington. In 2020, moved by the same vision, he joined Comunidades as a volunteer, where, alongside Senior Organizer Ubaldo Herández, Juan pioneered “Voces del Noroeste,” an online show featuring people fighting for social and environmental justice
Juan believes it is time to advance a safer and more equitable immigration system—one that will strengthen our entire community. He champions adult literacy programs and continuing education for Latina/o/x non-traditional students wanting to pursue higher education.
What inspires you to do this work?
As an immigrant, I have witnessed how we have been marginalized by the social injustices suffered by our community. That is why I am dedicated to serving the Latino community to own it, empower it, and make changes that help address the social and environmental injustices we face.
Riverkeeper’s team includes scientists, environmental lawyers, and community organizers. We work to organize and empower local communities, enforce environmental laws, and build strategic coalitions. Our mission is to protect and restore the Columbia River and all life connected to it.
