Episode 2 – Liza Gill
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Liza Gill is the Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights. She is a professional advocate with experience leading statewide legislative campaigns and building coalitions to advance justice and inclusion for immigrant and migrant communities across Hawaiʻi.
In this episode of Pilali, cohosts Ashley and Wren sit down with Liza Gill of the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights to discuss immigration, belonging, and the realities facing immigrant communities across the islands. Liza explains how HICIR works to build power for the nearly 20 percent of Hawaiʻi residents who are foreign born through coalition building, policy advocacy, and efforts to expand access to legal counsel. The conversation explores the recent rise in immigration detention in Hawaiʻi, the fear and uncertainty many families are experiencing, and the civil nature of immigration law that often leaves people navigating the system without representation.
Ashley and Wren also speak with Liza about what solidarity and belonging mean in a place shaped by generations of migration. Drawing from her own experiences and the communities she works alongside, Liza reflects on the dignity of immigrant workers, the importance of joy and community organizing, and the role Hawaiʻi can play in imagining a more inclusive future. The discussion closes with a vision for a society where immigrants are fully supported to live, work, and contribute as whole people within the communities they help sustain.