Meet Jasmine V | Mutual aid organizer, Activist, and homie

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine V and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Asking questions. We don’t know everything there is to know in the world, nor should we. By asking questions, we open ourselves up to vulnerability and growth. Even the questions one might think of as silly can help gear you the right way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We create art for our community. Each piece with a thousand stories to tell. So much connection and creativity that stems from a single brush stroke. We primarily work with the youth and the unhoused, both core peoples in our city. By simply brining paint and a canvas, a bridge is created, a person is heard. The challenges we face are consistent all over thousands of cities that have made it apparent that they do not care for their unhoused nor care to listen to a child simply because of their age. We are here to learn, listen, and grow with our community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would avoid the new downtown altogether. We would volunteer with our unhoused community, have a carne asada at my house with all our friends. I would give them a tour of all the local owned shops to check out like Ikigai Artifacts. If were looking to see art, I would take us to the Muramid Museum. The city is becoming white washed, new tourism has increased the price of living and has been kicking folx out of the same home their grandparents grew up in for fancy new multi million dollar condos. If I’m taking them to see the city, I’m taking them to see the city I grew up in and love, not they new city its becoming.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oceanside, California. Not what you see in downtown- not the infrastructure and definitely not the tourists. I’m talking about the POC that made Oceanside, the ones that have stories to tell about times of the city form way back before I was even born. Those who can truly call this city their home. Those who care for all in their community, not those who are only in it to profit off the poor and stuggling.

Website: www.enmipalma.wordpress.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enmipalma