OUR APPROACH
At the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights (HCIR), our mission is to protect rights, shape systems, and empower communities. We do this through an approach grounded in people, power, and policy because lasting change happens when impacted communities lead and systems are transformed to reflect their realities.
Policy Change
We identify barriers in local and state systems that limit access to opportunity, safety, and belonging. Through coalition-led advocacy, legislative engagement, and policy campaigns, we work to transform laws and public practices in ways that expand rights, eliminate discrimination, and create equitable access to services, from language access and driver’s license equity to educational opportunity and healthcare access.
Power Building
We believe lasting change comes from communities with the capacity and agency to influence the decisions that affect them. HCIR invests in building collective power by organizing community members, cultivating leadership, and fostering long-term civic participation. We support training, storytelling, and organizing that amplify community voices at the Capitol, in public forums, and in decision-making spaces.
People First
The people most impacted by immigration policy are the experts in the solutions needed. HCIR centers the lived experiences of immigrant individuals, families, and community leaders in everything we do, from designing campaigns to shaping policy priorities. We do this through collaboration with immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations, ensuring that our work is accountable, culturally grounded, and reflective of community needs.
