Kaiya Laguardia-Yonamine

Kaiya is a second-generation Uchinānchu and Afro-Cuban student born on the lands of the Multnomah, Cowlitz and Kalapuya peoples (North Portland). She started with APANO as one of the first members of ALLY, leading the campaign for Ethnic Studies implementation in Portland schools.

As an organizer with ties to Oceania, Kaiya grew up hearing stories of her ancestral homelands and developed a deep love for storytelling. She later brought this passion to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa where she studied Journalism. Kaiya strives to use multimedia production to spread stories of resilience and create empowering spaces for community engagement.