As home care advocates flooded into the New York Caring Majority monthly Zoom call from cars, living rooms, and parks, they were greeted by an upbeat rap song. This was the first time they had gathered together since minimum wage for home care aides had been increased across New York state by $2; however, the tone of the meeting didn’t stay cheerful for long.

When Stefania Puxeddu arrived in New York City in 2014, she worried that her four-year-old son would not maintain his native Italian tongue. She struggled to find books in Italian at the public library and feared that her son would not learn about Italian culture or be able to communicate with relatives back home. She found hope in bilingual education, and in 2018, her grassroots organization InItaliano gained approval from the New York City Department of Education for an Italian dual language program at P.S. 242.