Charlie Uruchima 

Charlie Uruchima is a native New Yorker of Kichwa-Ecuadorian descent. His current passion for community organizing and the Quechua language lies in his own Kichwa lineage and long work with undocumented immigrant communities in New York City. As a graduate student at NYU, Charlie helped organize Quechua-related events in New York City, including the first Quichwa Film Showcase in the United States. Blending his passions for Quechua, community organizing, media, and research, in July 2014, Charlie co-founded Kichwa Hatari, the first Kichwa radio project in the United States.

Charlie has also worked extensively with grassroots organizations over the years, such as Democracy Now, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), and Brandworkers, and consulted for the Smithsonian Museum of American Indian in D.C. Currently, Charlie is a Program Coordinator at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). At NYCOSH, Charlie coordinates the Manhattan Justice for Workers Collaborative which aims to increase crime reporting for victims of wage theft and negligent health and safety practices. His current research interests and grassroots advocacy work lie in the intersection of labor, migration, language, media, and indigeneity.