Last fall, students in the social justice minor capstone class found themselves learning about seafarer’s rights, which pertain to workers who regularly travel by sea. According to the International Chamber of Shipping, many migrant seafarers come from the Philippines, Russia, Indonesia, China and India.
On Sep. 13, 2024, AJ Meraña’s remains were identified following reports of an unidentified body in the Columbia River near County Line Park in Cathlamet, Washington. A migrant seafarer from the Philippines, his death sparked the local campaign Justice for AJ, which called for the Philippine government to hold Meraña’s employer, the J.J. Ugland shipping company, responsible for his death.
According to senior social work major Grace Keefe, the Justice for AJ campaign inspired students in the social justice minor capstone class to organize a vigil on campus to raise awareness of Meraña’s death and the campaign.
However, without an organized club on campus, it became increasingly difficult for these students to logistically plan the event, and they were unable to do things such as book a space on campus for events.
“We realized that a lot of the other issues that students were facing on campus were because there wasn't a central place for them to bring their grievances and bring things that they were passionate about in terms of social justice,” Keefe said.
This led Keefe and fellow senior social work major Lily Merizon to revitalize UP’s Social Justice Club. The club now serves as a hub for students passionate about social justice issues, like seafarer’s rights, to learn and take direct action.
On April 27, Social Justice Club and the Pacific Coast Coalition for Seafarers (PCCS), a grassroots activist group that works with seafarers to improve their working conditions, hosted a vigil for Meraña in the Pilot House Plaza.
The vigil featured speakers from grassroots organizations PCCS, Concerned Artists for the Philippines, Anakbayan East Portland as well as UP’s Filipino American Student Association (FASA).
For Frannie Legaspi, political chair of FASA, being invited to participate in the event allowed her to explore the commitment FASA has to social justice in the Filipino community. For her, FASA is more than just a place to celebrate culture on campus — it’s also a place to recognize challenges the community faces.
“When they presented me with this opportunity, it was a no-brainer; I had to do it,” Legaspi said. “I think that my role is really important — I feel like I inspire [FASA members] to come back to these types of [events].”
In addition to the vigil, the Social Justice Club partnered with the UP Student Nurses Association (UPSNA) to hold an event where participants could not only learn about seafarer’s rights, but also assemble care packages for seafarers.
“The room was packed — it was exactly the vision that we had for the Social Justice Club, bringing together collaboration between other clubs,” Keefe said.
According to Keefe, the detainment of Colombia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmound Khalil is inspiring members of the Social Justice Club to utilize the club as a space to talk about social justice issues that arise from the Trump administration’s policies and views toward social justice movements and advocates.
“I think the greatest strength that we have right now, especially under [the Trump] administration is the strength that comes from community and educating ourselves together and taking stands together,” Keefe said. “So even if you're not ready to be going out, hitting the streets in protest or anything like that, but you just want to learn more, and you want to hear from other students about their needs and what they're doing to get them addressed, you should join the Social Justice Club.”
Tiffany Marquez Escobar is the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at marqueze25@up.edu.
