Riya Ortiz

Riya Ortiz is a Community Organizer at the Damayan Migrant Workers Association. Born and raised in the Philippines, Riya was uprooted from her motherland and transplanted to New York City in 2000 where she has taken roots in the Filipino American community since then. As a queer immigrant Filipina butch and daughter of a domestic worker, she has 18 years of organizing experience with the  most marginalized Filipinos in the Philippines and in the US, including Filipino migrant workers and their children. She served as the Founding Chairperson of the Gabriela Youth chapter in her college in Manila and a founding member of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) in NYC. Her other passion includes photography, running, and taking care of her cat Kabang.