Amir Naranjo was born and raised in Oceanside, California, and is a junior transfer majoring in Sociology and minoring in Education. As a low-income, gay, Afro-Latino, raised by a single mother with 4 younger siblings, Amir experienced many hardships with his own identity and the instability of his family. Through all of these struggles, he learned the power of believing in oneself, igniting a spark that would manifest into his passion for bringing justice and hope to the many communities that he represents. He’s recognized the structures of inequality embedded into our society and is determined to be in a position where he can amplify the voices of his people. Amir hopes to be an advocate for the microcosm of our diverse communities by fighting to combat issues of housing and food insecurity faced by low-income and the homeless, reforming our educational system through equitable funding and new curriculums, reshaping the foster care system, and many more systemic issues.
Before transferring to Berkeley, Amir was greatly involved at his Community College. He was the Vice President of the Black Student Union, served as an Academic and Career Pathways Peer Mentor that supported underrepresented students by doing monthly check-ins, setting academic and career counseling appointments, and organizing career panels for students. He also worked as a Student Ambassador where he helped seniors bridge the gap between high school and community college by opening the door to the many opportunities available with hopes to shift the negative stigmas that surround it. This upcoming Spring, Amir will be interning under the ASUC VP in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) department as well as mentoring middle school students under Project S.M.I.LE.
Amir is eager and excited to embark on this journey of being able to witness the political processes in action and how he can use his own mission and vision to create tangible change through policymaking.