You may have heard of “Indivisible” at the national level or on the news, but did you know that there is an Indivisible chapter alive and well in Fullerton?

Our local group began in 2017 in reaction to Trump’s first presidency. A small group of people quickly grew to over 1,000 in then California’s 39th congressional district. The motto was to resist Trump’s agenda and to work locally. Our goal was to remove Ed Royce as our congressman and to elect someone with a more progressive outlook who would counter the MAGA agenda. We persisted, with weekly visits to Ed Royce’s office, sometimes in large groups while at other times only a few people. Eventually, we succeeded and got Gil Cisneros elected in 2018.

With the 2020 election, census, and re-districting, CA-39 became CA-45, losing some cities such as Diamond Bar and Chino Hills, and gaining new territory such as Cypress and HawaiianGardens. Our new member of Congress was Michelle Steel, and we persisted in our work to remove her from office, having success with one of the tightest races in the country, electing Derek Tran as congressman for CA-45 in 2024.

After the 2024 election, our work to resist Trump’s agenda, and particularly Project 2025, has gained momentum, with new members and greater urgency to protect our rights and our democracy. Following the guidelines set forth by the national Indivisible, we are currently working to build community, connect with those under threat (e.g., immigrants), support independent journalism, and, of course, have fun doing all this. Our goal is to work with Congressman Tran to support moral and progressive legislation.

At our first meeting in January 2025, we outlined some of the areas of Project 2025 where we will work locally to influence over the next several months: immigration, LGBTQ+, children, people living with disabilities, and those facing racial discrimination.  Some of the areas identified by Indivisible CA-45 members to address are keeping public benefits such as public broadcasting, Social Security, Medicaid/ Medicare, public education, and libraries. We will persist in our efforts to build a relationship with Congressman Derek Tran and his staff, including tracking his votes on important legislation, requesting meetings and a town hall, and regular contact with phone calls and emails. Indivisible CA-45 is committed to working with other groups that have a similar focus because when we all work together, we will prevail in our efforts to defend our democracy.

Please join us at indivisibleca45.org, facebook.com/IndivisibleCA45, and bsky.app/profile/indivisibleca45.org