HELLO
Cristina Palacios
She/Her
Meet the Leader
Ma. Cristina Palacios has been organizing since age 14, driven by her passion for housing and social justice and her commitment to immigrants, refugees, communities of color, and the Latino community. Over the past 17+ years, she has led leadership development, advocacy, and community engagement efforts across multiple organizations, including serving on the Northwest Pilot Project board from 2020–2023. In July 2023, Cristina joined Housing Oregon, where she continues working to advance housing and economic justice so that everyone has a safe, healthy place to call home.
Restorative Leadership Interview Questions:
Question 1: What helps you stay creatively courageous when the world feels threatened/like it’s on fire?
Sun, swimming, sewing, friends, and prayers.
Question 2: Describe a time when your imagination helped you move from fear into action.
My family bought a manufactured home, but the landlord did not want to accept our dog before moving in. She was very oppressive and asked us to choose between keeping our dog (a family member) or the house. Of course, we chose our dog. Still, I went to sleep crying and afraid to fight back. Then I remembered that I had stood up for fair housing rights in the past and helped hundreds of families fight to have their rights respected. I imagined how they must have felt if I gave up, thinking about it gave me the strength to continue. So, I decided to fight back—and I won. We have now been happily living in our home for about five years with our dog.
Question 3: What does growth and holding space look like for you after a loss or rupture?
From the age of five until 17, I was raised in many homes after my parents divorced. I had many struggles growing up but the most difficult one was when I had to move to live alone at the age of 17 for refusing to marry. This event happened one year after moving to the USA, I did not know English and had little to no connections in the community.
Determined to be independent in a country that was not my own, I started living on my own and supported myself with a part-time job. I worked hard and graduated from high school with good grades despite the many obstacles I faced. This made me grow and forced me to become stronger because I had to break many obstacles.
Today, I am the highest earner in my family. I support my family and others whenever I can—financially, through language access, and with other skills I’ve gained along the way. During difficult times, I was fortunate to encounter amazing people—teachers, family members, community members, and great employers—who held my hand and guided me forward. I am deeply grateful for their support, and it motivates me to pay it forward. I wouldn’t change a thing—my struggles taught me what truly matters and continue to inspire me to help others.
Question 4: How do you protect space for imagination in your team or community?
I protect space for imagination in my team and community by fostering conversations, participating in community gatherings, and hosting informal coffee dates. These interactions allow me to learn from others, including cultural norms, and help us discover and strengthen our shared values.
Question 5: What rituals or practices help you (and/or your team/community) name what hurts while still holding on to what’s possible?
We have rituals in the Latino community to grieve together if someone dies. Nowadays, some of those rituals are done virtually—not only because of distance, but also due to real fears of being in the community. We also recognize that many of our elders do not drive or have difficulty leaving their homes. What hurts most is seeing how immigrants—including many of my friends and family members—have been oppressed over the years, and especially in 2025, by a system that does not seem to care that all human beings deserve to be loved, respected, and treated equally. Yet, despite these challenges, we still try to put a good face on life, show up for each other, smile, and resist together.