Hi! My name is Perla Gamboa and my pronouns are she/ella. 

I’m originally from Peru, but I’ve lived in Washington State for 20 years. I love the area where I live in because I’ve been lucky to establish wonderful friendships and partnerships with other immigrants, refugees, and allies around the state. I served as a Commissioner for the Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs in my city and participated in the Tacoma Refugee Choir too! I love singing, dancing, meeting people, trying new food, and traveling. As social as I am, you can also find me spending time at home crafting, spending time with my husband and 2 kids, and taking care of my plant babies. 

I joined the Office of Equity to bring my lived experience and expertise with language access policies and practices to support the work that the Office has begun. I’ve been an advocate for language justice and immigrant rights throughout my career, whether mentoring DACA students as a lecturer in Hispanic Studies, advancing equity and opportunities for all by serving in nonprofits, volunteering to help folks apply for their US citizenship, providing resources so immigrants can get their ITIN, or doing justice work from government spaces for the past 10 years. 

I am delighted to use this opportunity to serve and connect with other state agencies, commissions, nonprofits, community members, resource groups, and anyone who wants to dialogue about the importance of co-creating language justice best practices. Let’s celebrate the richness that diverse communities bring to our lives! This work is personal to me as I had to navigate state services and find information in a second language when I moved to the USA. I was fortunate to find mentors and allies that were involved in pro-equity anti-racism work and supported me through school and work. We are a strong community of champions. Together we can energize others, elevate marginalized voices, and create spaces where we can all flourish and belong.  

“Belonging means more than just being present; it means being a valued member of a community.” – john a. powell