My story

I was born and raised in the Imperial Valley, a rural county along the US-Mexico border. Its unique landscape, climate, population, and large dependence on the agricultural sector position it as one of the most underserved and underrepresented counties in the US, relegating it to a near civic desert. Over 85% of our population is Latino, with a predominant percentage speaking Spanish at home. Our economic and social opportunities are highly limited, with 1 in 6 jobs having ties to the agricultural sector. Our communities remain secluded both through physical space and informational gaps regarding opportunities for either political or civic engagement. As someone who has spent time at non-profits, labor centers, and a variety of community-centered and equity-driven spaces, I know and understand that it is our task as citizens to seek out avenues of civic engagement and action, yet I have seen how these same avenues are many times secluded from attainable public view or engagement.

I delineate these facts to point to the civic infrastructure and health of a county like mine, and to speak to how I have witnessed community leaders and members, supported solely by grassroots organizations, single-handedly sustain civic life, as I intend to do. Despite formidable obstacles, such as disinvestment in our economic and educational opportunities, they have managed to combat and resist hopelessness by organizing communities and transforming our ideas and efforts into collective power and resilience.

Many citizens want and seek out the opportunity to understand and express their points of view and input in the environmental, economic, and cultural issues impacting their environment and community, yet they are not shown actionable steps or opportunities towards them. Expanding outreach and civic participation is essential to advancing meaningful policy and community change and creating lasting progress within our communities.

I know this firsthand, as my passion for social justice and equity frameworks began when I attended a community informational seminar hosted by a grassroots health equity organization on the use of pesticides in our agricultural fields affecting our farmers’ and the overall county’s health. with each passing statement and research point, I became indignant, yet I also left that community hall with a sense of purpose. I had experienced the tumult of civic life; I had witnessed past and current farmers ask questions, share stories, voice concerns, and call for action. For years, I had noticed how much our county lacked, yet in an hour-and-a-half seminar I was allowed incredible insight into how community organizing that centered input and knowledge-sharing could lead towards sustainable and strong collective power.

Now, I am aware that change such as the one needed in my hometown depends on civic power and concentrated efforts, and I want to direct my storytelling, narrative-building skills, and community outreach towards enduring advocacy and organizing efforts.