Latin@ Committee: Building Community for the Future

Miguel Cordova, the Bargaining Chair of Unit 21, is doing his part to honor Hispanic Heritage Month by working to reclaim the vitality and legacy of our Latina/Latino community. As the chair of Local 1000’s Latin@ Committee, he’s going beyond the committee’s mission statement to “review state policies and programs that impact Latino/Latina workers” by restoring the strong traditions of family and unity. 

“Our union is choosing to use its power to influence a great many issues whose impact goes beyond the Latino community and affect us all,” said Cordova, who works as an Educational Consultant at the Department of Education in Sacramento. 

“We’re using new energy and new ideas to build community.” 

The Latin@ committee is engaged in the fight for immigration reform on a local and national level, recognizing the millions that live in the shadows, yet contribute so much to our community and culture. At the same time, they’re supporting the push to restore the promise of DACA and empower 800,000 Dreamers to continue to work and study without fear. “This is not just a Latino issue, it is an important issue if you care about kids; education, community and even the economy,” he said. 

Cordova believes that restoring those strong organizing traditions is more than being present at Latino community events. “It’s an everyday task of finding new ways to engage and impact members and their families.” 

In one example, the Latin@ committee is working to bring back local school district superintendents—all Latino—to continue to build a dialog that reinforces the values of the Latino community to the next generation of Californians. 

For the work they do to build a more vital and engaged Latino community, we salute the efforts of Miguel Cordova and the members of the Latin@ Committee during Hispanic Heritage Month.