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Our Staff: Javier Gonzalez

Javier Gonzalez
SOL Executive Director

Inspired by His Family
Javier was born and raised in the Westside in Los Angeles. While Javier's Great Grand parents were the first in his family to arrive from Jalisco, Mexico each generation since has maintained firm roots in both Jalisco Mexico and in California. Early on, Javier learned the value of hard work and sacrifice by working with his father as a janitor, gardener and later as a mechanic. On regular family trips to Mexico Javier learned the values of community, family and working together. "In our small town everyone understands that our lives are tied together and that by working together we can survive hard times. Times just always seem to be hard."
To Fight for a Better Life

After barely graduating form high school and working a number of "going-nowhere" jobs, Javier met Ron Wilkins - a leader in LA's 60s Black power movement. "Ron talked to me about great leaders of the past that helped to define a new path for people like me: A role to make things better. Ron saw in me something I did not see in myself.” Later, helped organize several trips to peace camps in Chiapas, Mexico where he saw first hand extremely poor and desperate indigenous communities struggle for a better life. To this day, the organization, commitment and struggle of the people he met in Chiapas are the bar he sets for his work.

Bringing Together Years of Labor and Community Organizing Experience
After graduating from UCLA, Javier escaped a brief stint in a UCLA PhD program to work as a community organizer under Anthony Thigpenn in South Los Angeles, and later with Day Laborers. Javier soon became an experienced organizer and helped the Justice for Janitors movement. The 2000 Justice for Janitors Strike brought out in Javier that same euphoria he felt in Chiapas. It gave him hope that if we work hard, build our resources and continue to grow and be strategic we could make change.

Putting Hard Work and Sacrifice into Politics
After many years as a Union Organizer, Javier and other Union leaders built one of most dynamic election field machines in America. Javier focused on the members of the Union and how they could change politics in California and in the process change themselves. "It was great to see the confidence grow in the members. I always said, we not fighting for politicians, we are fighting for our place in America." Javier brings an exuberant and energetic 'Si Se Puede' attitude to everything he does while the janitors, hotel workers, laborers, and community leaders drive the work of SOL.

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Publications by Javier

Una Super Historia - La Opinion

The Argument - LA Progressive

Pardon Me Scooter - LA Progressive

Abel y Arnold 2009-02-22 - La Opinion

No Hay que beber el Koolaid 2009-11-25 - La Opinion

 

Our Staff:Adrian Vazquez

Adrian vazquezAdrian Vazquez

"I guess you could say I was born to work for the people."

Adrian grew up in and around the Labor Movement. His parents, Mario and Cristina, met while working as Organizers with the historic International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). Organizing some of the lowest paid immigrant garment workers, the ILGWU rose from the slums of immigrant ghettos in New York to one of the most successful and powerful labor unions in American history. Adrian’s father went on to become a successful Union Representative and labor attorney while Cristina is the Vice- President of Workers United, Western States.

With a strong family commitment to working people Adrian learned firsthand about the struggles of working families and dedication to organizing for a better life.  The strength, courage and dedication Adrian grew up among have made him a committed and talented organizer with a smooth touch at building the relationships that are the mark of all great organizers.

Adrian’s deep interest in solving social and urban economic problems led to his pursuit of a BA in Economics Law & Society from the University of California, Riverside. While attending UCR Adrian interned for with the “Justice for Janitor’s” campaign with SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and studied abroad extensively.  

Adrian has also worked on various campaigns for progressive change including the “Clean Trucks Campaign” of Change to Win (CTW) and the International brotherhood of Teamsters as well as on election campaigns. At SOL, Adrian has been a successful Team Lead helping to register close to 10,000 new voters in Long Beach and Hanford, CA.
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Our Staff: Blanca Perez

Blanca Perez
Blanca came to the United States from Mexico when she was 15 years old.  She has lived in Los Angeles ever since.

Her first experience as an activist was in 2000.  She was then a janitor in Los Angeles and member of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877.   She was a worksite leader of the strike for a decent wages and medical benefits.

“Through that experience, I learned that if you desire something better for yourself of for your family, you have to fight for it.”  From that point on, she became more active not only in her union but in her children’s school.

She has worked for SOL since the beginning of 2007.  “I love my job because I am convinced that we by registering Latinos to vote and mobilizing them on election day we can make a big difference.”

It makes her happy to know that in the many cities SOL is organizing in here in California life is beginning to get better for so many families. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Our Staff: Norma Castaneda

Norma H. Castaneda

Norma was born in Michoacán, Mexico. She and her younger sister moved to Los Angeles in 1995 to reunite with her mom who arrived 5 years earlier.

She joined SOL after 9 years of business related experience. She holds an associates degree as Executive Assistant from ELAC and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management from CSULA. She loves her participation at SOL because it helps her empower the Latino community.

After work she enjoys reading to her niece and nephew, listening to music, reading a good book, or watching movies with the family. She is also a member of a student organization at CSULA in which she volunteers to do high school presentations in LA County. She strongly believes that through education our communities will be better prepared to compete in our diverse workforce and political system.

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Our Staff: Patty Cardona

Patty Cardona
Patty’s upbringing is similar to those who are born to immigrants coming to the United States in search of the American Dream.  Born into a family of 10 children, there’s no adversity too big that a child from East LA cannot overcome.  

Her journey as a community organizer began in 1993.  When she was in junior high school, one of her older sisters was attending UCLA.  It was this year in which she fully grasped the importance of fighting for something that benefits more than you.  

UCLA’s Mexican-Americans students were fighting for a Chicano Studies Program.  Her sister, being the activist that she’s always been, was part of the student hunger strike.  Everyday of the strike, Patty’s parents would take their children to Westwood to support our sister.  It is a two-hour bus drive from East L.A. to the UCLA campus.  

It was during these days that Patty fully matured and realized how crucial it is to organize within our community and to close the gap between the privileged and disadvantaged.  

This experience taught her a lot about community organizing.  It is then she decided she wanted to work with underprivileged communities to bring some equality and opportunity to those that seek it.  

For Patty community organizing doesn’t stop when she leaves the office, “ community organizing is a belief that I carry everyday and in everything I do.”
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