La Unión Del Pueblo Entero

Juanita grew up in a migrant family in South Texas and came to know the struggles faced by farmworkers first-hand.  As a young woman she earned an Associates Degree  in Early Childhood Development and worked in that field for several years.  Since 1981 she has devoted her full energies to the Farm Worker Movement.  In 2000 she was elected to the post of National Vice-President of the United Farm Workers and now serves on the Cesar Chavez Foundation Board. In 2003, all LUPE operations were moved to South Texas and Juanita was named to lead the efforts as Director. Under the leadership of Juanita Valdez-Cox, organizers have made a lasting, true impact on the lives of LUPE members living in the South Texas area.

After more than 20 years as a Movement Volunteer and a long professional career in Chemistry, first in the laboratory and then in a teaching role, Vaughn joined the LUPE team late in 2002. In addition to a variety of administrative tasks he performs, he works on researching and preparing grant applications and writing reports to funders. He feels privileged to work for LUPE members and help them build better communities for their families. Vaughn grew up in rural Illinois and is a graduate of Western Illinois University. Before working for LUPE he taught Chemistry/Environmental Technology at Texas State Technical College. Vaughn enjoys reading, working on the lawn and is looking forward to playing with his granddaughter, due in November!

A graduate of the Health & Human Services Program at South Texas College, Veronica joined the LUPE team in the summer of 2007.  She was born in Harlingen, grew up in Pharr, and has worked in a variety of places including Purvis Bearing Service Inc, Texas Cooperative Extension and the University of Texas-Pan American. As the Social Service Coordinator for LUPE, she provides training and guidance to the team of Providers and keeps them informed of any policy or procedural changes. Veronica came to LUPE because she’s always been interested in helping others and has seen firsthand how people can change the social structure for a better place to live. She finds her work rewarding because she knows that LUPE helps others help themselves by empowering them to create social change. Veronica obtained her bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Texas-Pan American.

Mister Treviño is LUPE’s staff immigration attorney. He is from Harlingen, Texas and has been practicing law since 1983.

Fela grew up in the border town Reynosa, Mexico where she worked as an Assistant Accountant for six years before coming to Hidalgo, Texas in 1990, where she worked at a department story for 8 years. After meeting farm workers and learning about community needs, she saw how difficult things were, especially for those without documents. Many people did not have enough information or know where to go for important worker and legal services. This experience moved Fela to start volunteering for the United Farm Workers in South Texas in January of 2000, where she helped organize her colonia’s involvement in the union, and joined the staff working full time in September 2001 as a social service provider. She finds her work to be very rewarding, especially when members receive work permits and Legal Permanent Resident status as a result of her efforts. She is very proud of her history with the union, including her work, time volunteering, and involvement with the politics of her county precint.

Carolina Ruiz is a resident of Hidalgo, TX and a graduate from The University of Texas at Austin where she earned a BA in History. She began volunteering at LUPE in the summer of 2012, and joined the LUPE Team in September of that same year as a social services provider. She is interested in learning more about immigration and ways that she can help the community through organizing.

As an immigrant from Veracruz Mexico, Tania obtained a Bachelors Degree in Finance, a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters of Arts in Communication from the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA). After working as a Student Affairs para-professional during her graduate years at UTPA, Tania Chavez discovered the world of organizing at a leadership training at the Harvard Kennedy School-Center for Public Leadership. Combining the power of organizing and her student personnel experience, she was able to start a student organization at UTPA, the Minority Affairs Council. This student-led organization originated from the tragic death of Mission DREAMer Joaquin Luna. In providing resources and information to undocumented youth in the RGV to be able to obtain a college education, Tania arrived to LUPE with the hope to harness the talents, abilities and determination of the RGV youth. Tania joined the LUPE Team as a service provider where she mainly helps with DACA applications and youth organizing. Tania hopes to empower the RGV youth to implement change in a proactive manner towards political and social issues among the minority community.

Cris was raised in Michoacan, Mexico where she studied and received her secretarial degree in shorthand typing. Growing up she witnessed a lot of injustices, which is what brought her to work at LUPE. She wanted to be actively involved in social change work and making justice a reality for immigrant communities. As a strong believer in the power of spirituality, struggle and community service, Cris enjoys her work as a Community Organizer to bring colonia residents together to build power and realize change.

John-Michael is a long-time resident of the Rio Grande Valley and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where he got his initial involvement in organizing through the farmworker-led Campaign for Fair Food. When he graduated and moved back to the RGV he joined the World Peace Alliance, which organized with students and youth around farmworker solidarity, immigrant prisons, domestic violence and against corporate-led Free Trade globalization. He now works as the Communications Director for LUPE and is happy to bring his skills to the struggle for justice in the colonias.

Martha Sanchez, Community Organizing Coordinator
Martha grew up in Cardenas, Mexico and became involved with the Holy Spirit Church upon coming to McAllen, TX. Here she learned about US foreign policy and involvement in Latin America in the 80s and other injustices in America, which stirred in her the passion to work for social justice. After working for the parish for more than 15 years, she joined the LUPE team in 2006 as the Community Organizing Coordinator. She guides LUPE’s team of community organizers as they work with local communities to identify and develop indigenous leadership and their ability to mobilize their friends and neighbors around local issues. Martha loves working with people to help them realize the power of unity and how they can build opportunities to work together to affect change.

Yvette Salinas, Community Organizer
Yvette Salinas is an Alton, TX native with a love for colour. Formerly an amateur painter attempting to send the message of beauty, intelligence and empowerment for people of colour through music and art, she is now exploring the strong, effective vehicle for change that is organizing and aims at increasing the voices of colonia residents in an equally vibrant way. She received her B.A in English Literature with a concentration in Ethnicity and Woman Studies from the University of Texas at Pan American in South Texas. Since then Yvette has worked with youth teaching creative writing at a local juvenile correctional facility in Edinburg, TX and has organized alongside student and youth groups in efforts to raise consumer awareness of farmworker exploitation. She is the new community organizer in the area of Alton.

Daniel Diaz, Community Organizer
Daniel Diaz is the organizer in the area of Mercedes. Originally from Palmview, TX, he began organizing when, as a college student in Arkansas, he saw the injustices faced by his friends who grew up in the U.S. but did not have documents. That led him to begin organizing for the DREAM act on his college campus. He has worked in immigration services and volunteered in workers rights at the workers center in northern Arkansas.

Felix Rivera is the social service provider for the Mercedes office. Himself an immigrant, he is here at LUPE working for those who want to make this great country their home.