To celebrate 20 years of serving South Texas, we're launching our 20 Years of LUPE History, video series. Each video will highlight a special moment in history, our victories, or the inspirational stories of our members who are the source of our community power.
Celebrating 20 years of LUPE in South Texas
Women In The Movement
In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth we created a video to honor the visionary women who lead our movement and fight for all of us to have better lives. 🙋🏽♀️💁🏻🤰🏽👩🏽🦽
In this video, Doña Maria Gomez and Martha Sanchez share what it took to start organizing for infrastructure improvements in colonias in South Texas. Neighborhood infrastructure makes for stronger and healthier communities when people can safely drive on roads, kids can easily walk to the school bus stops, and families can play outside without being in the dark. 🏡💡🚙
Love In The Movement
❤️ We share with you the story of Mario and Elvira Ramirez, a couple who have been members of the LUPE movement for decades. They have been married for over 46 years. Here they share with us their story of love, family, and activism. 💘 ⚽️
Celebrating Immigrant Mothers
We honor immigrant mothers who fight every day for their families and for all of us. You deserve the best, and we are committed to building a better world alongside you. Here’s a message from our leader Norma Aldape. ❤️
The Story Of Teresa Barrera
For #WomensHistoryMonth, we are inspired by local organizers like la Señora Teresa Barrera. Teresa is from Matamoros, Tamaulipas. When her husband and kids moved to Colonia El Jay in Hidalgo County, she was surprised to find that the neighborhood lacked basic infrastructure. But Teresa and her neighbors knew their families deserved more, so they organized and won by pressing the county to address their needs for years.
Today, Colonia El Jay is a thriving community. To honor her leadership, the County named the neighborhood park and a street after Teresa Barrera. Teresa continues to be a proud LUPE member. ✊❤️🏡
Honoring Cesar Chavez and Those He Inspired
We honor leaders like Dominga Villanueva and her family. Raised as farm workers, Dominga and her family met Cesar Chávez in California. He inspired them to organize for dignified working conditions and show the power of their community. Her father Macario Villanueva, who lived to be 101 years old, marched and was even incarcerated for organizing with Cesar.
Eventually the Villanueva Family would find themselves in the Rio Grande Valley again, where they continued being part of the movement through LUPE. Dominga continues to be a proud LUPE member to this day.
Dolores Huerta And Cristela Alonzo
In this video, LUPE and LUPE Votes board member Cristela Alonzo shares why Dolores inspires her to carry on the legacy of fighting for our gente. ¡Si se puede!
Celebrating International Workers Day
👨🏽🏭👩🏼🚒👨🏽🔧👩🏽🍳👩🏻🌾 We honor our working-class members who are the backbone of our communities. All workers deserve to thrive, be treated with dignity, and work under safe conditions. In this video, our community organizer Elizabeth Marquez talk about her outreach to support workers in the Rio Grande Valley.
From LUPE Member to LUPE Organizer
At LUPE we fight for equal immigrants rights! In this video, our community organizer Marcela tells us the story of the challenges that she encountered when migrating to the United States to improve the life of her family, how LUPE impacted her life, and how this moment influenced her to become a community organizer.
LUPE Pride 🏳️🌈
In June we honored every member of the LGBTQ+, celebrate every important achievement towards equal treatment, as well as pride, dignity, and self-affirmation. In this video, our director of education Equity Luis Castillo talks about their experiences being a queer immigrant and how this identity shapes their everyday life. LUPE believes in equal rights regardless of your gender, sexuality, or identity.
Celebrating LUPE Diversity
Meet Gloria, a Guatemalan that migrated to the United States for a chance at a better life. This past Hispanic Heritage Month we honored people like Gloria that celebrate their roots and culture, while proudly continue their work as leaders in the community. Join her in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by watching the video below.
Al Colegio Si Se Puede
At LUPE we believe that every student deserves an equal chance at success. In this video you will meet Carla, the education equity specialist, and learn more information about the ‘Al Colegio Si Se Puede’ program.
With Light There Is Hope: Colonia Flaco Chiquito
From darkness to light, Colonia Flaco Chiquito and its residents fought tooth and nail to provide street lights, safety, and comfort to their families. This neighborhood has a long history of organizing and helped launch our public light campaign in 2005.
These LUPE members helped create the laws that county now uses, and after 16 years they will finally see the light of day at the end of their hard work. They faced pushback and discrimination, but with perseverance and unity, they conquered every challenge. Witness this incredible story in the video below.
Farm Worker Prayer
The Farm Worker Prayer prayer was written by Cesar Chavez, and it represents our collective values, beliefs, and vision for a better world. This ritual centers us before our meetings and reminds us of our purpose. It gives us strength to focus on the issue at hand and effectively ties the present to both the past and the future of the movement.
We invite you to learn more about by watching the video below.
