Luz Gallegos, director of the TODEC Legal Center, received the Ohtli award, the highest distinction that the Mexican government gives to people who have positively impacted the lives of Mexicans in the United States and other countries.
“Although one does their work from the heart without expecting recognition, it was a great surprise and a great honor to receive the Ohtli award,” said the leader of the TODEC Legal Center, an organization that works to provide services to workers from the field in the Inland Empire area of Southern California.
“The award goes to the entire TODEC team of volunteers and staff. The Ohtli is a triumph for the entire organization. ”
Every year, each of Mexico’s consulates abroad awards the Ohtli award to a character in the community who has distinguished himself for his work to pave the way for Mexican immigrants, or to promote their culture. Exactly Ohtli, the name of the award comes from the Nahuatl word that means road.
The outstanding pro-immigrant leader received the award from the hands of the Mexican consul in San Bernardino, Itzel De León.
Luz, as the pro-immigrant organizer and leader is known, was accidentally born in the community of Upland in San Bernardino County, and grew up between the cities of Perris and Moreno Valley in Riverside County.
“I always thought I was undocumented like my parents. I grew up afraid of immigration. It scared me when they said, ‘Here comes the Migration.’ Bring them out of the shadows.
This is how their parents Luz María and Antonio Ayala, immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico, who earned their living working in the fields, became residents of the United States.
“They became organizers and founded TODEC in 1984 to advocate and support the agricultural population. It was a very difficult time especially because we are close to the border. In the years 80 when the ranchers didn’t want to pay the workers, they called the Border Patrol to arrest and deport them. ”
When Reagan’s Amnesty came, they incorporated TODEC’s legal area to support lawyers with the people who qualified to obtain residency.
Luz says that her childhood was out of the ordinary. “I wanted to go to the park, but my parents took my sister and me to all their meetings, meetings and marches with the workers. We were always together. ”
Then he grew up between the peasant movement and the experience of living the fear of many parents of not knowing if they were going to return to his house next to his children.
“That experience made me the person I am now. I thank God that our parents involved my sister and me as girls and created a community conscience for us alongside César Chávez and comrade Bert Corona ” .
Although she studied business administration, she decided that she wanted to follow her parents’ path and be an organizer. In fact, he has participated in TODEC since his parents created this organization
“I felt the responsibility to serve our people with compassion and to value each worker ”.
She became involved in TODEC as a volunteer, and for many years was the director of the community program. In November of 2020, she was promoted to Director due to the hard work she did during the covid health crisis – 12.
“I don’t like the titles, I prefer to be an organizer, but what I am clear about is that we are going to continue bringing justice to farm workers. Many for not having benefits such as health insurance left us during the pandemic. ”
Therefore, he said they have a lot of work to do to carry services and resources to all immigrants in the Inland Empire area to help them integrate into society.
Luz took vaccination crews to agricultural fields so that they will begin to vaccinate farmers against covid – 19; and he fought because he was among the first to receive immunization.
It has also distinguished itself by going directly to the field to educate workers about labor abuses so that they know their rights; and through TODEC they have helped many to become citizens and obtained scholarships so that dreamers can pay for their renewals to the DACA program.
Outside of her job, loves to sing rancheras and band songs, and lives in the community with her husband, her two daughters of 19 Y 22 years and their dogs.
He received the Ohtli award from the Mexican government , via the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME), on December 9.