Photo: (Supplied/Hugo Soto-Martínez) / Courtesy
The district 13 (CD13) Los Angeles is known to be one of the most ethnically diverse areas, covering communities such as Silver Lake, Echo Park and Westlake. Currently, like several districts of the city, it faces high numbers of gentrification and homelessness.
Hugo Soto-Martínez, from 38 years of age, is one of the area’s disgruntled residents. That is why he was encouraged to run as a candidate for councilor of the CD 13, a seat now held by Democrat Mitch O’Farrell.
Soto-Martínez is proud to say that he understands first-hand many of the problems that occur in his community because he was born and raised in that city.
Has experience in organizing union workers. As the son of immigrants, he sympathizes with the rights of street vendors and those who come to the US for a better life.
In the In the past, it has been responsible for informing voting citizens about proposed measures or candidates. He is currently part of a campaign that seeks to impeach Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Humble Beginnings
Soto-Martinez was born and raised in the South Central Los Angeles area. His parents emigrated from Mexico and began working as street vendors. He tells that at a very young age, he saw himself accompanying them to go to sell fruit in the streets.
He admitted that during his early adolescence he had friction with the authorities due to his bad company and he even dropped out of school for a while.
“I was a poor boy and my life could have been very different,” acknowledged Soto-Martínez. However, the ambition for a better future for him and his parents led him to change the course of his life.
At 16 years was forced to work in the hotel industry after his father was injured, which prevented him from working and supporting the family. That also opened his eyes to applying himself to his studies and eventually he was accepted to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), from which he graduated with a degree in political science and criminology.
It was there that a movement began that opened many doors for him. Soto-Martínez said that with a little less than a month to go until she graduated from UCI, workers at the hotel where she worked asked her to join the movement to advocate for a union.
“First I was scared but then I was amazed to see the change that uniting us can make”,
acknowledged.
“I was a room service waiter, I helped win the union at my workplace and I have the support from my union Unite Here Local ”, he expressed.
Change required
Soto-Martínez said that in the last census count it was reported that the District 11 lost 10, persons. Although it is still difficult to verify if it was the lack of people who did not want to be counted or the helplessness that is displacing many of their homes.
“We realized that the 16 % of the people who fall into distress is because they do not have economic skills”, he indicated.
The candidate added that the 60% of Los Angeles apartments are owned by banks private. In addition, the 75% of the population of Los Angeles is overloaded with rent, that is, more than 30% of people’s income goes to their rent.
“Then the common enemy in in this case it is the corporations, the private banks and no council member is talking about that,” said Soto-Martínez. “We are going to talk about the root of the problem.”
He added that the world is currently changing. Now there is more activism, more coalitions between whites and other races, Black Lives Matter is growing. This shows that the multicultural movement is growing in Los Angeles.
He added that he is running without getting the support of large corporations or people of power. However, he has seen that there is support from the community and, just as in the past, it was received by people from the working class, such as Senator María Elena Durazo or Assemblyman Isaac Brian, who had the support of the community at the time. .
“And as a very stubborn person, I would not enter the position unless I knew that it would be 80% genuine in my values… I am not going to change as a person, I am going to be exactly the same”.