Esteban Torres
Chief Executive Director 1968-1984
Chief Executive Director 1968-1984
(photo from http://www.nhmc.org/)
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While the majority of TELACU’s founders originated from local unions, its first executive director, Esteban Torres, had a political background that extended beyond the Los Angeles community. Raised in the Eastside, Torres became involved in the United Auto Workers (UAW) and quickly ascended the ranks to lead the labor union. As the Director of the Inter-American Bureau, he assisted Victor and Walter Reuther with Latin American international efforts. He frequently traveled to Venezuela, Chile, and Costa Rica, acting as “a negotiator for the UAW” and “a consultant to other auto unions” (Torres, 0:06). In addition to expanding UAW’s circle, Torres heavily immersed himself in the Chicano Movement, participating in the Vietnam Moratorium and Mexican American Commission on Education. Elected as a Chicano congressman following the founding of TELACU, he also made sure “legislations affected Mexican-Americans and people of color” (Torres, 0:06) throughout his term from 1983 to 1999. Because of his leadership skills as well as connection to the Chicano Movement, Torres became the primary candidate to lead TELACU through the eradication of poverty in East Los Angeles.
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In this video, Esteban Torres elaborates on his community and personal accomplishments. Key moments include:
1. He started his career as a trade unionist, organizing labor workers in Latin America and the United States for the United Auto Workers. (0:28-0:37)
2. Torres briefly mentions his involvement as a TELACU community organizer. (0:38-0:48)
3. During Jimmy Carter's presidency, Torres focused his political efforts on the Latino population by serving as a Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs. (1:00-1:24)
4. As a Chicano congressman, Torres was committed to fulfilling the needs of his district and the Latino community as a whole. (1:43-1:52)
1. He started his career as a trade unionist, organizing labor workers in Latin America and the United States for the United Auto Workers. (0:28-0:37)
2. Torres briefly mentions his involvement as a TELACU community organizer. (0:38-0:48)
3. During Jimmy Carter's presidency, Torres focused his political efforts on the Latino population by serving as a Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs. (1:00-1:24)
4. As a Chicano congressman, Torres was committed to fulfilling the needs of his district and the Latino community as a whole. (1:43-1:52)
David Lizarraga
Former Chief Executive Director, Current Chairman
Former Chief Executive Director, Current Chairman
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Just like his predecessor, David Lizarraga grew up in the Eastside community. Although initially lacking political knowledge and power, Lizarraga inherited the executive director position through his “street smarts” and organization skills (Torres, 0:53:12.0). During the Maravilla Housing Project, he worked closely with local gangs to prevent vandalism and violence from destroying the renovated housing area. He not only provided jobs for youths during the demolition and construction processes, but also assisted gang members with the formation of the Federation of Barrios Unidos de Maravilla. Despite this focus on social services during his years as a gang worker, Lizarraga shied away from political organization, believing that “economic development [further enhanced] the community” (Chávez, 126). This ideological departure led Torres to regret passing TELACU to Lizarraga, who ultimately altered the “people organization” into “a corporate organization” (Torres, 0:53:12.0). |
(photo from http://www.nshmba.org/)
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