Juanita Valdez-Cox San Juan, TX
Fellow from 2009

Motivated by her own family’s struggle as migrant farm workers, Juanita Valdez-Cox began organizing with the United Farm Workers in Texas in the 1970s. She worked on campaigns that won portable toilets and clean drinking water in the fields, a higher minimum wage, and workers’ compensation for farm workers. Following Cesar Chavez’s community union model of combining service delivery and community organizing, Juanita helped bring La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE/Union of All the People) to South Texas. LUPE’s accomplishments include helping to bring running water, paved streets, and streetlights to colonias. Juanita also helped establish Proyecto Azteca, a model self-help housing program.