Nativo lopez biography

Nativo Lopez, a pioneering and polarizing Latino leader in O.C. and L.A., dies at 68

When filmmaker Mylène Moreno decided to find a story in 2003 that would illustrate for a national audience how Orange County had changed from the white, conservative stronghold of her youth into something more complex, she chose Nativo Lopez.

The Santa Ana Unified School Board trustee was facing a recall launched by parents who opposed his support of bilingual education. Backing them were Democrats and Republicans who despised Lopez’s longtime advocacy for Latino immigrants and his constant attacks against those he perceived to be vendidos — sellouts.

Moreno says that the timing for the eventual documentary, “Recalling Orange County,” which aired on PBS in 2006, “was kind of perfect...The fact that he had been elected indicated there had been massive political change in Orange County. Yet all these forces coalesced against him because he was teaching [Latinos] that maybe they have some rights they can assert.”

Lopez died Sunday after a brief battle with cancer. He was 68.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Nativo Lopez, Executive Director of Hermandad Mexicana, died today, at the age of 68, according to a press release issued by his organization.

Last week, Hermandad Mexicana, shared that López had been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal malignant tumor in March and sought chemotherapy treatment at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, according to the OC Weekly.

Hermandad Mexicana will be hosting a memorial service in remembrance of Lopez’ life and legacy, in the coming days. In the meantime they are asking for donations to pay for his funeral expenses, which you can make online here.

Lopez, born in Los Angeles, grew up in Norwalk, California. He became an activist in 1968, inspired by Bert Corona and Cesar Chavez. Prior to college at UCLA and California State University, Dominguez Hills, Lopez who was born Larry Nativo Lopez, changed his name to Nativo Vigil Lopez.[1] He organized student walk-outs from high schools in order to demonstrate for education reform. He was involved in successful efforts to win a large-scale amnesty for undocumented immigrants in 1986

Nativo Lopez

American politician and activist (1951–2019)

Nativo Lopez-Vigil (born Larry Lopez;[1] October 3, 1951 – May 19, 2019) was an American political leader and immigrant rights activist in Southern California. Lopez was a national president of the Mexican American Political Association and the national director of the Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana (formerly the Hermandad Mexicana La Original), a community service and advocacy organization for Mexican and Latin American immigrants throughout the United States.

Early life and education

Lopez was born in Los Angeles and raised in Norwalk, California. He became an activist in 1968, inspired by Bert Corona and Cesar Chavez. Prior to college at UCLA and California State University, Dominguez Hills, Lopez who was born Larry Nativo Lopez, changed his name to Nativo Vigil Lopez.[2] He organized student walk-outs from high schools in order to demonstrate for education reform. He was involved in successful efforts to win a large-scale amnesty for undocumented immigrants in 1986, and became

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