The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the country with approximately 132,000 community volunteers from across the United States and Puerto Rico.

I started my volunteer work with LULAC as a youth member at the age of 14 years old. I joined because I was inspired by local leaders organizing social justice efforts around immigrant rights. As a daughter of an immigrant, understanding my mother's sacrifices, and that I had privileges that she did not have, motivated me to help my community through social advocacy. Meeting passionate volunteers in LULAC helped me find my voice and shaped me into a passionate advocate, which eventually led me to a career in law.

Joining New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) as a Corinne Wolfe Legal Fellow for Transformative Advocacy comes full circle for me as a daughter of an immigrant. As I reflect on my journey in LULAC, I remember dreaming that someday I could serve in this capacity. I am grateful to be part of the NMILC team and can attest to the organization's goal of fostering the next generation of social justice legal professionals through mentorship and professional development.

NMILC is supportive of my volunteer work with LULAC and encouraged me to accept the invitation to serve as a moderator for the LULAC National Women's Conference. My team afforded me a flexible work schedule to attend the conference, and they were all genuinely interested in the activities I would be participating in at the conference.

On November 12th and 13th, the 2021 LULAC National Women's Conference was held in New York City. The National LULAC Commission for Women hosts the conference each year to empower Latinas to be exemplary leaders in their families, communities, and workplaces. The conference focused on the political and social challenges that affect women, highlighted women's accomplishments in public service, and featured personal stories of women who have overcome adversity.

The conference theme, "Confronting Adversity, Overcoming Obstacles Through Resilience and Perseverance," set the stage for the first in-person assembly of members since the onset of the pandemic, making it the longest extended period without organizing and gathering of its members in 92-years of history. The conference gathered distinguished leaders and issue experts—all women—to lead discussions on women's health, entrepreneurship, leadership, and civic mobilization.

One of the speakers that left a lasting impression during the conference was Christian Nunes, President of the National Organization of Women (NOW). Nunes is the second African American president in the organizations' history, the youngest woman of color, and the youngest president in more than 40 years. Since she assumed her leadership role she launched the Unlock the Future campaign, which demands humane treatment for detained immigrant families, emphasizing women and girls seeking refuge from sexual violence, assault, and poverty. Nunes created the Bill of Rights for Immigrant Women and Girls and conducted racial equity training. She was one of the most inspirational speakers during the conference.

I was honored to serve as a moderator for the panel "It's Time to Represent: Getting Women Elected to Office," where I had the opportunity to facilitate and guide panelists through the conversation focusing on information such as shared lessons learned from the panelists' careers, including resources, challenges, and successes. The panelists shared different techniques women can use to run for office and discussed the lack of representation of the Latina community in positions of power.

A panelist that stood out was Catalina Cruz, Assemblywoman for New York State District 39. Cruz is the first DREAMer elected to office in New York and has led immigrant and tenant rights efforts. Aside from being inspired by her story of overcoming adversity and finding her passion, I was moved by her response that not everyone should run for office. At first, the audience reacted a bit confused as the panel's theme was to encourage women to run for office, and this panelist starts by saying the opposite. But what she said next resonated because she noted that many people who choose to run for office do it for the wrong reasons. Some people decide to run for office for ego, power, or money. She explained that running for office should be about public service and progress for one's respective community.

I attended the conference with a close friend from law school, Anna Trillo, a former NMILC legal intern, and Abigail Zapote, a long-time friend in LULAC and current Senior Advisor for the Social Security Administration. I mention these two women because, in tune with the spirit of the organization, their leadership and personal stories of resilience and perseverance continue to inspire me. Anna is a daughter of immigrants, grew up in rural New Mexico, and has worked diligently to serve her community in various capacities. We met in law school and shared similar dreams and aspirations. Abigail came to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. Over the years, she shared stories of her lived experience, which she refers to as "trials and triumphs involved with living in the U.S. as a DREAMER." Abigail later became a naturalized citizen and has dedicated her professional career to helping vulnerable communities.

During the conference, the three of us discussed our love for our community, how far we have come, and our plans to collaborate and empower each other to reach new goals. We discussed the beauty of seeing women from across the country dedicated to empowering one another. We also found it particularly significant that the conference speakers conducted the program in both English and Spanish.

Aside from participating in the conference, we shared our love for culture and food by going out to explore the city during the evenings. We went out for late-night tacos at a taco truck near a "hope" sign, we savored top-notch Korean barbeque, and we shed tears to the sound of heartfelt singing during the performance of La Boheme at the Metropolitan Opera. All of which we shared with gratitude as we reflected on our privilege to be able to afford these memories.

As I reflect on the conference, I remember why I chose this profession and that the sacrifices my family and I made to achieve my education are well worth it. Working with women of color from across the country in LULAC and being part of a team like NMILC gives me a sense of purpose. It is inspiring to work with people with shared philosophies and goals to help others. My main takeaway is that we truly are powerful as a collective, and we can do anything we set our mind to, especially when we organize to achieve common goals.

Jessica Martinez is the NMILC Corinne Wolfe Fellowship for Transformative Advocacy Legal Fellow.

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