People of the Mercado

Guadalupe González is a mother, grandmother, and activist whose passion for equity and justice has led to a life of purpose and impact. In 1978, Guadalupe and her husband left their hometown of Izúcar de Matamoros, located in Puebla, México, for the United States, leaving behind the comfort of their tight-knit extended family in search of stability and better opportunities for their two young sons. Guadalupe and her husband embarked on the treacherous journey with their 3-year-old and infant son with fear and trepidation. Running for their lives, in darkness, and with their children in arms, the young couple could not have made it across the U.S. border without the help of a selfless stranger. When Guadalupe could not keep up, the stranger, along with her husband, hoisted her up by each arm and carried her, ensuring that she would not fall behind.

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Shortly after their arrival, Guadalupe and her family settled in Los Angeles. She and her husband began working in a garment factory, where they experienced first-hand the rampant exploitation that is pervasive in the garment industry. Overworked and underpaid, earning only one cent for each garment she sewed, Guadalupe’s innate inclination for self-improvement led her to a new job. Here she gained knowledge about labor unions and worker rights, which ignited her passion for social justice and equity.

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Later, a tragedy near her daughter’s school where a vehicle struck two girls would compel Guadalupe to take action and further shape her trajectory as an organizer. Guadalupe mobilized and helped turn out over 200 parents for a school-community meeting on safety, impressing the meeting coordinators, Amy and Peter, so much that they recruited her to become a housing rights organizer at ACORN, now the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE). Her tireless commitment has earned her national recognition within the organization, becoming the first Latina to be awarded Organizer of the Year.

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Guadalupe credits her family and their unwavering encouragement for her accomplishments. Recently widowed, Guadalupe, with the support of her four children and two grandchildren, is learning to live life without her husband, who always uplifted her. Today, after 20 years of organizing, Guadalupe continues to thrive on educating the community about their rights in order to effect positive change.  Guadalupe lives by the quote, “Changing the world is not madness, nor a utopia, it is justice.”