AGUILA StoryTelling

AGUILA is proud to launch another exciting opportunity to listen and learn from others in story. We begin with the celebration of Women's History Month and the birth of Cesar Chavez via stories of Cesar Chavez as told by women through the lens of the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - (1) Be impeccable with your word; (2) Don't take anything personally; (3) Don't make assumptions and (4) Always do your best. All are invited to join on March 31, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 7: 30 pm (Arizona time)

Presenters:

January Contreras (Phoenix, Arizona)

Attorney, Founder of ALWAYS

January Contreras is a fourth-generation Arizonan who inherited some of the strongest DNA from her parents and grandparents. She is a former Maricopa Deputy County Attorney, Assistant Attorney General in Arizona, and Advisor to Governor Janet Napolitano. In 2009, January joined the Obama Administration where she was a designee to the White House Council on Women and Girls. In this role, she led efforts to strengthen protections for immigrant victims of crime. Inspired to represent people left behind in the justice system, January returned home to Arizona and launched Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services (ALWAYS) to provide free lawyers to those who are often left behind in the justice system. January is grateful to be a lawyer to kids and young adults facing abuse, human trafficking, homelessness, and the foster care system. Her clients inspire her every day. January is a proud Wildcat. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arizona. She has been married to Carlos for 26 years, and together they're raising two teenage sons.

Dr. Amira De La Garza (Phoenix, Arizona )

Professor at ASU Hugh Downs School

Sarah Amira de la Garza is a sixth-generation Tejana, with family roots in Tejas, Coahuila, and . Chihuahua She arrived in Arizona in 1990 for her work with Arizona State University, where she has served numerous roles both administratively and as teaching and research faculty.  She presently serves as Associate Professor and Southwest Borderlands Scholar in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. Over her career, she has served as a middle school teacher in Fort Worth, Texas, the Director of the Juvenile Justice Education Project for the Office of the Governor of the State of Texas, a patient educator with St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center in Chicago, and in numerous curriculum-writing and creating roles for public schools, medical schools, and community-based programs. While at Arizona State, she served on the task force that established the Chicana/o Studies program at ASU, was faculty sponsor for MEChA, faculty advisor for the Zocalo student learning community, and worked with the Cesar Chavez Leadership Institute during its earliest years.  She is a performer, poet, and creative writer who teaches in the areas of intercultural communication, performance studies, spirituality, and indigenous/de-colonial research methodologies and ways of knowing. She has worked in Chihuahua, Mexico, as a two-time Fulbright scholar, and while there, worked closely with mothers in child abuse prevention, and is currently working on a project to use expressive writing with adolescents to reduce social fear and anxiety in borderlands youth. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, and continues to study whenever and whatever she can. She loves to travel, visit her nieces and nephews, camp, and walk her dogs.

Cynthia Delarosa (Houston, Texas)

Vice-President/LULAC

Born in Evanston, Illinois Cynthia Delarosa’s family comes from Cotulla, Texas.  Raised in Chicago, Ms. Delarosa would later returned to her family’s home state recognizing a greater purpose for her soul and her mission here on earth. Through her work she brings medicine to her people, heeding her ancestors who sing, dance and rejoice through every step of her life - a life of service.  Ms. Delarosa has worked tirelessly in a personal history that began with toiling in the fields while fighting injustices for those who endured the consequences of chemical sprays to put food on the tables of America.  Her life’s work is driven by her passion to serve others in migrant healthcare, teaching ESL to migrants to ensure their voices were heard and in service with Catholic Charities and Hoyleton Youth & Family Services.  She had an opportunity to work with the Brown Berets which contributed to her “love for La Lucha” as a justice seeker for her gente.  She ascribes to the words of her Shero, Dolores Huerta that “Every moment is a moment to be an activist.”  Ms. Delarosa’s heart is full when she is privileged to inspire and instill in others, the beauty and power they possess in finding their own place in the Sun.

Valentina Zapata (Tacoma, Washington)

Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion/Paralegal Power Company

Valentina Zapata is the founder of one of the nation’s oldest paralegal firms, Paralegal Power Company. Through her work she is able to advocate for Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities, as well as provide support to attorneys who are committed to social justice and racial equity. Ms. Zapata also assists minority-owned businesses with affordable incorporation services, serving all 50 states and U.S. Territories. In her spare time, she proudly serves on numerous boards, supporting like-minded nonprofit corporations.

Interpreting for her grandmother at medical appointments opened the door for her to become a Promotora at the beginning of her career. Ms. Zapata focused on educating Indigenous Spanish-speaking women on the issues of Diabetes and HIV/AIDS. She later went on to work at Legal Aid of Nebraska, for over a decade, where she became skilled as a paralegal in civil law.  

Ms. Zapata now lives in the Greater Seattle area and continues to serve people and businesses all over the United States.  She was raised in Wyoming, but also spent considerable amounts of time in Washington, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and Nebraska. Ms. Zapata’s roots are in Chihuahua, Mexico. She is a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a Chicana - it is through this that Ms. Zapata has found her inspiration and motivation to serve the community. 

Emily Guerrero (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

Community Activist, Founder of Mexica Arts

Mexica-Arts founder, Emily J. Guerrero, a storyteller, folk artist, intuitive visionary of Mexica indigenous ancestry, and a lifetime advocate of inclusiveness.
Emily embodies her ancestral traditions as she encourages and inspires audiences to expand their knowledge of diverse cultures in their midst. Her performances, installation arts and workshops to various age audiences offer insights to the diverse montage of the multicultural Latino community. She is a dedicated and passionate advocate of the cultural arts.

Throughout her career, Emily has served in community leadership roles to collaborate on the development of many culturally sensitive programs. She facilitates Dia de los Muertos celebrations featuring ofrendas (altars), folk art workshops and writes and performs her own stories. Emily currently resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana.