[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 128 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5449-S5450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING OLGA PEDROZA

  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to the late Las 
Cruces City councilor Olga Pedroza, a champion for justice. Ms. Pedroza 
passed away February 9, 2018, in Las Cruces, NM.
  Ms. Pedroza was born in a small town in Mexico, San Luis Ayucan, on 
September 28, 1942. Her parents Celia and Jesus came to Chicago in the 
1940s, where she attended Catholic school for elementary through high 
school. She graduated from Mundelein College in 1963 with a bachelor's 
degree in sociology and minors in elementary education and theology.
  Ms. Pedroza then set off and worked on behalf of her community the 
rest of her life. She worked as a teacher for many years and, in 1980, 
moved to New Mexico with her then-husband and three children. By then, 
she had earned a master's in education. Ms. Pedroza decided she wanted 
to use the law to promote her social justice goals. She entered the 
University of New Mexico Law School and graduated in 1985, in her early 
40s.
  Ms. Pedroza began working for Centro Legal Campesino, the legal aid 
farmer worker unit, in Las Cruces in 1990. She was there over 15 years, 
primarily as the managing attorney. During that time, she filed over 50 
Federal lawsuits representing farmworkers in their fight for fair wages 
and other rights.
  Ms. Pedroza began her third career in 2009 when she was elected to 
the Las Cruces City Council District 3 seat, which covers central and 
southeast Las Cruces. Ms. Pedroza believed in change and often said, 
``City Council could be a place to start.'' She served two terms before 
retiring. During her tenure, she fought for a living-wage ordinance and 
always prioritized the needs of those overlooked by society. Among 
other community needs, she advocated for community gardens and improved 
tennis facilities. Ms. Pedroza was a great tennis enthusiast and even 
competed in the Senior Olympics.
  She was active in the community, serving on the board of directors of 
the Women's Intercultural Center in Anthony, as cochair of the local 
women's bar association, and on the board of the court appointed 
special advocates.
  Ms. Pedroza worked throughout her life to change the world for the 
better. Her compassion, warmth, and sense of humor will be missed by 
her children, grandchildren, and community. I honor her work and 
unflagging commitment to social justice.

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