April 25, 2012
Cristina Mendez' work with CRLA helps replace fear with answers, action, and ultimately justice.
For CRLA staffers like Cristina Mendez, working to uphold the rights of rural Californians isn't just a job-it's a way to give back to their hometowns. Mendez, a community worker in the Coachella office, was recently highlighted by New American Media as one of three notable locals working on environmental issues.
In the interview, Mendez discusses her own roots in the Eastern Coachella Valley as the daughter of a farm worker, and her journey back to home to the Coachella community via CRLA.
As a community worker with CRLA, Mendez serves as an important link for residents seeking answers, whether from polluters about the long-term health effects of noxious smells in the air, or from the agencies responsible for overseeing large-scale waste dumps surrounding communities like Mecca, in Riverside County. Without such support, residents of unincorporated communities are often ignored by area residents, regulatory groups, and government officials.
"When people are living with these types of [environmental] concerns and nobody is there providing an answer or an explanation in a way that is respectful, you are going to have a community that lives in fear," Mendez said.
Mendez' work with CRLA helps replace fear with answers, action, and ultimately justice. Even the little victories represent intense work and dedication from community members and advocates, she says: "If somebody doesn't work for it, then we aren't going to obtain it."
In an added community connection, the reporter who wrote Mendez's profile is part of Coachella Unincorporated, a youth-led community news outlet that highlights community health issues affecting residents in this environmentally vulnerable area.
Read the article online and check out quick video excerpts of Mendez' interview on Coachella Unincorporated's YouTube channel here.
Congratulations on a great interview and article, Cristina - we're thankful you came "home" to CRLA!