Nativo Lopez facts for kids
Nativo Lopez-Vigil (born Larry Lopez; October 3, 1951 – May 19, 2019) was an American leader and activist who worked to protect the rights of immigrants in Southern California. He was the national president of the Mexican American Political Association. He also led the Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, a group that helped Mexican and Latin American immigrants across the United States.
Early Life and Activism
Lopez was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Norwalk, California. He became an activist in 1968. He was inspired by other important leaders like Bert Corona and Cesar Chavez. Before going to college at UCLA and California State University, Dominguez Hills, Larry Lopez changed his name to Nativo Vigil Lopez.
When he was younger, he helped organize student walk-outs from high schools. These protests were to ask for better education. He also helped with a big effort in 1986 to give legal status to many immigrants who did not have papers. In the 1990s, he worked to allow immigrants without papers to get driver's licenses.
Standing Up for Rights
Lopez served on the school board in Santa Ana, California for six years, from 1997 to 2003. He was removed from this position after a campaign led by Ron Unz. This campaign was against California Proposition 227, a law that stopped bilingual education programs. Lopez was accused of not fully enforcing this law. He was said to have told parents they could still choose bilingual education for their children.
He went to court to challenge his removal. He argued that using only English petitions to remove him was unfair. This was because it might go against the Voting Rights Act. He won this case in a federal appeals court, but the issue was not fully settled.
Lopez also helped organize big protests for immigrant rights in 2006. One protest on March 25, 2006, in Los Angeles had between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people. Another big event was the Great American Boycott on May 1, 2006. This protest also involved many people in Los Angeles, around 500,000 to 1,000,000.
A Voting Issue
In 2009, Nativo Lopez faced a legal issue about his voter registration. He had changed his voter registration from his home in Santa Ana to the office of his group, Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. He then voted in Los Angeles County in the 2008 presidential primary. This was different from where he lived.
In 2011, Lopez reached an agreement with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to one charge related to voter registration. Other charges were dropped. He was given one year of probation and had to do 400 hours of community service.
Later Life
Nativo Lopez passed away on May 19, 2019. He was 67 years old. He was survived by his three daughters and a son.
See also
