MEET THE CHICANO LATINO CAUCUS
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
CHICANO LATINO CAUCUS LEADERSHIP DELIVERING RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
With forty percent of all Californians being of Latino heritage, it is easy to understand why the Chicano Latino Caucus is exremely important to the Democratic Party.
The CLC is led by its dynamic Chairperson, Carlos Alcala who has transformed the CLC into a vibrant force in California politics. In the 2014 San Diego Mayors contest, the CLC made over 14,000 calls to voters. This totalled more calls than all the other seventeen caucuses and 50 Central Committees combined. Carlos Alcala is a Harvard Law School graduate where he was Articles Editor for the Harvard CRCL Law Review. Carlos was the attorney for Cesar Chavez and the UFW. Carlos was a professor of Chicano Studies at UC Berkeley. He is the former National Director of Education Litigation for MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense Fund). Carlos is a former Director of the Office of Civil Rights for the State of California DHS. Carlos is a member of the Yolo County Democratic Party Central Committee. Carlos is also President of the Dolores Huerta Northern California Latino Democratic Club. Carlos served as national chair of the Committee to Nominate Dolores Huerta for the Nobel Peace Prize. Carlos is widely credited with leading the Chicano Latino Caucus to the next level. He is regarded as a humble and modest leader who helps pick up the chairs and tables after every meeting. Carlos wrote : "De Jure Segregtion of Chicanos in Texas Schools" the seminal history of Latino education published by Harvard University. When Carlos was actively practicing law, he won some of the largest jury verdicts in the nation.
Statewide officers include two secretaries and a treasurer. The Recording Secretary is Gabriel Medina, the President of the San Francisco Latino Democratic Club. The Correspondence Secretary is Krisna Velasco, President of the the United Chicano and Latino Democratic Club, and an
elected CDP delegate. The CLC Treasurer is Mary Jane Sanchez, an elected Trustee at the College of the Desert.
The CLC has two Administrative Coordinators: Both positions are vacant.
The CLC has two advisers: Senator Richard Polanco (ret.) former California Senate Pro Tem and Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, (ret.) former California Assembly majority leader.
The CLC has ten Vice Chairs from eleven geographical areas: Tony Madrigal of the Modesto City Council, Christina Olague, a former San Francisco Supervisor, Norma Alcala, President Washington Unified School Board , Dominic Dursa from Salinas,, Abigail Solis, President of the Tulare County PAC, Xilonin Cruz Gonzalez an Azusa School Board member, Dr. Rita Ramirez, former community college trustee, Mary Jane Sanchez a College of the Desert Community College Board member, Victor Valladares. President of the Orange County Chicano Latino Immigrants Democratic Club, Marggie Castellanol.from San Diego, Edson Perez an aide to the Senate Pro Tem, is Vice Chair for the CLC Young Adults Division.
The Chicano Latino Caucus also has two Club representatives who are voting members of the Executive Board. The San Francisco Latino Democratic Club and the Dolores Huerta Northern California Latino Democratic Club represented by Maria Grijalva. Both the SFLDC and the DHNCLDC are powerhouse clubs from the North state.
The CLC has several standing committee chairs: Raquel Andrade leads the Latina Advisory Committee, Krisna Velasco heads Events and Membership, Martha Acevedo directs Appointments, Resolutions, and Norma Alcala chairs Voter Registration.
