Karla De La Fuente ’22

La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Alton, TX

This summer, I had the opportunity of interning at La Unión del Pueblo Entero. Founded in 1989 by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) is committed to empowering residents of low-income colonias through community organizing and civic engagement. As labor rights activists, César Chávez and Dolores Huerta founded LUPE with the firm belief that members of the low-income community hold the responsibility to advocate for the issues that profoundly impact their lives. Their belief that each member of the community must actively participate in the endeavor to address social and economic needs is the foundation of the organization. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, LUPE responds to the social and economic needs of the community by combating restrictive immigration regulations and providing social services such as English classes. During my time as an intern, I was frequently reminded that it is imperative to help members gather the necessary tools to work together, to organize themselves, and collect their resources in order to transform themselves and their communities.

Throughout my internship, I was assigned numerous office tasks, as well as outreach and community organizing responsibilities. On my first day, I began with filing paperwork and submitting data for case work and membership information. In addition to these tasks, I assisted the office receptionist daily. I quickly learned how to interact and communicate with clients to provide them with any required service. A predominantly Latinx community in near proximity to the United States and Mexican border, most South Texas residents, such as myself, are native Spanish speakers or bilingual. Through my daily interactions at LUPE, I experienced an immense improvement in my Spanish speaking and writing abilities in a professional setting. This skill was certainly of great assistance when I was asked to translate primary documents, such as birth, marriage, and divorce certificates. These office responsibilities allowed me to broaden my understanding of civic engagement. As a resident of the Rio Grande Valley, I was already somewhat familiar with LUPE and their role within the community. Although the media conveys the nonviolent direct action of LUPE, the media outlets often fail to recognize how individuals, mostly Latinx women, fulfilling office tasks and providing social services promote the overall objective of the organization.

To support outreach and community organizing, I worked alongside the Community Organizer and the Community Outreach Specialist. I participated in various events to promote LUPE such as distributing flyers at centers of community activity, organizing membership drives, and 
attending community house meetings. Among these activities, I was 
particularly fond of distributing flyers at flea markets and community 
resource centers. While community members meandered through the plethora of vendors or danced to the rhythmic beat of cumbia at the dance hall, it was my duty to approach as many individuals as possible to inform them about LUPE and the social services we provide. In order to increase membership recruitment, LUPE coordinated and participated in health fairs and back to school events throughout the summer. During the Health on Wheels events, in which affordable eye exams were provided to many colonia residents without access to health care, I recorded the information of each participant and highly encouraged them to visit our office and register as a member to receive similar benefits. In addition to these events, I served as a volunteer at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas where immigrant families from Central and South America rest and receive travel information to reach their destination to awaiting families within the United States. By collecting donations and participating weekly at the Humanitarian Respite Center, LUPE aims to raise awareness among the adolescents of the surrounding communities of the poor conditions that immigrant families temporarily reside in during their arduous journey.

LUPE founder, César Chávez was committed to the belief that “the fight is never about the grapes or lettuce. It is always about the people.” Although the battle to ensure labor rights and humane working conditions for agricultural workers has gradually evolved into organizing community members for colonia improvements and immigration reform, the main objective has remained. As our Office Manager graciously expressed, it is imperative to invest in the development of the community by providing members with the necessary skills to work together and organize themselves in order to transform themselves and their communities. Frequently communicating with my LUPE colleagues about their individual roles within the organization was a truly enriching learning experience. The special effort of various coworkers to provide me with a useful experience motivated me to ask questions and raise concerns. As a direct result, I possess a deeper understanding of community organizing and immigration services. Such exposure to social services has allowed me to confirm my aspirations of attending law school and pursuing a career in immigration law.

Kids at LUPE’s youth summer camp enjoying time for free play following a Matachines dance workshop.

In conclusion, LUPE has helped me assess and identify current immigration policies that greatly affect immigrant families from Central and South America. During my internship, the current administration announced legislative changes that will undoubtedly result in an increase of obstacles for undocumented immigrants to obtain a legal status in the United States. As I return to Williams, I am highly motivated to share the copious knowledge and information that I have acquired as an intern at La Unión del Pueblo Entero. This enriching experience has fueled my desire to return to my community in South Texas and contribute my unique perspective as an immigration and human rights attorney to a similar non-profit organization. I would like to express my gratitude to ’68 Center for Career Exploration, as well as the Class of 1951 for supporting my internship at LUPE. Without their kindness and generosity, this empowering experience would not have been possible. I am extremely appreciative of the opportunity to immerse myself in a working environment that fosters and encourages passion for social equity. This internship has certainly affirmed my desire to deepen my understanding of my community and to further contribute to the ambition that is already present in the Rio Grande Valley.