Today, my office attended a celebration at Nicolas Junior High School in Fullerton. Nicolas Junior High School was awarded as one of the “Schools to Watch” in California. Each year, the School to Watch-Taking Center Stage program awards high-performing schools that are responsive to the individual learning needs of their students and develop an equitable learning environment.
Congratulations on this fantastic honor Nicolas Junior High.
As part of the Latino Spirit Awards celebration taking place on the Assembly Floor, I escorted Cristela Alonzo, our 2019 Latino Spirit Award honoree for Achievement in Advocacy & Entertainment.
Cristela Alonzo is the first Latina to create, produce, and star in her own Network TV sit-com, ‘Cristela’, which aired on ABC. The semi-biographical show was based on her time living with her sister while also taking care of their mother. Cristela proudly had an all-Latino primary ...cast, and hired numerous Latino writers for her show. Cristela has also appeared on numerous TV shows and has been a recurring host on ABC7 "The View." In 2017, she released her first hour-long stand up special, "Lower Classy" on Netflix, as well as becoming the first Latina lead in a Disney/Pixar film with her breakout role as “Cruz Ramirez” in "Cars 3."
In addition to her work in entertainment, Cristela has devoted a large part of her time to be a voice for Latinos, immigrants, the disenfranchised, and the underrepresented. She frequently gives speeches, moderates panels, and helps raise awareness and money for numerous organizations and nonprofits. This includes raising funds to sponsor Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, supporting the Dolores Huerta Foundation, appearing on Soledad O’Brien’s panels for her, "I Am Latino in America" national awareness tour, and advocating for the Special Olympics. Cristela is currently writing a memoir about her life for Simon & Schuster.
Leaders of all faiths and communities join me for a conversation to help begin the healing process, find common ground, build empathy, and promote respect.
