Former California Democratic congressman Esteban Torres, who stood out for his support of immigrants and workers, died at the age of 91 in Los Angeles, his family reported.
With a prolific career supporting the Hispanic community, Torres rose to prominence as a union leader who helped found the East Los Angeles Community Union, served in former President Jimmy Carter’s administration, and represented the San Gabriel Valley area of the county. of Los Angeles in the US Congress from 1983 to 1999.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) mourned the death of Torres on Thursday.
“His work was deeply influential in the nation and the Latino community, and helped pave the way for many Latinos to serve as public officials, himself being one of the most prolific in United States history,” he said.
Torres died Tuesday of natural causes two days before his 92nd birthday, according to his family.
A native of Arizona, Torres suffered the impact of harsh US immigration policies when his father, a Mexican miner, was deported, preventing him from seeing him once more.
Torres came to Los Angeles as a child, where he became active in worker advocacy when he worked on an assembly line at the Chrysler plant and was active in the United Auto Workers union.
California Sen. Alex Padilla said in a statement that Torres was a path-breaking public servant and someone who fought for the greater good of the community.
“Torres’ pride in his working-class immigrant roots and his belief in the American dream fueled his dedication to labor activism and community organizing,” Padilla said.