Meet Isabella
My story starts in a rural village in Pelielo Ecuador under an avocado tree at three days old where I was found wrapped up in a wool blanket. I am a transracial adoptee and have been raised in Jackson County. My husband and I graduated from the Phoenix-Talent School district in 2009 (Go Pirates!) and stayed local. I am indigenous Quechua, a community organizer, a mother to two little ones, and the wife of a union member. With a father who retired from the agriculture industry and a mother who is also retired but from the healthcare field I grew up in a working class family. I saw my parents go to work everyday and excel in their careers, be contributing community members and raise two children (with all our numerous activities) all while still making sure we sat at the table together for dinner.
Rewind to 2015 when my niece was born and it was at that moment that I knew I had to do all I could to protect the planet so she had a clean and safe environment to live in. That is what led me to finding local organizations to get involved with. I saw the power of community organizing and how to make a positive impact on people’s lives, but also saw the lack of diversity in the political spaces I was in and oftentimes the youngest. Now as a mother I can’t imagine not doing everything I can to make sure my children have a bright future right here in Jackson County, where their mother and father grew up. We have to find creative and new ways to keep families here and make sure people are getting the services they need.
My priorities are not political, they are personal. I personally believe that we have to do more in making our streets safer. Young families, seniors, students are finding it harder and harder to pay rent or even buy a house. We have to look at the current zoning law and how we have to prioritize funding for affordable low income housing. We are living in a time where we may have to rely on a strong emergency alert system and we have to have our communities ready to respond.
Having grown up here I have seen our valley thrive and prosper but also at the same time leaving behind people in decisions that would affect our most vulnerable communities. In today’s political climate there is such a division in every party and that is what is keeping us from being great. My goal would be to listen to every voice because everyone has something to teach someone else. No matter where you stand politically: most of us would agree the system is not listening. Big money and old politics have too much influence and people feel shut out. It is time to bring governance back to ground level—transparent, accountable and rooted in the needs of neighbors.
As a indigenous Quechua woman I have lived my life by the incan prophecy of the eagle and the condor that says “When the Eagle of the North flies with the Condor of the South a new day will awake”. That time is now!