Labor Studies Alumni Spotlight: Leslie Diaz, Public Council Assistant at the Providing and Ending Homelessness Project

A major part of my job includes serving as a liaison between attorneys and clients. Often times I am the first point of contact for clients and the first person clients are sharing their stories with. Another aspect of my job is helping clients navigate all the bureaucracy so prevalent in social services agencies. This can include helping clients set up appointments at government agencies or making cross referrals to other non-profits. I feel very privileged that through my work, I get to bear witness to the resilience and courage of clients, whom despite the many systemic forces working against them, continue to fight for their rights.

3. What made you decide to join the Labor Studies Program?

It was Professor Victor Narro and the courses offered. I believe it was at the end of 2015 when I came across an article reporting on local faith leaders and other activists who had been arrested during a public demonstration for immigrants’ rights. One of the activists who had been arrested was Professor Narro whom I learned was a professor at UCLA through the Labor Studies Program. Feeling inspired by Professor Narro’s fearless activism, I decided to look into the program. 

I decided to join the Labor Studies Program because it truly felt to me interdisciplinary and intersectional. Courses in history, education, various ethnic studies, communications and urban planning were all offered, while centering the experiences of workers in each. One of the first courses I took was Professor Higbie’s U.S. and Comparative Immigration History. I studied the ways immigration and the labor movement have historically impacted the social and cultural fabric of the United States. The labor movement, I learned, was improving the lives of marginalized communities not only inside but outside the workplace.

4. What about Labor Studies had the most impact on you?

The faculty and staff I met through the Labor Studies Program have had the greatest impact on me. As a first-generation college student, I was able to find community through the program. I met professors and staff who sincerely care about the communities they’re working with and who approach their work with thoughtfulness. Each time I sat in one of Professor Higbie’s history classes or listened to oral narratives in Professor Espino’s class, I knew the authentic voices and experiences of the communities discussed were being preserved. I also met Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Espinoza, who always made herself available to students to discuss internship opportunities. When I interned in D.C. Professor Shadduck-Hernandez helped me navigate the city by connecting me to one of her former students. To me this is what sets apart the Labor Studies Program from other programs at UCLA. The faculty and staff are not only experts in their academic fields but are community oriented in their work. They are not only invested in the academic success of their students but in their overall well-being.

5. During your time at UCLA, were you involved in any campus activities on campus or within your community?

Yes, I was involved in a few campus activities while at UCLA. My first quarter, I joined Proyecto de Jornaleros, a student run organization that provides ESL lessons to day laborers in collaboration with Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA). I was also a part of Alternative Breaks where I spent my spring breaks at the Mexico-US border serving immigrant communities. Lastly, I was a part of Project SPELL where I had the privilege to provide individualized English and basic computer lessons to UCLA’s frontline workers in the custodial, maintenance, and food service units.

6. Do you have any advice for graduating seniors?

I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be to graduate amidst a pandemic but don’t lose hope. Trust your abilities, remain confident, don’t be afraid to pursue your passions and whatever you chose to do, do it with a sense of purpose and always be proud of your work. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and stay in touch with the community you’ve built while at UCLA.

7. Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired and influenced you and why?

Senator Maria Elena Durazo is someone I really look up to. She currently represents California’s 24th Senate District, which encompasses Central and East Los Angeles. Before becoming Senator however, she served as the president of UNITE HERE Local 11. As president she played a significant role bringing to the forefront of the labor movement the issues Latinx immigrant workers faced. Prior to the 1990s, labor unions were notorious for ignoring the needs of their Latinx immigrant members, despite immigrants making up a significant number of the bargaining unit. With the support of rank and file members, Maria Elena Durazo was able to shift power within the union. Her fearless advocacy as a labor leader helped redefine the labor movement, which I have found extremely inspiring.

A major part of my job includes serving as a liaison between attorneys and clients. Often times I am the first point of contact for clients and the first person clients are sharing their stories with. Another aspect of my job is helping clients navigate all the bureaucracy so prevalent in social services agencies. This can include helping clients set up appointments at government agencies or making cross referrals to other non-profits. I feel very privileged that through my work, I get to bear witness to the resilience and courage of clients, whom despite the many systemic forces working against them, continue to fight for their rights.

3. What made you decide to join the Labor Studies Program?

It was Professor Victor Narro and the courses offered. I believe it was at the end of 2015 when I came across an article reporting on local faith leaders and other activists who had been arrested during a public demonstration for immigrants’ rights. One of the activists who had been arrested was Professor Narro whom I learned was a professor at UCLA through the Labor Studies Program. Feeling inspired by Professor Narro’s fearless activism, I decided to look into the program. 

I decided to join the Labor Studies Program because it truly felt to me interdisciplinary and intersectional. Courses in history, education, various ethnic studies, communications and urban planning were all offered, while centering the experiences of workers in each. One of the first courses I took was Professor Higbie’s U.S. and Comparative Immigration History. I studied the ways immigration and the labor movement have historically impacted the social and cultural fabric of the United States. The labor movement, I learned, was improving the lives of marginalized communities not only inside but outside the workplace.

4. What about Labor Studies had the most impact on you?

The faculty and staff I met through the Labor Studies Program have had the greatest impact on me. As a first-generation college student, I was able to find community through the program. I met professors and staff who sincerely care about the communities they’re working with and who approach their work with thoughtfulness. Each time I sat in one of Professor Higbie’s history classes or listened to oral narratives in Professor Espino’s class, I knew the authentic voices and experiences of the communities discussed were being preserved. I also met Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Espinoza, who always made herself available to students to discuss internship opportunities. When I interned in D.C. Professor Shadduck-Hernandez helped me navigate the city by connecting me to one of her former students. To me this is what sets apart the Labor Studies Program from other programs at UCLA. The faculty and staff are not only experts in their academic fields but are community oriented in their work. They are not only invested in the academic success of their students but in their overall well-being.

5. During your time at UCLA, were you involved in any campus activities on campus or within your community?

Yes, I was involved in a few campus activities while at UCLA. My first quarter, I joined Proyecto de Jornaleros, a student run organization that provides ESL lessons to day laborers in collaboration with Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA). I was also a part of Alternative Breaks where I spent my spring breaks at the Mexico-US border serving immigrant communities. Lastly, I was a part of Project SPELL where I had the privilege to provide individualized English and basic computer lessons to UCLA’s frontline workers in the custodial, maintenance, and food service units.

6. Do you have any advice for graduating seniors?

I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be to graduate amidst a pandemic but don’t lose hope. Trust your abilities, remain confident, don’t be afraid to pursue your passions and whatever you chose to do, do it with a sense of purpose and always be proud of your work. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and stay in touch with the community you’ve built while at UCLA.

7. Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired and influenced you and why?

Senator Maria Elena Durazo is someone I really look up to. She currently represents California’s 24th Senate District, which encompasses Central and East Los Angeles. Before becoming Senator however, she served as the president of UNITE HERE Local 11. As president she played a significant role bringing to the forefront of the labor movement the issues Latinx immigrant workers faced. Prior to the 1990s, labor unions were notorious for ignoring the needs of their Latinx immigrant members, despite immigrants making up a significant number of the bargaining unit. With the support of rank and file members, Maria Elena Durazo was able to shift power within the union. Her fearless advocacy as a labor leader helped redefine the labor movement, which I have found extremely inspiring.