"I saw Gloria at a dinner the other day," she says, referring to Gloria Molina, the county supervisor. "She sat down next to me, and we had a nice long talk."
In 1991, Molina won the seat on the Board of Supervisors created as the result of MALDEF's lawsuit, becoming the first Latina ever elected to that body.
Latino history in Southern California is like that. A defeat that is forgotten to history, followed by a triumph that everyone takes for granted.
A lot of people took it for granted, too, that Latino voters would simply pick the most prominent Spanish surname on the ballot last week. Many did, but thousands also voted for Chu, a tireless networker who's spent years building ties to Latinos in the San Gabriel Valley.
Ernesto Zumaya, a 22-year-old student-body president at Rio Hondo College, walked precincts for Chu.
Like Montanez, he lives in an era when immigration raids stoke fear in his community. In fact, Zumaya himself is an undocumented immigrant, part of a generation of young people who have grown up as de facto Americans with few legal rights.
"I believe in justice," Zumaya said. "And I believe that Judy is going to be one of those fighters we need."
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hector.tobar@latimes.com
