Supervisor Hilda Solis continues fight for the working class
By LA Stories Staff Los Angeles
PUBLISHED 5:00 AM PT Oct. 09, 2023
As a prominent figure in American politics, Supervisor Hilda Solis shapes her leadership by the values and lessons she learned growing up.
The child of working-class Mexican immigrant parents, she saw firsthand the struggles faced by workers and their families.
Her father taught her to be the change she wanted to see, and she did just that. The first to graduate college in her family, Solis became the first Latina elected to California State Senate, and in 2000, she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing California’s 32nd congressional district.
As congresswoman, she sought to address environmental concerns and economic inequality.
“I felt the community really needed to have somebody that was grounded in community and understood what the issues were,” she said.
On the latest episode of LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez, Solis explains how, under the Obama administration, she became the first Hispanic woman to serve as a regular U.S. Cabinet member, and the first ever Hispanic Secretary of Labor.
As Secretary, she prioritized worker safety and fair labor practices. Solis played a crucial role in implementing policies that protected workers’ rights, such as wage theft prevention measures and the enforcement of workplace health and safety regulations.
After her time as Secretary of Labor, she came home to Los Angeles to serve on the LA County Board of Supervisors in the first district – a post she still holds today.
“I think back now how important it was to have all those experiences and then transpose that here to the county,” she said. “I also look forward to trying to solve problems and face those challenges as best that I can.”
Today, Solis is part of LA’s first all-female board of supervisors and says she’s continuing to fight for the communities she represents. She says the pandemic showed us where the gaps are in our society, with things like housing, food and education insecurities — along with our civil rights.
She can feel the anger from her constituents over these insecurities and she, too, sees the need for change, but she says she feels encouraged by the good she and her colleagues have been able to do.
“We are here to provide services to some of the most underserved communities, not just Latino, but African-American, immigrants, seniors, people who are really living below the poverty line,” she said. “We are their last safety net. I think it’s very impactful and very important.”