Lucille Roybal-Allard: 1941—: U.S. Congresswoman

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In 1992 Lucille Roybal-Allard became the first woman of Mexican descent to win election to the U.S. Congress. Politics had been a part of her life from childhood; her father, Edward Roybal, served in Congress for 30 years. She developed a strong commitment to social justice early on, and became well known and respected for her activity in community organizations. Her reputation served her well; when she decided at last to run for the California state assembly she was rewarded with a decisive win. Roybal-Allard's efforts in the assembly and in Congress led to the passage of laws to protect the environment, to uphold the rights of women, and to increase opportunities for working families.

Lucille Roybal-Allard was born on June 12, 1941, in Los Angeles, California. Her father was then a public health educator for the California Tuberculosis Association. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Upon his return, he became active in community affairs and in 1949 was elected as a Democrat to the Los Angeles City Council. He served on the council until 1962, when he was elected to Congress, the first Hispanic representative to win in California since 1879. His wife, Lucille Beserra Roybal, shared his commitment and worked closely with his campaign. The earliest campaigns, which were run from the Roybal home, were a family activity, and more than once the Roybal children were enlisted to help stuff campaign material into envelopes.

Aside from being a politician's daughter, Roybal-Allard led a normal life in Boyle Heights, home to much of the Mexican-American community of Los Angeles. She attended parochial schools and earned a bachelor's degree from California State University in 1965. During these years she also married and had two children, Lisa and Ricardo. Her second marriage was to Edward Allard III, owner of a consulting firm.

No Interest in Holding Office

Roybal-Allard knew that she wanted to serve the community, but she had no desire to become politically active. She was impressed with the commitment she saw in both her parents. But growing up in a political household had left her feeling that politics could be too intrusive into one's personal life, and she had little desire to be in the political spotlight. Her mother had often been at her husband's side during his campaigns, but her most important contribution had been behind the scenes, running his campaign headquarters. Roybal-Allard reasoned that working behind the scenes was what she wanted as well, so she opted for a career in nonprofit administration. Among the positions she held were as assistant director of the Alcoholism Council of East Los Angeles, executive director of the National Association of Hispanic CPAs (based in Washington, D.C.), and planning associate for the United Way. In these positions her duties included public relations and fundraising. She came across as calm and quiet, and gained a reputation as a consensus-builder. These were useful attributes for a politician, but RoybalAllard still chose to stay away from the rigors of politics and the loss of privacy she knew would come with a political life.

At a Glance . . .

Born Lucille Roybal on June 12, 1941, in Los Angeles, CA; daughter of Edward Ross Roybal (politician); married Edward Allard III (second marriage); two children, two stepchildren. Education: California State University, BA, 1965.

Career: Alcoholism Council of East Los Angeles, assistant director; National Association of Hispanic CPAs, executive director; United Way, planning associate; California State Assembly, 1987-92; US Congress, 1993–.

Memberships: Congressional Hispanic Caucus, chairman, 1998–.

Awards: Legislator of the Year award, National Organization for Women, 1991; Legislative Environmental Achievement Award, California Sierra Club, 1992; Las Primeras Award, Mexican-American Women's National Association, 1992.

Addresses: Offices— 2435 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20514; 255 East Temple Street, Suite 1860, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Gradually, however, her feelings changed. Her work in nonprofits allowed her to see first-hand how politics could be as damaging as it could be useful. At their worst, politicians could thwart progress. But at their best they could make significant contributions. One friend she felt fit that description was Gloria Molina, a California state assemblywoman. When Molina left the assembly to join the Los Angeles City Council in 1986, she suggested that Roybal-Allard run for her vacant seat. Roybal-Allard weighed her options and decided that she could make more of a difference in her community as an elected official. She agreed to run as a Democrat for the assembly seat, and beat nine other candidates, garnering 60 percent of the vote. While in office she served on the Assembly Rules Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, and chaired a subcommittee on health and human services.

Brought Grass-Roots Groups Together

Some political observers wondered whether RoybalAllard was too calm and quiet to put up an effective fight when necessary. Being able to bring people together on issues was one thing, after all, but sometimes it was important to take strong stands. Fellow Congressman Xavier Becerra remarked to Hispanic Magazine, "She's very good at knowing when to step forward on issues [that will result in] progress at the end of the day." Soon after her term began, Roybal-Allard was given an opportunity to show her effectiveness. Her first big challenge was the proposed construction of a state prison in a residential area of East Los Angeles. The residents, mainly Mexican-Americans, were understandably opposed to having a prison in their back yards, but the project had the support of the governor, George Deukmajian. Roybal-Allard, with help from other local politicians and grass-roots community organizations, fought against the prison. The fight took six years, and it was another governor, Pete Wilson, who agreed to shelve the prison plan. But the battle also gave Roybal-Allard the opportunity to show her constituents the importance of local involvement and the power of each voice. She orchestrated the various groups, but when they achieved victory she credited the hard work of the community, a community that she noted at the time had been "once viewed as powerless."

Another major challenge that Roybal-Allard faced was a fight to keep a toxic waste incinerator from being built in her district. Once again she called on the strength of grass-roots organizations, and once again community interests prevailed. Roybal-Allard then sponsored legislation to ensure that no toxic incinerator could be built or expanded without an environmental impact study of the region. Her skill at mobilizing the community and pushing through the legislation won her the admiration of environmentalists, and the Sierra Club awarded her its first-ever California Environmental Achievement Award.

Roybal-Allard focused her energies on helping the disadvantaged. She drafted legislation that increased protection of women against domestic violence and sexual harassment. Thanks to legislation she introduced, California became the first state to enact legislation against lawyers who engage in sexual misconduct with their clients. Under the law, the California State Bar Association must take disciplinary action against any lawyer found guilty of such misconduct. She was honored by several women's organizations for her efforts, and the California chapter of the National Organization for Women named her Legislator of the Year in 1991. In part for her work in trying to increase economic opportunities in poorer neighborhoods, Hispanic Business magazine placed her on its list of "100 Professionals" in 1992.

Moved to the National Stage

In 1992, Edward Roybal retired from Congress after three decades of service. His daughter decided to make a run for his seat. She took nearly three quarters of the vote in the Democratic primary and won against her Republican opponent with 63 percent of the vote.

Serving in Congress meant greater responsibility, and it also meant playing on a much larger stage. RoybalAllard continued to work hard for her constituency, but many of the issues she fought for in Los Angeles were just as important in the rest of the country. Her strong support of environmental legislation and women's rights issues continued. She also took strong stands on crime fighting, health care, and immigration law reform. In her own district in California, she introduced a number of workshops on topics ranging from obtaining citizenship to first-time home buying to health issues. She created a Grants Notification Program in her district to provide residents with information about available federal grants and how to apply for them. Her constituents rewarded her with more landslide reelections; in the 1998 election she won 87 percent of the vote.

A typical example of her legislation is a bill she co-sponsored in October of 2002, the Earned Legalization and Family Unification bill. Under this legislation, illegal immigrants who had lived in the United States for five years as productive citizens could be granted legal resident status. The bill was crafted to protect hard-working, law-abiding immigrants living under the constant threat of being found, deported, and possibly separated from their families.

She also sponsored a bill that would allow nonprofit agencies to solicit federal funding to conduct workshops on citizenship for immigrants. The goal of this legislation was to encourage immigrants to become citizens and to encourage citizens to register to vote. Among the projects she created in her home district was the Student Information Program, which provides information to students about financial aid, scholarships and grants, internships, and fellowships.

Roybal-Allard evidently proved to be as popular with her colleagues as with her constituents. She was elected chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation in 1997. Two years later she was appointed to the influential House Appropriations Committee, and was elected chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). She was the first Hispanic to be named to the Appropriations Committee and the first woman to head the California delegation and the CHC. However, according to Hispanic Magazines, "despite her rise to national prominence, Roybal-Allard makes it her first priority to represent her Los Angeles community."

Roybal-Allard was also named to the Democratic Homeland Security task force in 2002. She stated on the weekly Hispanic Response radio broadcast, printed at the Democratic National Committee website, "As a member of the Democratic Homeland Security Task Force, I am committed to working with my Congressional colleagues and the Administration to do everything within our power to safeguard our nation from future terrorist threats." Although a supporter of a strong and effective national defense, she was one of 133 Representatives to vote against the joint resolution that would allow the president to use military force against Iraq in a pre-emptive strike.

Despite her busy schedule and travel between Washington and Los Angeles, Roybal-Allard does make time for herself when she can. She enjoys movies, dancing, and music, and particularly enjoys the sounds of Tito Puente.

Sources

Books

Telgen, Diana, and Jim Kamp, Notable Hispanic American Women, Gale, 1993.

Periodicals

Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, January 16, 1993, p. 53.

Hispanic Business, April 1999, p. 16.

Latina, May 1999.

Los Angeles Business Journal, June 25, 1990, p. 25.

Los Angeles Times, May 13, 1987, p. 3.

On-line

"Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard Delivers Weekly Hispanic Radio Response on Homeland Security Democratic National Committee Website," www.democrats.org/news/200206220003.html (March 31, 2003).

"Lucille Roybal-Allard," Hispanic Americans in Congress, www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/roybalallard.html (March 31, 2003).

"Lucille Roybal-Allard," Official U.S. Congress home page, www.house.gov/roybal-allard (March 31, 2003).

"Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA)," Project Vote Smart, www.vote-smart.org (March 31, 2003).

"Stepping out of Dad's Shadow," Hispanic Magazine Online, www.hispanicmagazine.com/1999/julaug/Features/stepping.html (March 31, 2003).

—George A. Milite