DLD| Lorraine Salas |Ep 152

Born and raised in the East Coachella Valley, Lorraine Salas has a lifetime of experience in the desert.

"When most folks hear ‘Coachella’, they think of the annual music festival, but Coachella has a rich history in the United Farm Workers Union."

 

Lorraine is a special education teacher and like her grandmother and her father before her, she is also an environmental and social justice advocate.

 

Her spirit for environmentalism started while spending time on her grandmothers ranch in Coachella. Lorraine remembers finding seashells, adoring the plant life, the coyotes, which left her with a feeling of amazement that still fills her today.

 

Though her grandmother passed when Lorraine was only eight years old, Lorraine has heard about the work her grandmother did for the community. An initiator of one of the first Voter Leagues in the City of Coachella. grandmother was also a farm worker and a carpenter, participating in group builds, constructing homes for fellow farm workers in the East Valley. Grandmother was also involved with the United Farm Workers.

 

In this episode, Lorraine talks about the changing economic and demographic landscape of the East Coachella Valley with it’s new million dollar homes and ‘beach clubs’.

 

Lorraine’s time in the hi-desert has mostly been for her advocate and activist work, attending rallies and protests for the environment and racial justice. Lorraine enjoys going to these type of events to see what’s happening, pick up any literature and listen to the speakers. Lorraine feels the rally experiences are also educational and will sometimes change ones perspective on issues. One of her most memorable experiences has been attending meals and meetings of Food Not Bombs .

 

Lorraine was one of twelve delegates elected to represent the 42nd District of the California Democratic Party and was a national delegate, voting for Bernie Sanders to receive the national endorsement at the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and 2020.