(Between the research from City Secretary Terry Blanchard and The Reporter’s own files, I believe Rockdale has elected its first Latina city councilwoman, Esmeralda Ruelas-Olivares. I asked “Esme” for her thoughts on being the first one. So instead of hearing from me this week you get to hear from her. Congratulations, Esme!—KWC)
First off, I want to clarify this is not my win; it’s our community’s win. I think it’s essential and a great sign that this Rockdale community elected a Latina.
When I was growing up, a lot of little girls that looked like me and talked like me didn’t necessarily grow up to believe that they, one day, could have these types of positions. My humble beginnings brought me to where I am today. I was raised on the East Side, the daughter of Spanish-speaking migrant farmworker parents. I don’t have the background of a typical politician.
Mine is a lived experience rooted in the reality of overcoming poverty and injustice. I am living proof that access to opportunity, coupled with h a r d w ork , is a recipe for success. I gradu a t e d h i g h school in the face of overwhelming odds. I’ve worked in a restaurant, a retail store, a fast-food chain, a daycare, a bank and a hospital. The list goes on. I’ve done it all.
I recall picking pecans, working in the fields as a child, spending hours a day before and after the start of the school day, and often in an environment where I was sprayed with pesticides or working without access to a bathroom or water. My best memories were playing with ant lions while I escaped from the sun for a while.
These formative moments and experiences inspired me to want to be an advocate, a champion, for those I see myself in — even to this day — and especially for those who haven’t had a strong voice in government. They live in the shadows, and I did too until I saw a path and climbed my way out.
I’m forever thankful for amazing teachers like Mrs. Wilma Owens, Mrs. Charlotte Christian, the Migrant School Program where I learned to play chess, among other things, and Ms. Angela White to name a few who believed in me and in my siblings, saw the potential and gave us the love, support and encouragement that me and my family needed to succeed.
It is incredibly personal for me to ensure that children and families in Rockdale become a priority for all of us to ensure our children have a safe way to walk home every day, a place to run, play, learn and be a kid. Ensuring that children feel safe and that those facing homelessness become a priority of our city to ensure that we find them affordable housing to grow up in, thrive and later also contribute to society.
Despite adversity, our family moved forward because my mother felt so strongly about ensuring that her children got a good education. We were taught to appreciate every opportunity and constantly had to prove our worth and our right to a chance at the American Dream.
So many of us have lived in Rockdale and worked in Rockdale and saw that we were not at those tables, so this is so historic for all of us. I hope that more diverse communities can step up in the city. I want other girls to know that they could grow up to be anything they want.
I wanted to see — many people wanted to see — a City Council that better represented Rockdale and the people in it because when you look at the demographics of our city, and then you look at the platform, it didn’t match. We can’t have a council that does the most good for the people if we don’t have a panel that represents the people.
The most profound challenges we face are not those of Left or Right, the West or East, but rather right from wrong. It’s time we have conversations and deeper investments in the civic infrastructure and the foundation of our community. I trust that we will be better off, enriched and safer in the near future.
I write to you today with sincere appreciation for the opportunity to represent our community. I want to thank my parents for believing the American dream was achievable. Si Se Puede!
Best Regards,
Esme Ruelas-Olivares
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.