Another profound loss of an organizer and leader in our communities with the passing of brother Al Villanueva. As far back as when I started as a professor at Pitzer’s College in the 1990’s, I joined alongside Al (and so many others that included familia and supporters such as Angela and Jim Sanbrano) in his efforts to critically recover and preserve the history of the Arbol Verde barrio on the east side of Claremont.

As he led the efforts to ensure the survival of Barrio Park, he would invite my students to the park and to his mother’s house across the street – to share the stories about how they fought gentrification through the El Barrio Park Committee and the Arbol Verde Preservation Committee – to ensure the survival of the park and the history of the citrus workers who lived in that barrio. The many victories were celebrated at El Barrio Park’s 50-year anniversary. And just last week – Al had called me to share his excitement about how the city was moving ahead by providing resources for the painting of murals at Barrio Park that would ensure the recovery and preservation of that history. In recent months, together with his daughter, we spoke at an interfaith service in Claremont as part of churches making commitments to serve as sanctuaries for our immigrant families- he shared a ceremony at our LRT Dia de Muertos at Lopez Urban Farm, joined us in a C. A. S. A. Press conference on immigrant rights in front of the federal building – and traveled with us to a labor-led non-violent immigrant rights training workshop attended by 1500 in Los Angeles led by Kent Wong (who also joined the spirit world recently). In his last days – he was still organizing – and those of us who walked common paths with him will ensure that his spirit will remain very much alive in our ongoing efforts. Our deepest condolences to familia, friends, and community. Al Villanueva- Presente!