Remembering Alfredo Gutierrez

Alfredo Gutierrez, a longtime activist and Arizona politician, has died at the age of 79. Gutierrez passed after a battle with esophageal cancer.

Gutierrez was born in a small town called Miami, Arizona, and his father, a U.S. citizen, worked as a miner. His father was deported to Mexico amid migration fears during the Great Depression.

Gutierrez’s activism first began during his time at Arizona State University, where he helped to found the Mexican American Student Organization. In 1969, he also co-founded Chicanos Por La Causa, a non-profit organization working to provide resources and a voice to over one million Hispanics across the country.

Lydia Guzman, a community-based advocate for Chicanos Por La Causa, joined “Arizona Horizon” to share more about the life of Alfredo Gutierrez.

Gutierrez first began his career in politics when he was 27 years old. He was elected to the Arizona state legislature, and two years later, he was selected to lead the Democratic majority caucus.

After serving in the state legislature for 14 years, Gutierrez opened his own consulting firm. He also continued to be a pillar of activism in Arizona, notably being a vocal opponent to Senate Bill 1070, a controversial law regarding immigration.

Gutierrez also wrote a book titled, “To Sin Against Hope,” which highlights the failure of honoring contributions immigrants have made to our country.

Guzman worked with Gutierrez for decades, and said when she first met him, “I immediately knew that this was someone I wanted to work with.”

“Alfredo Gutierrez was larger than life; everyone that he talked to would say that Alfredo inspired them to do more and be the change they wanted to see in their communities,” Guzman said.

She added, “Alfredo felt the wrath of discrimination, even into his older years when there was an initiative to end birthright citizenship. That’s what riled him up. It was his eagerness to fight for equality,” Guzman said.