Luisa Moreno was a pioneering labor leader, civil rights activist, and advocate for the rights of Latina and immigrant workers in the United States. Born Blanca Rosa López Rodríguez in Guatemala City on August 30, 1907, Moreno would go on to have a profound impact on labor movements, particularly for Hispanic and immigrant workers in the U.S. Her activism during the 1930s and 1940s helped elevate the voices of marginalized communities, and her legacy is one of courage, dedication, and a deep commitment to justice.
This article explores Luisa Moreno’s accomplishments, from her early life and political awakening to her role as a key figure in labor organizing and civil rights advocacy, especially within the Latino community.
Early Life and Political Awakening
Luisa Moreno was born into a middle-class family in Guatemala. Her father was a newspaper editor, and her mother came from a well-to-do family with Spanish and indigenous roots. Moreno was exposed to intellectual discussions and social issues from a young age. However, her privileged upbringing did not shelter her from witnessing the social inequalities prevalent in her country. She observed the exploitation of indigenous people, workers, and women, sparking her desire to combat these injustices.
At the age of 19, Moreno married a Mexican artist and moved to Mexico City, where she immersed herself in the cultural and intellectual circles of the time. She was particularly inspired by the Mexican Revolution, which had recently ended and which promoted land reform, workers’ rights, and social justice. This exposure to radical ideas and leftist politics helped shape her understanding of class struggle and the importance of collective action.
It was in New York that Luisa Moreno began her journey as an activist. Seeing the exploitation of her fellow workers, many of whom were women, she quickly became involved in labor organizing. She recognized that the only way to improve their working conditions and wages was through collective action, and thus began her lifelong commitment to labor activism.
Labor Organizing in New York
In the 1930s, the labor movement in the United States was gaining momentum, and Moreno became an active participant in this movement. She joined the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), one of the most powerful and progressive unions at the time, which was fighting for better wages, working hours, and conditions for garment workers, many of whom were immigrants.
Moreno’s involvement in the ILGWU was a transformative experience. She quickly rose through the ranks due to her eloquence, intelligence, and passion for workers’ rights. In 1935, she was elected as the shop steward, representing her fellow workers in negotiations with management. This role not only solidified her leadership within the union but also helped her hone her organizing and advocacy skills.
As a Latina woman in a predominantly male and Anglo labor movement, Moreno faced numerous challenges. Nevertheless, she was undeterred. She recognized that many of the workers she represented were women, often of immigrant backgrounds, and that their specific needs—such as fair wages, childcare, and protection from sexual harassment—were often overlooked by male-dominated unions.
Moreno’s work with the ILGWU laid the foundation for her later activism. It was during this time that she developed her belief in intersectional organizing, recognizing that class struggle could not be separated from the struggles of race, gender, and immigration status. She became a vocal advocate for the rights of Latina workers, arguing that their exploitation was exacerbated by their race and immigrant status.
Formation of El Congreso de Pueblos de Habla Española
One of Luisa Moreno’s most significant accomplishments was her role in the formation of El Congreso de Pueblos de Habla Española (The Congress of Spanish-Speaking Peoples) in 1939. This organization was the first national Latino civil rights assembly in the United States, and it aimed to unify Spanish-speaking communities from various backgrounds—Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and others—in the fight for civil rights and labor justice.
El Congreso, as it was often called, addressed a wide range of issues affecting Spanish-speaking communities, including racial discrimination, police brutality, unemployment, poor housing, and inadequate healthcare. It also advocated for the rights of farmworkers, who were often subjected to the most severe exploitation, particularly in California’s agricultural fields.
Moreno was instrumental in organizing the first national conference of El Congreso, which brought together over 1,500 delegates from across the country. The conference served as a platform for these diverse communities to discuss their shared struggles and strategize on how to improve their conditions through collective action. This was a landmark event in the history of Latino activism in the U.S., as it marked the first time that Spanish-speaking people from different ethnicities and nationalities had come together to address their common grievances.
Under Moreno’s leadership, El Congreso also took a strong stance against fascism, which was rising in Europe at the time. The organization recognized that the fight against fascism abroad was connected to the fight against racial and economic injustice at home. Moreno herself was a vocal opponent of Franco’s regime in Spain and Mussolini’s dictatorship in Italy.
Advocacy for Mexican-American Workers
Perhaps Luisa Moreno most enduring legacy is her work on behalf of Mexican-American workers, particularly farm laborers in the Southwest. Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants made up a significant portion of the agricultural workforce in California and other states, yet they were among the most exploited workers in the country. They worked long hours in grueling conditions for very low pay, often living in squalid labor camps with inadequate housing, healthcare, and sanitation.
Moreno’s efforts to improve the lives of these workers began in earnest in the late 1930s when she moved to Southern California. There, she became involved in the labor struggles of farmworkers, many of whom were Mexican immigrants. In collaboration with other labor organizers like Emma Tenayuca and Dolores Huerta, she worked to unionize farmworkers and advocate for better wages and working conditions.
One of Moreno’s most significant victories came in 1938 when she helped organize a successful strike by pecan shellers in San Antonio, Texas. With Moreno’s guidance, they went on strike, demanding better pay and working conditions. After several weeks of striking, the workers won a wage increase, a significant victory for the labor movement and Mexican-American workers.
In addition to her work in the fields, Moreno also advocated for the rights of Mexican-American workers in urban industries. She fought against discriminatory hiring practices that relegated Mexican Americans to the lowest-paying and most dangerous jobs, and she worked to ensure that they had access to the same rights and protections as their Anglo counterparts.
Intersectional Activism: Race, Gender, and Immigration
Luisa Moreno’s activism extended beyond labor organizing. She was a fierce advocate for civil rights, particularly for people of color, immigrants, and women. She recognized that the struggles of Latina and immigrant workers could not be separated from the broader struggles for racial and gender equality.
In the 1940s, Moreno became involved in the fight against the mass deportation of Mexican-Americans during a period known as “Operation Wetback.” This government campaign, launched in the early 1950s, aimed to deport undocumented Mexican workers who had been recruited to work in U.S. agriculture during World War II under the Bracero Program. However, many U.S. citizens of Mexican descent were also swept up in the deportations.
Moreno was one of the most vocal critics of these deportations, arguing that they were a violation of human rights and an example of institutional racism. She worked with civil rights organizations to provide legal assistance to those facing deportation and organized protests against the government’s actions. She was also a staunch advocate for women’s rights within the labor movement.
Persecution and Deportation
Despite her many accomplishments, Luisa Moreno’s activism made her a target of government surveillance and persecution. In the context of the Cold War and the Red Scare, her affiliation with leftist politics and her advocacy for workers’ rights led to accusations of communist sympathies. In 1950, the U.S. government began targeting Moreno as part of a broader campaign against labor leaders and civil rights activists.
The government accused her of being a member of the Communist Party, though no concrete evidence was ever produced to support this claim. Rather than face deportation proceedings, Moreno chose to leave the United States voluntarily. She returned to Guatemala, where she continued to work as an activist, though her influence was diminished by her forced exile.
Legacy and Influence
Luisa Moreno’s contributions to the labor movement, civil rights, and immigrant advocacy have had a lasting impact on American society, though her story has often been overlooked in mainstream histories of the labor movement. As a Latina leader in a predominantly white, male labor movement, she broke barriers and laid the groundwork for future generations of Latina and immigrant activists.
Her legacy lives on in the continued struggle for workers’ rights, immigrant rights, and gender equality in the United States. Activists like Dolores Huerta and César Chávez, who later became iconic figures in the farmworkers’ movement, built upon the foundation that Moreno helped establish.
Luisa Moreno’s life is a testament to the power of collective action, the importance of intersectional organizing, and the enduring struggle for equality and justice for all people, regardless of race, gender, or immigration status.