Bert Corona: 1918-2001: Labor Organizer Biography - El Paso Childhood, Fought Crackdowns On Undocumented Latinos, "remained Optimistic"

Bert Corona, a longtime leader in Latino civil-rights circles, died in early 2001 after nearly seventy years of public service. Following a career as a union organizer, Corona served for many years as executive director of La Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, a Latino organization in the Los Angeles area that fought on behalf of undocumented Mexicans and other Latinos in the United States. Corona was by all accounts a dedicated and tireless organizer, and often evoked comparisons to César Chávez, the migrant-labor leader. He once contributed an autobiographical essay to Memories of Chicano History, edited by Mario Garcia. According to Progressive, he stated in Memories: "I never planned my life," Corona reflected. "It just happened the way it did. I'm proud that I was able at certain times to help organize a plant or a community group and that these organizations helped people struggle to better their lives."