Richard Alatorre, a groundbreaking Latino lawmaker in California and former L.A. City Councilmember for District 14, has died at the age of 81.
His death was announced Tuesday during the L.A. City Council meeting by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez. Alatorre died in his home in Eagle Rock after a long battle with cancer.
“He did so much for the city, for the state,” Rodriguez said. “[He was] such an incredible, powerful leader in the state legislature and so I just wanted to let everyone know that sadly we’ve lost a titan in the Chicano community.”
Born in Boyle Heights and raised in East Los Angeles, Alatorre, along with four fellow Latino assemblymen formed the Chicano Legislative Caucus in 1973, marking the first time in California’s legislative history an agenda that would oversee and protect the rights of Latinos from all over California.
Alatorre served seven terms as a state assemblyman before leaving his seat to return to Los Angeles and hold office in the City Council.
In a historic election taking place in 1985, Alatorre became the first Latino to join the Los Angeles City Council since Councilman Edward R. Roybal 23 years prior.
During his term as councilman, Alatorre spearheaded efforts to promote the participation of minorities and women to hold space in all levels of public office and Los Angeles city government. He also helped create the city’s mass transit and bus transportation system and pushed police departments to diversify upper ranks.
Alatorre graduated from James A. Garfield High School before moving on to obtain his undergraduate degree in Sociology at California State University, Los Angeles. He then went on to pursue his Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California in Public Administration.
“Councilman Alatorre was an icon in Los Angeles who blazed the trail for generations of Latino leaders in LA and California,” said Mayor Karen Bass in a statement.
Alatorre is survived by his wife and three children.
Thank you Carol for the very nice story about my Dad. Yes he was a titan and Boyle Heights always head a special place in his heart. Not just because he represented Boyle Heights but also because he was born there. We truly appreciate it. Derrick Alatorre
RICHARD ALATORRE IN EXCELSUS… The Richard Alatorre I knew, the Richard Alatorre who said he had to change the world — and to a great degree, he did just that… that Richard Alatorre dramatically altered the political landscape for Latinos in California and ultimately became The Godfather of Latino Politics…. Read the tribute: https://bit.ly/3yDxaQi