Amalia De Aztlan, a longtime civil rights activist, has been named Woman of the Year in Riverside County’s fourth district.
Supervisor V. Manuel Perez selected Amalia De Aztlan for the honor as part of the county’s recognition of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, according to a statement on the county’s website.
“Amalia De Aztlan has fought for civil rights throughout her life, as a labor organizer, community organizer, coalition builder, an advisor, a spokesperson, and a leader for women, but also a leader for all individuals, including myself, a mentor for me as well,” Perez said in the statement. “Amalia, in her own way, in her own right, is a superhero.”
A Bermuda Dunes resident, De Aztlan immigrated to the United States from Mexico with her family, settling in Thermal. She began working in the fields when she was 10, and seven years later was put in charge of a strike committee, according to the statement.