Lydia Lopez, Chicana/o Politics, and the Sanctuary Movement in Los Angeles

With a focus on the life and work of Lydia Lopez, this paper looks at the intersections of Chicana/o politics and the Sanctuary movement in Los Angeles in the late 1970s and 1980s. In the mid-1980s, Lopez (a longtime Chicana activist) took a staff position at La Placita church in Los Angeles where she served as a fundraiser and media liaison for the parish. She joined her good friend Fr. Luis Olivares not only because of their close relationship, but also because of their “shared mission” to help the most vulnerable in Los Angeles. She raised money, helped Fr. Olivares with whatever he needed, and served as one of his closest confidants. While her role was mostly behind the scenes, her work was critical to the success of the Sanctuary movement in Los Angeles. In the life and activism of Lydia Lopez we begin to make sense of the connections between two movements that are often seen as disconnected: the Chicano movement and the Sanctuary movement.