Rivera, Marisol

Metadata

Abstract

An oral history of Marisol Rivera, union organizer and vice president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 187, Orange County. The interview was conducted for the Women, Politics, and Activism Since Suffrage Oral History Project for California State University, Fullerton and the Center for Oral and Public History. The purpose of this interview was to gather information regarding Rivera’s union work. Specifically, Rivera discusses childhood in El Salvador, parents’ occupations, and why her family came to the United States; role models; why she became a union activist; how she outreaches to her coworkers; talks about the 2000 union strike at Paramount Pictures; why immigration reform and health insurance are the most important issues to the union; challenges to her work and the value of empowering women to control their own lives; describes her leadership style; how she balances family and work roles; what motivates her to continue fighting for union organizing; what messages she received from her parents about gender roles and how being a woman affected her work in the union; differences in how men and women lead; why she is not a feminist; challenges of her job and why there is still more work ahead; role of religion in her activism; importance of educating people about politics and voting rights; why women should be activists; shares advice to young women interested in becoming activists; discusses an average day; and finally, talks about challenges janitors face in the workplace.