The sun was just beginning to bleed orange over the rooftops of East Los Angeles when Alicia stepped out of her modest, paint‑splattered office on 7th Street. The building, a former laundromat turned community center, was the heart of the barrio—a place where the hum of daily life blended with the soft echo of children’s laughter, the clatter of grocery carts, and the occasional siren that reminded everyone that the city never truly sleeps.
: In 2026, Alicia Perez Hodge, a co-founder of HABL (Hermanas Adelante Bella Lucha), shared her historical experience of sexual abuse within labor movements, emphasizing the long-standing nature of these issues in Latina-led organizations. Latinoamérica 21 latina abuse alicia work
Escalante recognized the welfare system as punitive and oppressive, often treating women without dignity or respect. The sun was just beginning to bleed orange