VARGAS SETS PATH FOR MORE LATINAS ON BOARD
Official will be first supervisor of color in over 25 years
Nora Vargas knows what it means to be the first.
She was the first Latina appointed to the California Teacher Retirement System (CalSTRS) board, the first Latina vice president at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest and the founding director of the City of Los Angeles Office of Immigrant Affairs.
Now she will be the first Latina to serve on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for District 1. She also will be the first immigrant to become supervisor and the first person of color to hold the post since Leon Williams in 1994.
“This is a historic moment for San Diego County. It is especially important to me because I want our communities to know that there’s someone advocating for them,” Vargas said during a recent interview at her Chula Vista home.
Like many residents in this border region, Vargas knows what a bilingual, binational and bicultural life is like.
Vargas was born in Tijuana and grew up in South County. She attended Héroes de Granaditas elementary school in Tijuana and later the Escuela Secundaria 1, better known as La Poli.
In San Diego, where she became a U.S. citizen, she attended Montgomery High School and then went on to Southwestern College. Three years later, she transferred to the University of San Francisco, where she got a bachelor’s degree in politics.
From there, her career has focused on women’s rights, education and public health. She served as vice president of government and community relations with Planned Parenthood
and is president of Southwestern College’s governing board of trustees.
Vargas credits her parents with instilling in her a focus on education and public service. She said the memory of her mother — who died in 2009 of cancer when she lacked access to adequate medical services — motivated her to run for District 1.
“It was that sadness and frustration. I felt helpless for not being able to help my mother,” Vargas said. “We are not rich; we are hardworking people. ... For me, that’s stuck to this day, and that was what motivated me to continue working.”
During her time at Southwestern College she has witnessed students not having access to basic needs like food or transportation. Many had to live in their vehicles due to the high cost of rent, she says.
“I believe the county has that opportunity to help with basic services for our communities and advocate for more resources from the federal government, so that people can have what they need for a good quality of life,” she says.
When she assumes office in January, Vargas will have some big shoes to fill in replacing longtime Supervisor Greg Cox, the current chairman of the board who often operates as a peacemaker when disagreements between board members erupt. He also has remained largely popular in the district he has represented for 25 years, despite being a registered Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic district.
Working in Vargas’ favor are her deep community ties, experience working with every level of government, and the first Democratic dominance on the county board of supervisors in decades. There also will be Democratic majorities in the state Legislature and on the San Diego City Council, and Democrats will occupy the White House and the governor’s office.
Vargas said she and other
Democrats will have an obligation to deliver solutions for the community.
“Politics is a vocation,” Vargas said. “It’s not something you just do; it’s not a game. It’s really what you do to make change and help others.”
District 1 includes such cities as Chula Vista, Coronado and National City, as well as San Diego communities such as Barrio Logan, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. About 630,000 people live in District 1.
One of the issues of greatest concern to Vargas is the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on Latinos.
“They’re the people who are making the county work right now, working in stores and hospitals,” she said. “Many don’t have the luxury of staying home.”
At the same time, the board of supervisors must help the region rebound economically. County supervisors must consider a new budget in just six months, she said, and they have a responsibility to protect public health while supporting local businesses.
Vargas said her priorities also include addressing the Tijuana River pollution problem, housing and ensuring access to childcare.
The 49-year-old Democrat also said she hopes to promote government transparency and accessibility during her time on the board.
Community conversations and interactive Facebook Live events were fixtures of Vargas’ political campaign. She said she plans to open more accessible spaces for residents to come and express their concerns without having to go to the county administration building in downtown San Diego.
Vargas noted that she is part of a generation of Latinas that stands on the shoulders of trailblazers. Among them are Mary Casillas-Salas, the first Latina mayor of Chula Vista; Alejandra Sotelo-Solís, the first Latina mayor in National City; Georgette Gómez, the first LGBTQ Latina elected San Diego City Council President; and Esther Sanchez, who is poised to become Oceanside’s f irst Latina mayor.
“Many sacrifices ... have been made before so that a person like me could compete for this position,” she said.
Roberto Hernandez, a professor of Chicano studies at San Diego State University, said it was about time to see a Latina supervisor in a county where 30 percent of the population is of Latino descent. He also praised the work of many Latinas who paved the way for future generations.
“Not only is the future Latino, but it is Latina,” he said. “For decades, we’ve seen men in leadership, and now that we’re seeing more women, I’m optimistic and confident that they’re going to provide us with a new direction.”
The campaign trail was not always easy for Vargas.
In the primary, she trailed California Senator Ben Hueso and fought a close match with San Diego Port Commissioner Rafael Castellanos before pulling ahead. In the general election, she beat Hueso by 13 percentage points, despite his fundraising advantage and experience running for office.
“Many people told me, ‘We are going to have confidence in you, support you and vote for you, but don’t let us down,’ because many times politicians promise and when the time comes they forget,” Vargas said. “I take that personally. ... I want to make sure I am keeping true to the people who elected me.”
Vargas gave credit to some organizations and leaders who have helped empower Latina women. One of them is the MANA de San Diego, where Vargas once served on its board.
Inez González, executive director of MANA de San Diego, has no doubt that more women will follow in Vargas’ footsteps.
“For a Latina girl to be able to see a person like Nora who got to that position is inspiring, because it sends a message that they can do it, too,” Gonzalez said.