Belen Robles

Belen Borrego Robles (born 1936) is a former national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and served as the group's first national woman president. She has many years experience working for the United States Government in positions relating to immigration and customs.

Biography

Belen Borrego Robles was born in 1936 in El Paso, Texas, where she also grew up.[1][2] She was the fifth of 10 children born to Dolores Ortega Borrego and Joaquin Borrego.[1] She is a graduate of Bowie High School, class of 1954.[3] Robles married Ramiro Robles at age seventeen.[1]

When Robles was job searching in 1956, she was told that "Mexicans are only hired as elevator girls and cooks."[1] She went on to work at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) starting in 1957.[1] In 1971, she went to work for the United States Customs Service.[1]

Robles joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 1957.[1] Robles became deputy district director of the El Paso area LULAC council in 1964.[4] Previously, she had been president of the Ladies LULAC Council 9.[4] In 1994, she ran for national president of LULAC at the national convention held in El Paso.[1] Robles went on to become the first woman to serve as national president of the organization.[5][3]

In 2001, she ran for mayor of El Paso.[6] Belen has served on the board of trustees for the El Paso Community College and the Texas Association of Community College Trustees.[3]

References
  1. Lijo, Lydia Villalva (1994-06-29). "Prejudice Spur LULAC Official to Seek Change". El Paso Times. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-10-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Martin, Michel (9 July 2008). "Robles Shares Wisdom from Trailblazing Career". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  3. "Candidate profiles: EPCC, District 3". El Paso Times. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  4. "New LULAC Head Urges Pre-School English Classes". El Paso Herald-Post. 1964-04-13. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-10-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Smith, Michael A. (1997-09-14). "LULAC 151 Celebrates 50 Years With Pride". The Galveston Daily News. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-10-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Belen Robles". El Paso Inc, 2003 Book of Lists: 84–85. March 18, 2001.
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