Adelita Grijalva
Organizations
Tucson Unified School District, Pima County Board of Supervisors
Location
Tucson, Arizona
Biography
Adelita Grijalva is a native Tucsonan, where she attended public schools and eventually matriculated to and graduated from the University of Arizona. Raised in a politically involved family, Grijalva has early memories of marching for farmworker causes and migrant rights. Upon graduating from U of A with a degree in Political Science, she began to work for Teen Court, a position that gave her insight into the way that school suspension policies negatively affected the life paths of working class, Latinx communities. Based on that experience, she ran for a position on the Tucson Unified School Board. She was the youngest woman ever to be elected. In 2020 she was elected Supervisor of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and in 2023 Grijalva became the first Latina elected Chair of the Board.
Audio Clips
Interviewed by Jennifer Nájera on January 31, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona
Grijalva recalls growing up in an activist family, attending marches and attending political organizing meetings. She reflects on the work that the previous generation did to open opportunities for her generation.
Grijalva talks about how her work in Teen Court inspired her to run for a seat on the TUSD school board and discusses her first campaign.
In this clip, Grijalva talks about being a Latina elected officials and how her gender positionality and culture have affected her approach to leadership.
Digital Archive
Cesar Chavez Day in Pima County Day.
Adelita Grijalva’s 20 years of service on the TUSD Governing Board.
Heat Ordinance in Pima County.
District 5 Period Poverty Awareness Drive.
Social Media Graphic for preservation of Open Space in Pima County.
Social Media Announcement for Grijalva’s election as Chair of Board of Supervisors.