News & Updates

Summary

In the upstairs of the old Firehouse that Neighborhood Alliance calls home, OKC Neighbor, Angelica Villalobos, told us her story as a dedicated advocate for immigrant rights and community empowerment. Angelica and her family own an automobile repair shop in the middle of Southside OKC and admits OKC has been good to them.

In the upstairs of the old Firehouse that Neighborhood Alliance calls home, OKC Neighbor, Angelica Villalobos, told us her story as a dedicated advocate for immigrant rights and community empowerment. Angelica and her family own an automobile repair shop in the middle of Southside OKC and admits OKC has been good to them.

You could hear the pride in her voice as she tells us, “as a young mom, my 5 kids, the youngest was almost three, would go to protests with me.” She recalls them holding clipboards with petitions to sign, saying “I have pictures of that!” 

 “I was always teaching my kids that it’s not just about ourselves, it’s about the community. I tell them I want all of us to help create a community that we can be proud to be part of, one life.” 

Angelica’s advocacy journey spans nearly two decades, marked by her involvement with various organizations such as Dream Action Oklahoma, the Hispanic Chamber, and the 29th Street Business Owners Association. Reflecting on her early days of activism, she told us peaceful protests were the most important way to bring awareness to the plight of immigration issues. In 2007, the Oklahoma legislature was debating and ultimately passing an Immigration Law (HB 1804: Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act 2007). Angelica stated that even as involved as she was, “ I didn’t realize how much it was going to personally affect me or my family until my sister got pulled over in November of 2007, right after that law went into effect.” 

 “And just like me at the time, she was undocumented. So, we started looking for attorneys, and because it was the holiday season, she [her sister] ended up spending the entire holiday season in detention.” That experience is what shaped Angelica’s desire to help other families in the same situation. From 2000 to 2010 she became very involved in the Dreamer Movement, always the quintessential Mom, she got her children involved as well. The Dreamer Movement advocated for the legal status of undocumented immigrants who had come to The US as minors. 

Angelica reports, “Because of being part of the Dreamer Movement, I then became a co-founder of Dream Action Oklahoma.” Angelica not only advocated for her own family and community as a whole, but it is the intensive volunteer work with individual immigrants in their struggles for legal status where she shows her greatest pride. 

The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees citizenship to persons born within the jurisdiction of the 50 contingent states. Between 1927 and 1978 all 4 of the US territories were granted the same virtues. Sometimes referred to as “US Citizen by Virtue.” Angelica reminded us that these kinds of nuance laws can be confusing to some immigrants. She remembers the middle-aged, oldest daughter of a now-deceased woman who was born in the Mexican/Puerto Rican Territory just after the U.S. took it over. She wanted help for her and her younger sister to become U.S. Citizens, even though her sister had lived in the US for 30 years. 

It didn’t take long for Angelica to research the lineage of family birth certificates and to then proudly announce to the woman that all of her Mother’s children, and their children are automatically US Citizens by Virtue, from birth! After all of these years trying to live under the radar, they simply needed to claim their birthright. 

Angelica worked to organize the SW 15th neighborhood showing her dedication to being a good neighbor. Having lived in the area for 28 years, Angelica has held community meetings and knocked on over 800 doors to create awareness and build connections among residents. Her efforts have resulted in the creation of a NextDoor page with over 300 members, providing a platform for neighbors to connect!

Despite facing challenges such as homelessness and concerns about oil rigs and camps in the area, Angelica remains committed to fostering a sense of unity and collective action. She has spearheaded initiatives like organizing a neighborhood watch and advocating for traffic safety measures in the neighborhood. Angelica maintains strong ties with her neighbors and the entire Southside community.

As we wrapped up our emotional conversation with Angelica, we asked what she would tell younger activists. 

 “It is okay to be afraid… challenge that feeling of being afraid into action.” Angelica advised us, “Don’t allow anybody to influence you to be someone you’re not… always be very grounded on who you are.” 

Keep making OKC a better place for ALL our neighbors, Angelica!