Jessica Navarro was born in the heart of the Big Apple, her large multigenerational family crammed into a three-bedroom apartment on the seventh floor of their building. Growing up, her family moved around, never straying too far from the rest of the family in Manhattan.
But they wanted something more.
“They made the best that they could for those years, but they wanted more,” Navarro said. “You know, they wanted to be able to be able to provide us more with an education. Out there, children really have to take the public subways with adults to go to school. I mean, it’s just a different lifestyle. And so, you know, just trying to reduce the barriers, reduce the stress of the next generation. That’s honestly because New York is very fast paced, so they were looking for just, I think, a slower pace in life.”
In the mid-to-late-1990s, her family came to Faribault for the manufacturing work at Primera Foods and Jennie-O Turkey Store.
About 30 years later, Navarro is running to represent Faribault and its surrounding communities in the Minnesota House of Representatives for District 19A, following the retirement of incumbent Rep. Brian Daniels.
“My desire to make a difference inspired me to run for office, which this stems from my firsthand experiences as a first-generation Latin American, differently abled woman, and also in combination with my professional work within the community,” she said. “Working with families, I see public service as a means to address social issues and improve people’s lives while creating positive change.”
Navarro works for the local nonprofit, Growing Up Healthy, which she described as a “backbone organization” supporting other initiatives to empower working-class immigrant families and foster community throughout Rice County. She started as a home visitor facilitating bilingual learning engagements for caregivers with young children.
She taught them how to use a learning tool, whether a book or toy with an educational element.
“I really love to empower, not enable,” she said. “I like to be able to provide the tools for people, education opportunities, so that they can empower themselves to be the owners of their future, to really be able to see what resources are available, what services are available, so they can meet their own needs. So then, when I’m no longer there or any services are no longer there, they are able to advocate for themselves, or they’re able to advocate for their children.”
Empower, not enable
Navarro’s role has since evolved into program manager, which afforded more flexibility for her to further her education, as she’s currently working toward a master’s degree in social work. In addition to her formal education, she’s learned a lot through her work.
“Combining diverse experiences and working together as a team can be a little difficult,” she said. “We all have different walks of life. But we come together as a team to help find sustainable solutions, however long that may take. This collaborative approach is critical to making real impact in advancing our mission. So we stick to the mission, and that’s serving the people. And so we all have different ways of how that should look, but once we come together to the table, we usually just come to a consensus, and it works.”
That collaborative approach is what she hopes to bring to the state Capitol. While she’s running on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor ticket, she made it clear she never talks bad about Republicans and values bipartisanship, teamwork and working toward a common goal.
“My commitment to public service extends to supporting local business and farmers, recognizing their vital role in the community’s economic growth and sustainability,” she said. “And I also believe in transparency, education, empowerment and hard work. Those are all virtues and values that I myself have implemented. So that’s what I believe in.”
On the campaign trail, she’s met with people from walks of life she has little personal experience with.
For example, Minnesota recently passed a right-to-repair law, requiring manufacturers to provide tools, parts and diagnostic tools for consumers to perform their own at-home repairs. That law notably excludes farm equipment, which she’s learned is a major issue for farmers.
That sort of self-sufficiency is at the heart of Navarro’s philosophy.
“I have received help from social-safety nets,” she said. “But that system needs to be improved, to not just support people like me, but to do a better job of helping people become self-supporting again. Going back to empowering and not enabling: My thing is, if something is given, it can be taken. Education is one of those things that can’t. Once you’re educated with the information … you can’t take from them.”
Her platform
Navarro believes childcare, health care, housing, quality education and training should all be accessible and affordable.
While she doesn’t have any bill proposals drafted, she recognizes areas she feels system-level change is needed.
“I am genuinely dedicated to standing behind everyday citizens and fiercely advocating for system-level changes when those systems fail to serve the people effectively,” she said. “I am kind to individuals, but I’m relentless with systems that need reform. I believe in providing hand-ups, not handouts.”
She said it’s unacceptable there are instances where both parents in a family are working, putting their income just above the threshold for subsidized housing but below the threshold to actually afford a home. Or families forced to pay for two apartments due to family size.
“My focus will be on the needs of working families, small businesses, self-employed individuals and all businesses seeking a strong workforce. And I’m committed to advocating for policies that are practical, that are sustainable and achievable. By keeping community voices central to efforts, I aim to move forward and avoid repeating past mistakes that have held people back.”
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