Richard Alatorre, a 'titan in the Chicano community,' has died at 81

Richard Alatorre, a groundbreaking Latino lawmaker in California, has died at the age of 81.

His death was announced Tuesday during the L.A. City Council meeting by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez. Alatorre died in his home in Eagle Rock after a long struggle with a cancer diagnosis.

“He did so much for the city, for the state,” Rodriguez said. “[He was] such an incredible, powerful leader in the state legislature and so I just wanted to let everyone know that sadly we’ve lost a titan in the Chicano community.”

About his legacy

When Alatorre was elected to the council in 1985, Alatorre became only the second Latino to hold that office in the 20th century. He was the the first since Edward R. Roybal held the office 23 years prior.

In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass called Alatorre "an icon in Los Angeles who blazed the trail for generations of Latino leaders in Los Angeles and California." She said his "fervent advocacy served as a beacon of hope for millions and his dedicated advocacy has resulted in a legacy that will benefit millions more in the years to come."

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) called Alatorre "a relentless champion for underserved communities across California during his time in the State Assembly and on Los Angeles City Council."

“Richard dedicated his life to public service when few Latinos held public office, giving a voice to those who had long-been ignored in halls of power," Padilla said in a statement and also on social media. "His work paved the way for others, including myself, to run for office."

Raised in East Los Angeles, Alatorre, along with four fellow Latino assemblymen, formed the Chicano Legislative Caucus in 1973, marking the first time in California’s legislative history an agenda that would oversee and protect the rights of Latinos from all over California.

Alatorre served seven terms as a state assemblyman, before leaving his seat to return to Los Angeles and hold office in the City Council..

In a historic election taking place in 1985, Alatorre became the first Latino to join the Los Angeles City Council since Councilmember Edward R. Roybal 23 years prior.

During his term as councilman, Alatorre spearheaded efforts to promote the participation of people of color and women to hold space in all levels of public office and Los Angeles city government. He has helped create the L.A.’s mass transit and bus transportation system and pushed police departments to diversify upper ranks.

His early life and family

Alatorre graduated from James A. Garfield High School before moving on to obtain his undergraduate degree in Sociology at California State University, Los Angeles. He then went on to pursue his Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California in Public Administration.

Alatorre is survived by his wife and three children.

LAist staff contributed to this report.