Latino Spirit Awards honor agents of change: boxing brothers, chief justice and journalists
Joel Diaz compared the jitters he felt leading up to Monday’s Latino-focused award ceremony to the feeling before a big fight.
“It’s nerve racking for us,” said Diaz, who attended the event with his two younger brothers Antonio and Julio. “It feels the same as when you’re in the dressing room getting ready to walk into the ring. We’re not really prepared for it.”
Like many of those big fights, the brothers, who were born in Mexico and spent years as professional boxers, walked out winners.
They were among the 13 recipients honored in the Capitol as part of the 21st annual California Latino Spirit Awards. The ceremony was established in 2002 by the Latino Caucus to highlight worthy individuals in their community.
“Looking at all the honorees that were recognized, it was really uplifting because this is our present and future,” said Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, who also serves as chair of the caucus. “They’re fighting for so many righteous causes and they’re all agents of change in their own right.”
Training for leadership
Many of Monday’s honorees are trailblazers in their respective fields, overcoming obstacles and rising to become role models and community leaders.
For the Diaz brothers, those obstacles began when the family immigrated to the Coachella Valley from Michoacán, Mexico. Joel, who was 11 at the time, recalled seeing the struggles of his farmworker parents.
“They were field workers, immigrants that came to look for a better life for the family,” he said. “It was hard for my parents to keep up.”
Joel found solace in boxing at age 13. By the time he got to high school, he’d won two national titles. Joel was fighting professionally by his 18th birthday. But only five years into his career, he was forced to retire after a detached retina left him blind in one eye.
Joel would eventually share his love of the sport with younger brothers Antonio and Julio. Both went on to win titles at junior middleweight and lightweight.
“We were honored to do something we loved so much,” Antonio said. “For us, it wasn’t a job. It was a passion.”
The brothers, led by Joel, eventually opened their own boxing gym in the Coachella Valley to mentor the next generation of fighters. The gym, and Joel, are now regarded as one of the best training environments for young boxers.
“We are motivated to keep working with the community and seeing the youth progress so they can be good citizens,” said Joel. “For us, boxing is not just a sport of physical combat. It teaches you discipline and how to be a good person.”
Helping the next generation was a common theme among this year’s honorees.
Breaking barriers
Graciela Moreno, an Emmy Award-winning journalist in Fresno, spoke about the progress she’s seen over her 30 years in the industry.
When she first began studying journalism in college, Moreno was the only Latina student in her class. And in 1997, she became the first journalist in the Central Valley to crossover from a Spanish-language television station to anchor the news in the market’s number one English-language television station, ABC30.
Moreno noted that in 2023 more than 60% of journalists at ABC30 are Latino.
“I would like to think I somehow inspired them to try it,” Moreno said. “Maybe one of them turned on the television and saw that person looks like me and sounds like me.”
The other 11 Latino Spirit Award winners were Elsa Marie Collins, Gustavo Dudamel, Miguel Angel Elizondo, Jr., Irene M. Gutierrez, Yvett Merino, David Pérez Tejada Padilla, Miguel Ruiz, Bamby Salcedo and Patricia Guerrero.
Guerrero was sworn in as the 29th Chief Justice of California last January, making her the first Latina to serve in the role.
This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Latino Spirit Awards honor agents of change: boxing brothers, chief justice and journalists."
