Photos by Stephanie Perez.
The school formerly known as International Elementary has been re-named Jenny Oropeza Elementary School as a lasting reminder of the late community activist and elected official’s 22 years of public service.
Over 100 people, including Mayor Robert Garcia, Rep. Alan Lowenthal, Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, family and friends of Oropeza, members of the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) and school staff, parents and fifth grade students, gathered at the elementary school Monday morning to celebrate the unveiling of the new school sign.
“In selecting a name for a child, a business or a school, much time, energy and thought goes into the decision because a name evokes hope, promise and can inspire greatness,” said Principal of Jenny Oropeza Elementary School Mona Cook. “As our students now attend this school, may they be inspired to live with a can-do attitude and may they look beyond their circumstances and succeed.”
Garcia described how Oropeza made history at Cal State Long Beach by becoming the first Latina to be Associated Students Inc. (ASI) President, serving two terms in a row.
“As a young student, who wanted to be involved in government, when I looked up at the wall [filled with portraits from previous ASI presidents] I could see someone who looked like me,” he said. “She was different, she didn’t look like anybody else, she was my same skin color and that inspired to me to know I could also be a part of leadership at [CSULB].”
In a meeting about a year ago, Gonzalez shared her interest in renaming the school after the late local leader Oropeza—who was the first Latina member on the LBUSD Board of Education and the Long Beach City Council before becoming a member of the State Assembly and Senate.
Gonzalez said during her campaign, a Long Beach resident gave her an “Oropeza for City Council” potholder, and since that day it has sat in her office where she said it motivates and inspires her to get her through hard times.
“It is something that I looked at because I know she worked really, really hard,” she said. “She worked hard to ensure youth, especially children in their health were at high standards, the Port of Long Beach ensuring that environmental and high standards were also high and to this day, we are still working on these things she embarked.”
Oropeza began her political career in 1988, where she led the fight to change LBUSD elections from at-large to by-district, making it possible for Latinos and African Americans to be elected onto the board of education. In 1994, she was elected for city council, where she served two terms as the First District Councilmember. Six years later, she was elected three times as Assemblymember for the 55th Assembly District. Oropeza was elected to the state Senate in 2006, representing portions of South Bay and the Westside.
Oropeza, 53, died on October 20, 2010 from a blood clot in her abdomen.
Six months after her death, the community center at Cesar Chavez Park, which is located in the council district she formerly represented, was renamed in her honor.
“In my opinion, I think we should follow in her footsteps because we need more people to help create more health care systems, education amendments and more,” Meza said. “She was a very dynamic person and was ready to fight for what she believed in.”
“The other day I stumbled upon this treasure and I want you [Tom Mullins] to have this photograph of Jenny, me and a couple others at this mural behind us,” said Ruth Ashley, LBUSD deputy superintendent of education services and former principal of International Elementary School. “Thank you for sharing your wife with us. We will learn from Jenny’s leadership strengths and all that she represented.”
Jenny Oropeza Elementary School is located at 700 Locust Avenue.
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