SAN ANTONIO – MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) paid tribute on Friday to three Latino leaders who have dedicated their careers to promoting and protecting the rights of the Latino community.
“As we together confront a most challenging era in civil rights history, we are inspired by both our predecessors in the fight, as well as those current individuals demonstrating exceptional service and leadership,” said MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz. “Our honorees exemplify the latter – allies in the ongoing fight whose work evokes pride and fortitude.”
Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J., received the Lifetime Achievement – Excellence in Community Service Award for her dedication to humanitarian work and immigrant advocacy. As executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, she oversees the charitable branch of the Diocese of Brownsville, the second-largest Catholic diocese in the U.S. With more than 20 years of experience, Sister Pimentel has led programs in the prevention of homelessness, disaster relief, clinical counseling, pregnancy care, food assistance, and aid for immigrants. In 2014, she founded the Humanitarian Respite Center, which has welcomed more than half a million immigrants over the past decade.
Sister Pimentel holds degrees in fine arts, theology, and pastoral counseling, as well as several honorary doctorates. Known as the “Pope’s favorite nun,” she is also an accomplished artist and a powerful voice for immigrant families, emphasizing their dignity and humanity.
“I am deeply grateful to MALDEF for this incredible honor,” Pimentel said. “Thank you for thinking of me, for supporting the work I’ve done, and for allowing me to be celebrated alongside so many inspiring individuals.”
Celina Ysela Moreno, J.D., was given the Excellence in Legal Service Award for her tremendous career advancing educational equity and immigrant rights. As president and CEO of the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), she has expanded the organization’s national impact by strengthening its legal and policy teams, launching youth leadership initiatives and championing bilingual education, fair funding and college access. She has also led STEM programs that prepare thousands of Texas students for higher education and careers in technology. Previously, Moreno directed policy and litigation for MALDEF’s Southwest regional office, where she represented DACA recipients to defend the program and the Texas Dream Act and litigated challenges to inequities in school funding, redistricting and immigrant detention. She also built statewide coalitions on education, immigrant rights and voting rights and co-authored briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of race-conscious admissions.
“The Excellence in Legal Service Award from the MALDEF board and staff is deeply meaningful to me, because it is from an organization with some of the nation's most passionate, brilliant lawyers who work tirelessly to improve the lives of millions,” Moreno said. “It is an honor to work alongside MALDEF attorneys, heroic clients, and partners who advocate the rights, dignity, and advancement of our community.”
MALDEF honored Vincent Valdez with the Excellence in the Arts Award for his contributions to contemporary American art. Valdez blends large-scale, representational paintings, drawing on Western traditions of history painting, muralism and cinema, with contemporary subjects that explore identity, injustice and inequity, imbuing his work with empathy and humanity.
A recipient of the Ford and Mellon Foundations Latinx Artist Fellowship and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painters and Sculptors, Valdez has also completed residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting, the Vermont Studio Center, Kunstlerhaus Bethania Berlin and the Arion Press King Residency. His work is included in collections and exhibitions at institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, MASS MoCA, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
“It is an honor to be recognized by MALDEF,” Valdez said. “I stand in solidarity with their historic legacy and perseverance to fight for and protect the rights of Latinos in the United States today”.
The event was emceed by KENS 5 evening news anchor Isis Romero.
MALDEF recognized the significant contributions of these outstanding leaders and their dedication to advancing civil rights for all. The event drew notable government and community leaders from around the nation.
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Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the “law firm of the Latino community,” MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.