LOS ANGELES — Esteban Torres, a son of East Los Angeles who emerged from the Chicano civil rights movement to become an eight-term congressman who pushed for social and economic change to help empower Latinos, has died at 91.
A former union leader who served in President Jimmy Carter’s administration, Torres died of natural causes Tuesday, according to a family statement.
“Torres was a pathbreaking public servant and a lifelong fighter for the common good,” U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla said in a statement. “Torres’ pride in his working-class, immigrant roots and his belief in the American dream drove his dedication to labor activism and community organizing.”
