“There needs to be unity in the people of the community in order to make things better.”

Braulio Martinez was born in a small town in Michoacan, Mexico on the Piritzio Ranch.  Braulio first came to California in 1977, and began working in the fields. His wife Ester joined him with their two children two years later.  He has spent the past 27 years working in the fields in Kings and Tulare counties. He learned through his father’s work — representing workers from the ranch he lived on — that people need to unify to address the problems in their community.  In the spirit of his father, he has been actively involved with farm worker unions throughout his life.

In 1990 Braulio and his family moved to the small town of Alpaugh and soon became friends with community leader Sandra Meraz.  It was in Alpaugh that he and his wife Ester got involved in community activism in general, and CRPE in particular.  Initially he helped Sandra and Ester address the problems at Alpaugh’s public school.  Unfortunately, as soon as the educational situation in Alpaugh began to improve, the town found itself confronted with a drinking water crisis.  In 2002, Braulio was one of many people from Alpaugh who, assisted by CRPE, went to Sacramento to appeal for help with Alpaugh’s drinking water problems. He has worked with CRPE for many years, and became an official member of the CRPE Advisory Board in 2004.
Today he and Ester have nine children and continue their work with the Committee for a Better Alpaugh. Braulio also is a talented vocalist and has written over 40 songs. He says his favorite part of working with CRPE is the opportunity to bring people from many backgrounds — rich and poor, highly educated and barely educated — together to learn from each other and confront the problems facing the local communities. He tells his children that education is the key to getting ahead and being able to defend yourself and your community.