On Thursday, March 13, Rep. Raúl Grijalva passed away due to complications from his cancer treatment, according to the Office of Raúl M. Grijalva. A former Wildcat and a long-time advocate for environmental and immigration rights in Arizona, the loss of Grijalva weighs heavily on the Tucson community.

Grijalva announced last April that he would not be running for a 13th term after being diagnosed with lung cancer. 

Grijalva is known in the community for his many years of service and unconventional methods in Congress. He was an advocate for Southern Arizona while in Congress.

According to Grijalva’s office, “He led the charge for historic investments in climate action, port of entry modernization, permanent funding for land and water conservation programs, access to health care for tribal communities and the uninsured, fairness for immigrant families and Dreamers, student loan forgiveness, stronger protections for farmers and workers exposed to extreme heat, early childhood education expansion, higher standards for tribal consultation, and so much more.”

With such a lasting impact on the community, the focus now turns to how his legacy can be carried forward and built upon for future generations.

Current Tucson Unified Governing Board President Jennifer Eckstrom, who has been close to Grijalva and his family for years, provided insight.

Eckstrom initially met Grijalva when she was eight years old, when her dad, Dan Eckstrom, and Grijalva served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors together.

Before moving to the TUSD school board, Eckstrom was Mayor of South Tucson. She began her political career at 18 and got help from Grijalva.

“When I decided to get into politics at 18, Raúl was one of the first people that I spoke with to get advice from and to see, you know, what that meant, how to do that [politics] effortlessly. Because, you know, anytime that you saw him speak, it was effortlessly,” Eckstrom said.

Eckstrom said that one of Grijalva’s most significant impacts on her was his advocacy for women, specifically Latinas, in politics. She said this was not common, and not many men wanted that advocacy at the time. 

“He pretty much supported me, his daughter, Mayor Romero and countless others who have run for state legislature, for city council, and so you can’t deny that, you know, he was looking forward and realizing that the future is female,” Eckstrom said.

Eckstrom also said that Grijalva had impacted the community in many ways and was never afraid to say what he thought.

“[Grijlalva] never minced words, and he always told you what he thought. During the first Trump administration, we saw how he fought for southern Arizona and the rights of LGBTQ, the rights for women, the rights for abortion,” Eckstrom said. She tied his support of abortion to why Arizona mobilized so heavily for the abortion mandate.

Eckstrom also pushed for people to advance Grijalva’s legacy by advocating for prominent issues affecting southern Arizona communities.  

“We need to continue saying the things that need to be said and not be afraid,” Eckstrom said, in light of Grijalva’s responses to controversial immigration legislation and his support for LGBTQ+ rights.

Grijalva was also a strong environmentalist, a role which, especially in Arizona, is becoming increasingly important. From promoting funding for the use of low-carbon materials in construction projects across the state to reforming mining laws to encourage a future based in cleaner energy, Grijalva put environmental justice, conservation and sustainability at the core of many of his legislative visions. 

“[Grijalva] was an environmentalist, something that, you know, hopefully generations will see the impact that he had on not just southern Arizona, but even northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon, the tribes he was always working with, [like] the Pascua Yaqui and the Tohono O’odham nation,” Eckstrom said. 

Eckstrom also said that Grijalva’s legacy will live on in his family. According to Eckstrom, Adelita Grijalva, the Pima County District 5 Supervisor, has already made her mark in Tucson. 

“And his grandkids, one is a mariachi, another is an actor and performer, and then he has another one in middle school, and then two in elementary school,” Eckstrom said. “I think them being able to see their Dada in an elected office and how he impacted a whole community is something they will remember, and they will try to expand on and live his legacy.”

Professor Javier Duran, who is also the founding director of the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry, shared similar sentiments.

Duran’s connection with Raúl Grijalva began in graduate school. Duran said that Grijalva, along with the student group Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, advocating to bring Cesar Chavez to campus in 1989 is what made Duran decide to pursue a doctoral minor in Mexican American Studies. 

After that, Duran interacted with Grijalva and his chief of staff Ruben Reyes many times, and had him as a guest speaker for events. Duran expressed that Grijalva was a very kind person to work with.

“[Grijalva] was a very approachable person, very generous with his time, especially when it came to creating opportunities for young people and students,” Duran said. 

Duran noted that one of the lasting legacies of Grijalva, in his opinion, will be his understanding of what he describes as the fronteridad. Duran described Grijalva as a “un hijo de la frontera,” son of the border. 

“[Grijalva] understood perfectly what ‘fronteridad’ meant, that is, fronteridad, a condition that many people who grew up in this region between two cultures acquire over time,” Duran said. “His advocacy for bilingual and multicultural education, for the rights of our indigenous communities, and for better relations with our Mexican neighbors demonstrate this fronteridad.”

University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella released a statement to the University of Arizona community remembering Grijalva.

Garimella highlighted the work of Raúl Grijalva’s niece, Adriana Grijalva, the current president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, and how she continues his legacy of advocacy.

“Congressman Grijalva’s legacy is a testament to what it means to be a Wildcat for Life, leaving an indelible mark on Arizona and beyond, and inspiring others to lead with purpose and service,” Garimella said.

A vigil was held on March 16 in remembrance of Grijalva’s legacy attended by University of Arizona and Tucson community members. 

Duran was able to attend the vigil and said that the event brought people of all walks of life together, which he said is extremely resemblant of Grijalva’s goals as a politician, and as a person.

“From political leaders who worked with [Grijalva] across the aisle, to educators, environmentalists, artists, social justice advocates, cultural workers, and lifelong friends who are bound by the ‘Unity Clap’ and the always present phrase ‘Si se puede!’” Duran said.

The Unity Clap is a traditional United Farm Workers ritual, which was performed at the end of the vigil. 

Grijalva embodied not only the Tucson spirit, but also the spirit of being a Wildcat, which will live on in the community for years to come.

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