Cristina Tzintzún

Cristina Tzintzún is the founder and Executive Director of the Jolt Initiative that is winning Latinos in Texas the power and respect they deserve. She is a nationally recognized advocate and leader in the Latino and immigrant rights fields. She was named “Hero of the New South” by Southern Living Magazine and one of the top ten changemakers in the Lone Star State by the Texas Observer and hailed by the New York Times for her success with Workers Defense Project (WDP). At 24 Cristina co-founded WDP and helped pass half a dozen local and state laws to protect the rights of hundreds of thousands of workers. Cristina is the author of the book “Presente! Latino Immigrant Voices in the Struggle for Racial Justice” and other works on race, class and gender.

Project Description

Jolt Initiative seeks to defend the rights of immigrant and Latinx families in Texas, while simultaneously developing a culture of civic engagement needed to build a democracy where Latinx and immigrant families are included and their needs represented. Jolt Initiative brings undocumented immigrants and citizens together, investing in the leadership of young Latinx needed to shift the state and country in favor of inclusive immigration and racial justice policy. Today, 37% of the Texas Latinx population is under age 17. Jolt Initiative organizes young Latinx through cultural and digital organizing strategies that bring Latinx together and give them the tools to advocate for an inclusive immigrant and racial justice agenda at the local, state and federal level.