Belen Robles

Belen Borrego Robles was born in 1936 in El Paso, Texas, where she also grew up.^[1][2] She was the fifth of 10 children born to Dolores Ortega Borrego and Joaquin Borrego.^[1] She is a graduate of Bowie High School, class of 1954.^[3] Robles married Ramiro Robles at age seventeen.^[1]

When Robles was job searching in 1956, she was told that "Mexicans are only hired as elevator girls and cooks."^[1] She went on to work at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) starting in 1957.^[1] In 1971, she went to work for the United States Customs Service.^[1]

Robles joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 1957.^[1] Robles became deputy district director of the El Paso area LULAC council in 1964.^[4] Previously, she had been president of the Ladies LULAC Council 9.^[4] In 1994, she ran for national president of LULAC at the national convention held in El Paso.^[1] Robles went on to become the first woman to serve as national president of the organization.^[5][3]

In 2001, she ran for mayor of El Paso.^[6] Belen has served on the board of trustees for the El Paso Community College and the Texas Association of Community College Trustees.^[3]

• Belen Robles on C-Span
• Letter from Belen Robles to John J. Herrera, 1965