With a campaign championing diversity, equity, and representation—one especially that highlights the systemic inequalities that children of color and children with disabilities face in the educational system—Latina disability rights activist Ligia Andrade Zúñiga makes a historic run for a seat on the  San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) Board of Trustees. 

If elected, she would be the first Latina with a disability to serve on the SMUHSD board, and would focus on fostering community relationships and building better connections between schools. 

Zúñiga is no stranger to SMUHSD. She was born in San Mateo and raised and educated both of her sons—now 23 and 18— within the district. Her community work includes serving as a Chair for the San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities, a Commissioner on the San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women, and as a cofounder of the Bay Area Sexuality and Disability network, among several others.

With her roots in San Mateo cemented, she feels she is grounded in understanding of the community that she is a part of.

“In order to be a leader, you need to understand who you’re leading,” Zúñiga says. 

Her intersectional experience as a Latina with a disability is reflected in her campaign, her pillars being diversity, inclusion and representation. With these pillars in mind, Zúñiga hopes to be the representation that she feels the SMUHSD board needs. With a focus on youth, the educational continuum 

pipeline, bilingual education and disability rights, Zúñiga’s campaign focuses on reducing barriers for all students, saying that she recognizes that no one’s needs are the same. She believes that with more communication between the elementary, middle school, high school and community college districts, there can be opportunities for students on all levels. 

“It’s not about me. It’s about my students, it’s about my community, it’s about the future of my community and the future of this world,” she says. “I want to include our students…I want them to be able to have a say in what’s going on.” 

Zúñiga’s beliefs in equity influences the way that she and her campaign team have approached her political bid. As COVID-19 has necessitated alternative forms of learning, specifically online, student’s well beings educationally, mentally and physically are high priority. Zúñiga dived into the ways COVID-19 exacerbated many community issues; housing, racial inequalities, lack of accommodations for students with disabilities, and language barriers, all of which further present harm. 

“Our schools are sanctuaries for some of our students. Some of our students don’t want to go home, or have no home to go to, or they live in a bedroom and there is no privacy,” she says. “I know for me growing up…going to school was an outlet. I felt empowered, good about myself, and that’s where I learned my voice…I want us to feel safe going back to school…we have solutions.” 

But electoral bids are demanding and time-consuming. With the added stress of COVID-19, Zúñiga’s campaign and fundraising strategies have evolved to adapt around social distancing and safety restrictions. With past experience as a treasurer on the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition and at the Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities, fiscal responsibility and management has been a long part of Zúñiga’s work. 

She detailed the financial responsibilities of a political campaign, citing it as an issue for those who lack resources, especially as she hopes to see other marginalized community members run in the future. Her campaign has taken place mostly online, as she uses social media as a tool to reach out to community members. She and her team have been hosting meet and greets as informational discussions about her campaign, herself, and community goals. Her favorite part of this campaign has been these community discussions, opening up to new perspectives and relationships with her constituents. 

“I have to say though. I’ve gotten so much support and I’m super grateful for it,” she says. “People are awesome…I am blown away with how many people see eye to eye with this mission.” 

Zúñiga runs for one of two open seats against Greg Land and Neal Kaufman. Her website, vote-ligia.org contains more information on her campaign, her platforms, and her endorsements. 

Website: www.vote-ligia.org 

Facebook: Vote Ligia Andrade Zúñiga

Instagram: Vote Ligia Andrade Zúñiga 

Twitter: @voteligia