Salvador Sánchez, 87, Milwaukee Co-founder Of LAUCR, Fiesta Mexicana And Former Executive Director Of UMOS Passed Away In Milwaukee

Sánchez while being the Executive Director at the United Migrant Opportunity Services in the early 1970's was instrumental in bringing down the barriers of discrimination that existed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee along with other notable higher education activists in Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

October 29, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, Salvador Sánchez, 87, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family at 2:55 p.m.,  according to his son, Gabriel Sánchez who posted the announcement on his Facebook account.

Sánchez was well known in Milwaukee for his years of involvement in helping to shape and influence social change for the Milwaukee Latino community in the Southside and Wisconsin. Sánchez was the co-founder of the Latin American Union for Civil Rights (LAUCR) along with Ernesto Chacon, Roberto Hernández and Juan Alvarez Cuauhtémoc, other well known Latino Civil Rights advocates and leaders of the 1970's UWM Take Over of the chancellor's office at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that were instrumental in bringing down the barriers of discrimination that kept Latinos from enrolling at UWM. In 1970, UWM had more than 25,000 White student and less than 17 Latino students enrolled.

Sánchez under LAUCR operated Fiesta Mexicana at the Summerfest grounds from 1977 to 1987.

Sánchez while becoming the director of the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) was instrumental in organizing food drop offs at UWM when the Latino community took over the UWM chancellor's office on August 27, 1970, and he allowed students who were taking studies at UMOS to participate in the UWM takeover. He also participated in the takeover of the chancellor's office at UWM.

Sánchez was also instrumental in organizing a huge march along with other leaders  from Milwaukee to Madison to fight for migrant rights and to push for enforcement of housing state laws for seasonal migrants working at farms in Wisconsin.

On August 15, 1966, Sánchez marched beside Jesús Salas, another organizer of the Obreros Unidos movement who marched 80 miles with migrant farm workers from Wautoma to Madison demanding farm workers rights, enforcement of child labor laws and adequate living conditions for seasonal farm workers and their families at Wisconsin farms.

Milwaukee lost another great historic Latino leader and our deepest condolences for the loss to his family.