More than 20 years ago, Janet Merguilla took the helm of what was then the National Council of La Rasa, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States.

Her position has required her to go toe to toe with four different American presidents

to advocate for our communities in boardrooms and political backrooms

and oversee a massive grand evolution when the organization became Unidos U.S.

Today, Janet and I are looking back on those more than two decades,

the wins, the objectives that have remained elusive, specifically immigration reform, and how even though she has worked on Capitol Hill and the White House rode on Air Force One and met the Pope, her mother said she'd be truly proud once she knew how to make a flour tortilla.

Janet, thanks so much for doing this.

I'm so happy to be able to finally get together with you.

It's been a great podcast series.

Oh, my God. What a privilege. When you are appointed to this role in 2005, do you go in thinking, okay, this is the next 20 years?

No. No. I envision this as sort of a period of time where I could leverage some of my experience, having been in government and public policy with my law degree and just try to find a way to be

really involved in public service. But no, I didn't anticipate it would be 20 years later.

But the work continues to call and the mission is so vital of Unido's U.S. today. And it's important

for all of us who can be in positions of leadership and service to find a way to keep at this because

we've only seen the challenges grow at this particular time, as you know.

Oh, it's bad.

I mean, when you say the work continues to call, that is almost an understatement.

I mean, the work, it has evolved, it's grown,

and the community changes. I think that's part of the unique challenge of being a civil rights

leader whose work is to represent the Latino community, which is, it is a community that is

constantly in flux. It's constantly in flux, and that's represented. Alicia, a lot of people don't quite take a

moment to look at how we as a community have changed the U.S. demographics. That's really important.

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