# Immigrant advocates honored at Metro's Cinco de Mayo celebration  
**Published:** 2026-05-06T00:55:01.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/cinco-de-mayo-event-recognizes-local-immigrant-advocates-features-homies-empowerment-founder/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/immigrant-advocates-honored-at-metro-s-cinco-de-mayo-celebration

OMAHA — Two Latina leaders working at the forefront of immigrant advocacy in Nebraska were recognized for their community impact efforts during Metropolitan Community College's 26th annual Cinco de Mayo luncheon Tuesday at its South Omaha campus, according to [the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/cinco-de-mayo-event-recognizes-local-immigrant-advocates-features-homies-empowerment-founder/).

Perla Ochoa, a South Omaha community organizer at the [Heartland Workers Center](https://www.heartlandworkerscenter.org/), and Roxana Cortes-Mills, legal director of the [Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement](https://ciraconnect.org/), received the honors. The awards, presented as a surprise to recipients during the event, recognize leaders working to uplift immigrant and underrepresented communities across Nebraska.

The featured speaker was Dr. Cesar Cruz, [co-founder of Homies Empowerment](https://www.homiesempowerment.com/about-us.html), a community organization based in Oakland, California. [Cruz was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant at age 9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Cruz). He holds a doctorate from Harvard University and is pursuing another degree at Pacific School of Religion.

During his address, Cruz connected historical struggles with contemporary tools for change, telling attendees about the "pitchforks of Puebla" in 1862 and modern equivalents—pens, voting rights and degrees. He praised local Latinos for stepping into political office, businesses expanding in South Omaha and high school students marching for immigrant rights.

The [Heartland Workers Center](https://www.heartlandworkerscenter.org/) works across Nebraska with immigrant and underrepresented communities, developing leaders and promoting workers' rights. Ochoa was recognized for ensuring that individuals and families "are heard, valued and supported," according to Metro's statement.

Cortes-Mills was honored for helping newcomers navigate complex circumstances. [CIRA, formed in 2022 from the merger of the Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center](https://ciraconnect.org/), provides legal representation, refugee resettlement and social work services across Nebraska and southwestern Iowa.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely military victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the United States, it has become a cultural celebration recognizing Mexican heritage and traditions.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/cinco-de-mayo-event-recognizes-local-immigrant-advocates-features-homies-empowerment-founder/)
- [Heartland Workers Center](https://www.heartlandworkerscenter.org/)
- [Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement](https://ciraconnect.org/)
- [Homies Empowerment](https://www.homiesempowerment.com/about-us.html)
- [Dr. Cesar Cruz biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Cruz)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/cinco-de-mayo-event-recognizes-local-immigrant-advocates-features-homies-empowerment-founder/.