Emily Martinez - Bio Sketch

Emily Martinez was born in the border town of La Feria, Texas. She spent the early years of her life traveling back and forth with her family between Texas and the Midwest, following the harvest. Her family ended up settling in the area of Blissfield, Michigan in 1948, due mainly to the fact that her mother was heavily pregnant and could not travel back to Texas. They ended up staying permanently. As migrant farm workers, Emily’s family did not have a car, so they went everywhere on foot, even walking 5 miles to go to church!

Emily graduated high school in 1959, and she said it was those years of her education that exposed her to the racial divides in Michigan. The farmer’s children she grew up playing with began to ignore her and her friends of Mexican descent. When her family attempted to buy a home in town in 1962, the owner would not sell to them because of their ethnicity (Eventually, Emily did buy a home in that area, and said it was done with satisfaction.) Those experiences in her younger years prompted her involvement in politics and education; she felt it was her duty to stand up for those who could not stand up for themselves because it was the right thing to do. In 1994 she was named Michigan Hispanic Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Educational Opportunity Fun, Inc. In 1995 she received the Athena Award in Lenawee County from the Chamber of Commerce and the American Flag was flown in her name by Senator Levin in Washington D.C. She’s been appointed to and chaired numerous committees including the State of Michigan Commission on Spanish Speaking Affairs (1990), Chairperson of the Migrant/Agricultural Reporting for Commission of Spanish Speaking Affairs for the State of Michigan (1994) and Telamon Corp. Board President (1997 & 2001).