San Jose Advocate Richard Hobbs Champions Immigrant Empowerment and Worker Cooperatives
San Jose, CA – Richard Hobbs, a pivotal figure in Santa Clara County’s immigrant advocacy landscape, has dedicated his career to empowering immigrants and fostering economic justice through worker cooperatives. his work, spanning decades, has focused on facilitating pathways to citizenship and creating alternative economic models.
Hobbs’ commitment to immigrant integration began with a mission to help residents maintain public benefits by expediting their path to citizenship.He spearheaded countywide efforts through the Office of Human Relations, now the Office of Immigrant Relations, securing funding for nonprofits that provide immigrant services. A key initiative he launched in 1997, the county’s first citizenship days, continues to offer free submission assistance to immigrants.
Teresa Castellanos, coordinator at the Office of Immigrant Relations, lauded Hobbs’ enduring dedication.”Richard has been integral in the immigrant program in Santa Clara County,” Castellanos stated. “He’s someone that is so committed to the work that he’s doing that he just keeps going,and (he) always brings along others with him to also do the work.”
Since opening his law office in San Jose in 2011,Hobbs and his associates have celebrated each citizenship milestone with a ringing bell,having directly assisted at least 3,000 individuals in their citizenship journeys.This builds upon the thousands more he supported through the citizenship programs he previously oversaw.
Castellanos emphasized the profound impact of citizenship,noting,”Citizenship is transformational. You go from having access to some opportunities to having access to all opportunities, and not only for that individual, but for future generations.”
Beyond immigrant services, Hobbs is actively engaged in civic action, organizing groups through the Solidarity Unity Network, a coalition of two dozen organizations that convene for protests and mutual support. He has also championed economic alternatives by establishing worker cooperatives,including a home care worker co-op in Gilroy,aiming to shift power away from conventional capitalist structures.
“We need to get through this time with productive anger and compassion,” Hobbs remarked. “Worker owned cooperatives, to me, really are what should be the focus of the future.”
Joyce chu can be reached at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X.
