Cecelia González is a Thai-Mexican American, daughter of immigrants, and native Nevadan. Both of her parents' families moved to the United States seeking the American Dream. Her family taught her the values of hard work, persistence, and giving back to the community. From a young age, Cecelia witnessed her single mother struggle to make ends meet for her and her two younger sisters. 

 

The experience of growing up with limited resources in an immigrant family was instrumental in shaping Cecelia’s passion for fighting for social, environmental, and economic justice in her community. Part of her aim in seeking justice for those in her community is criminal justice reform.

 

Cecelia was directly impacted by the criminal justice system at an early age. Her biological father became incarcerated when Cecelia was only two years old. Cecelia was struck at the inhumanity of the prison industrial complex when she was not allowed to hug her father goodbye. Instead, she put her hand up to the thick glass window as she watched him being taken away in chains. That experience sparked a passion within her to fight to reform the criminal justice system. Cecelia has been an active member of the Mass Liberation Project housed under the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN). She has held leadership roles and has assisted in planning monthly membership meetings, community events & actions, and legislative policy. Passionate for being a voice for her community, she serves as the First Vice-Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus. 

 

In 2015, Cecelia became the first in her family to graduate from higher education. She graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology. She also earned a M.Ed. in Multicultural Education in 2019. She is set to begin a doctoral program in Multicultural Education at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in the fall of 2020. Her research focuses on the school-to-prison-pipeline, women in prisons, and violence against women.

                                                         

Cecelia has dedicated her life to being a public servant for over a decade. She is a Nevada educator, a local community activist, and an organizer. She has organized around interpersonal violence, women’s health, criminal justice reform, education, raising the minimum wage, and many other important issues. Cecelia has received both academic and community awards for her volunteer work and activism.

 

Her dedication to public service, education, and reforming the criminal justice system has led her to run for Assembly District 16.