Roberto Roibal

Roberto Roibal was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is a graduate of the University of New Mexico, receiving a BA degree in anthropology, history and fine arts. He has been active in student, labor, community, and social justice issues in New Mexico for over 39 years. He was a SouthWest Organizing Project volunteer since 1980 and joined SWOP’s staff in 1991, where he’s had a number of positions, including the marketing and distribution of the book 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures and related materials, production of our news magazine Voces Unidas, field organizer, grant administration and now office management. He is responsible for our information and technology needs, and is our database developer and administrator. He is the father of three daughters, all of whom have gone through SWOP’s youth internship programs. Rosina Roibal, who graduated from Loyola University and received her Master’s Degree from UNM, and Lolita Roibal, a graduate of Stanford Univesity, currently live in Oakland. Lucia Roibal graduated from Barnard College in 2009.^[1]

Roberto’s first political work was in 1969 as a freshman at UNM when he worked with the UNM Draft and Military Counseling Center and was very involved in the anti-war movement. In the Spring of 1970 he was arrested with over 200 others who occupied the UNM Student Union Building in protest of Nixon’s illegal bombings in Kampuchea and Vietnam. He worked at UNM Chicano Studies Center for a number of years and was active in student organizing. He also worked with El Taller Media in Albuquerque which did movement silkscreening, printing, graphic design and typography. At one point he was the President of the Board of Directors at the UNM Public Interest Research Group which was working on police brutality, grand jury abuse and supported the grape and Coors boycotts. He was also active with the NM Regional Committee of the Venceremos Brigade which sent people in the U.S. to Cuba to show solidarity and challenge the illegal U.S. blockade of Cuba.. Roberto has been a SWOP volunteer and member since 1980 and joined SWOP’s staff in 1991, where he’s had a number of positions, including the marketing and distribution of the book 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures, production of our news magazine Voces Unidas, field organizer, grant administration and now office management. He is responsible for our information and technology needs, and is our database developer and administrator. He has three daughters, all of whom have gone through SWOP’s youth internship programs. Two of his daughters were former SWOP staff members and youth organizers. Roberto is currently the Secretary-Treasurer of CWA Local 7011 and is their delegate to the Central New Mexico Labor Council where he also sits on their Executive Committee. He is the president of his neighborhood association, the Pajarito Village Association and is the Vice-President of the South Valley Coalition of Neighborhood Associations.^[2]