Alexis Rios-Jimenez 

CHCI Public Policy Fellow  

Presented by Altria 

Hometown: Whittier, California 

School: California State University-Los Angeles 

Degree: B.A. in Political Science 

Placement: The Office of Representative Jimmy Gomez

Born and raised in Whittier, California, Alexis (he/him) was brought up in a traditional Mexican household alongside his siblings and raised by a single mom. Despite challenges the family faced, Alexis’ mom instilled in him a strong sense of perseverance and optimism for his future, influencing his belief in what was possible for him. From an early age, Alexis developed a passion for uplifting others and a deep curiosity about the various challenges faced by people in his community.  

Alexis graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a B.A. in Political Science with a focus on pre-legal studies and a minor in Communications. While completing his undergraduate degree, Alexis interned as a court watch reporter for The Davis Vanguard, a community-based watchdog news organization focused on justice and transparency in criminal justice. In this role, he monitored criminal courtrooms across California for potential injustices. Driven by his commitment to community service and desire to uplift his community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexis joined a slate of young Progressives in a grassroots campaign and was elected to serve as an assembly delegate for the 57th district of the California Democratic Party. Deeply concerned about issues impacting the Latino community, he also joined the California Democratic Party’s Chicano Latino Caucus to further his understanding of the work being done to address the challenges they faced. As a delegate, Alexis engaged in a wide array of outreach efforts to better understand community members’ concerns and mobilize efforts to address them.  

After graduating, Alexis continued his dedication toward public service for underserved communities by serving as a board member of the Mi Pueblo Foundation. Committed to empowering and supporting farmworkers, the foundation regularly organizes food distribution events in collaboration with local non-profits for farmworker communities in Central California. In this role, Alexis was instrumental in coordinating efforts, working alongside volunteers to distribute groceries and essential supplies while fostering important relationships with farmworkers and providing them with legal resources and information on their labor rights.   

As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Alexis aspires to continue his work in pushing for greater Latino representation in historically underrepresented spaces and is committed to help ensure a bright future for the next generation of Latino leaders.