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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah state Sen. Luz Escamilla, originally from Mexico, has garnered the Outstanding American by Choice recognition from U.S. immigration officials for her civic involvement, professional accomplishments and more.
The Salt Lake City Democrat, the minority leader of the Utah Senate, received the award at a ceremony on Tuesday for more than 120 immigrants from 40 countries who took the oath of naturalization to become U.S. citizens. It's awarded by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"Sen. Escamilla has been a trendsetter in many ways. In 2005, she was appointed by Gov. Jon Huntsman as the first director for the state office of ethnic affairs. She was also the first Latina elected to the state Senate and the first immigrant elected to the Utah state Legislature," Michael Crabtree, the field director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Salt Lake City office, said in presenting her with the recognition. "In her work in the state Senate, Sen. Escamilla's policy focus has been the well-being of Utah's families, aiming to address the social determinants of health and uplift health care outcomes and quality of life."
Escamilla, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was first elected to the Utah Senate in 2008 and is now in her fourth term.
"When I became a citizen, I was a young mother with a newborn baby and I had a very heavy sense of responsibility for the well-being of my community, and as a new American, I had an incredible sense of giving back to the country that was opening doors and giving me an opportunity to fly," she said in receiving the award. "The American dream is alive. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
The recognition is meant to recognize "outstanding achievements" of naturalized citizens, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
