Amazing Norma Torres

Dangers Propelled Norma Torres to Move to U.S., Then to Politics
Article
By EMMARIE HUETTEMAN FEB. 15, 2015
WASHINGTON — For Representative Norma J. Torres, a freshman Democrat from California’s 35th District, the debate over immigration policy is intensely personal.
Born in Guatemala, Ms. Torres, 49, moved to the United States with her uncle when she was 5, leaving behind a country riven by civil war and a mother who would die from heart disease a year later. Her interest in politics grew from a searing experience as a 911 dispatcher, when one night a girl was murdered after being placed on hold while waiting for a Spanish-speaking operator. Ms. Torres decided to seek elective office and became mayor of Pomona, Calif., before serving in California’s Legislature.