Lucy Lucero

Lucy Lucero
Born	(1919-10-19)October 19, 1919 Somerset, Colorado
Died	February 14, 2010(2010-02-14) (aged 90) Denver, Colorado
Occupation	Community leader

Lucy Lucero (October 10, 1919 - February 14, 2010) was a Latina community leader in Denver, Colorado. Her home on Galapago St. was known as a haven for the Hispanic and Latino community, especially for young gay latinos who were ostracized from their own families. She was the great-aunt of author Kali Fajardo-Anstine.

Biography

Lucy Lopez Dussart Lucero was born on October 10, 1919 in Somerset, Colorado.^[1] She was the youngest child of 8.^[2][3]

Her father was an immigrant from Belgium, and her mother had Mexican, Spanish, and Native American heritage.^[1] Her father was a coal miner, and the mining community was described as one big family.^[2] She was the youngest of eight children.^[3]

Her home at 547 Galapago St. was a center for the Latino community. She cooked meals for hungry people in the community, and the home was a haven for gay Latinos. She housed many young people who had AIDS and were ostracized from the community.^[1][4]

She had several businesses, including a restaurant and a tree trimming business.^[1]

Personal life

Lucero was married to her husband Avel. The couple had 3 sons, and many extended family members.^[5]

Lucero was the great-aunt of author Kali Fajardo-Anstine.^[1]

Death and legacy

Lucy Lucero died on February 14, 2010.^[5]

Kali Fajardo Anstine 2022 Texas Book Festival

Lucero's grand-niece Kali Fajardo-Anstine has credited her as an inspiration for the main character, Luz Lopez, in her work. Fajardo-Anstine said that the idea for her first novel Woman of Light came to her while sitting in Lucero's home.^[6] The family had a strong oral history, and Lucero told the family tales with gripping cinematic intensity. There are many similarities between Luz and Lucero.^[7]

Fajardo-Anstine recognized that the City of Denver's report on Mexican American/Chicano/Latino history in Denver had listed Lucero's home as an important site, but there was no attribution to Lucero's daughter or other family members who shared stories about the home. The report also misspelled Lucero's name.^[7]

Recognition

In 2008, Lucero was honored by the History Colorado Corn Mothers exhibit for her impact on the Denver community.^[2] Dr. Renee Fajardo, the creator of the project, was inspired to preserve the legacies of important women in order to honor her late aunt Lucero.^[8]

References

1. "Denver's Lucy Lucero House Was a Haven for the Latino LGBTQ+ Community". Nuestro Stories. 14 June 2022.
2. "Lucy Lucero". Return of the Corn Mothers.
3. "Lucy Lopez Dussart Lucero". Corn Mothers.
4. Hernandez, Esteban L. (March 1, 2022). "From Corky Gonzales to a home that sheltered gay Latino youth, a new landmark report catalogues Denver's deep Latino, Mexican-American and Chicano history". Denverite.
5. "Lucy M. Lucero". Legacy.
6. "Kali Fajardo-Anstine yearned to tell stories reflecting her "woven ancestry"". Colorado Sun. April 16, 2023.
7. Monaghan, Shane (June 2022). "Inside Denver Author Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Much Anticipated Debut Novel". 5280 Magazine.
8. Yuen, Courtney (September 15, 2023). "'Corn Mothers' exhibit closing at History Colorado". 9News Denver.