Ninfa R. Gutierrez

Woman of Courage

Ninfa was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. She has lived in the Yakima Valley since the age of 8, and grew up in a migrant farmworker household. Ninfa worked the seasons with her family until she married at the age of 16, and went on to have 3 children. Nina’s desire to help others was shaped by her humble upbringing. For over 40 years, Ninfa has worked tirelessly to advocate for, educate,and empower farmworkers and their families.

Since 1980, Ninfa has volunteered with public radio station KDNA to produce and host various educational programs featuring personal interviews with Latino leaders, local/state/national political leaders, and various community members.  She later added the Yakima Herald-Republic to her portfolio and remains a Columnist for El Sol de Yakima to this day.

Ninfa has made a name for herself as a community servant. She is a board member to three national housing boards, was appointed as a Washington State Commissioner for Hispanic Affairs and received the Yoneo Ono Award from the Rural Community Assistance Corporation for her volunteer service improving the lives and communities of disadvantaged rural people in the Western United States.

Ninfa is the founder of La Casa Hogar de la Doctora Gloria de Martinez, a community that continues to serves as a second home for immigrant women and children. She is also the co-founder of Latinas Networking for Justice, an organization that works to remove barriers that prevent Latinas from accessing and participating in community life.

Ninfa’s passion has always been to build bridges between various segments of our community and to instill a deep respect for, and between, ALL cultures. She has been a major voice for the low-income population, Hispanic women, and many migrant farmworker families, and never loses sight of the intrinsic self-worth of all people, regardless of their circumstances.