Alonso Arturo

Biography

About Me Shortly after my birth, my family of two parents and three brothers decided to return to my parent’s hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico. We lived there for a few years until I was just under the age of four. At this time my parents decided to permanently return to the United States. They had heard of the alluring opportunities available for my brothers and me, so they embarked on a journey to this great country with the hopes of enabling us to reach higher than they ever could. Due to the responsibilities Mexican families experience at a young age, both of my parents never made it past an elementary level education because they had to leave school to work. The combination of a lackluster education and an undocumented status created a narrative full of adversity and obstacles my family faced that trickled into my upbringing. Growing up on the southside of Oklahoma City, a vibrant community plagued by structural injustices, I faced a variety of challenges. Of these, the educational inequity found in public school districts around the metropolitan area challenged me the most. I attended Heronville Elementary and later transitioned to Santa Fe South Public Charter Schools for middle and high school. Even though these schools did what they could to ensure academic success, I saw how students capable of pursuing a college education fell short due to a lack of funding and access to resources. These same students, like myself, were typically first-generation, low income, and came from marginalized communities. I developed values such as learning, resilience, and service, immersing myself in academics and extracurricular activities, all while striving to leave a lasting contribution in my community. I am currently a senior preparing to graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, and I hope to have a career in which I am constantly given the chance to enhance my community. With your help and trust, I will represent District 89 as one of the youngest candidates elected to the Oklahoma House. Why I’m Running I know what it’s like to face financial uncertainty and structural challenges. I want to enable people to live smarter, safer, and healthier lives. In doing so, I hope to serve as an inspiration to young people who need an extra push by instilling the idea that with resilience and determination, they can achieve more than what they initially believe. But even with all the grit a person can muster, there are structural inequities that have made living the American dream an impossibility for too many. In Oklahoma, cuts to critical programs have caused real suffering for working families. I’m running because our community deserves better – a government that listens to everyday people, not just the wealthy and influential. I’m running for the south side, and it’s about all of us. Will you join me? Public Education Oklahoma’s per-pupil spending is among the lowest in the nation. We must do more to ensure our teachers and students have the resources needed to thrive. As your legislator, I’ll fight for your child’s future – that means students, parents, and teachers working together with the resources they need to promote learning and growth. ✓︎ Recruit the best teachers through competitive pay. ✓︎ Ensure public dollars stay in public schools. ✓︎ Get public teachers & schools the funding they need. Comprehensive Health Care Oklahoma’s healthcare system has not been appropriately resourced to serve those in need. Too many lack immediate access to care that would help prevent them from reaching a crisis point. We must ensure every Oklahoman can receive assessment and treatment before emergency room visits. We need a proactive, people-focused healthcare system that welcomes everyone, promoting the physical and mental wellbeing of Oklahomans, and better outcomes for their families and communities. ✓︎ Create a high-quality health care system for all. ✓︎ Lower prescription drug costs. ✓︎ Ensure funding for mental health treatment. Criminal Justice Reform While we’ve made important strides, Oklahoma’s criminal justice system is broken. So much work is left to be done. Our state must emphasize rehabilitation and progress, not punitive actions that leave families broken. As Oklahoma’s representative for House District 89, I will do everything in my power to build on the progress we’ve made as a state and continue moving forward. ✓︎ End debtors’ prisons, unnecessary fines & fees. ✓︎ Create a justice system that rehabilitates, not punishes. ✓︎ Train police officers to be community-focused. Economic Justice Oklahoma needs to support those whose income, health, and food security have been most damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Job loss due to the pandemic has disproportionately hit small local businesses; those with lower incomes; single households; Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latin American, and Indigenous populations; and those without college degrees. We must ensure meaningful progress and deliver equitable opportunities to thrive for all Oklahomans. As District 89’s representative, I’ll fight for the middle class and working Oklahomans. ✓︎ Increase the minimum wage & take-home pay. ✓︎ Create a paid family & medical leave program. ✓︎ Put money back in the pockets of working families. Public Safety & Infrastructure Oklahoma needs a comprehensive, integrated approach to public safety. That means investing in programs that tangibly benefit the lives of Oklahoma families. On the southside, where development is often lacking, we especially need adequate funding for roads and bridges, libraries, after school programs, social services, and counseling – all interconnected and vital to creating safer communities. ✓︎ Ensure funding for after school programs & libraries. ✓︎ Improve our community through infrastructure funding.