By Eric Lindberg
A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and social justice advocate, a leader in the local immigrant services community, and a beloved social work scholar and mentor have been recognized for their impactful contributions to society.
Lauded during the 31st Annual Awards Reception of the California Social Welfare Archives, the three honorees are Sonia Nazario, who received the George D. Nickel Award for Outstanding Contributions to Social Welfare; E. Stephen Voss, honored with the George D. Nickel Award for Outstanding Professional Services by a Social Worker; and Murali Nair, who received the Frances Lomas Feldman Excellence in Education Award.
In her keynote remarks, Nazario described how she spent her childhood as a granuja, or troublemaker, and its lasting effects on her career as a journalist and advocate for marginalized populations.
Both of her parents’ families fled to Argentina to escape religious persecution—her father’s family from Syria and her mother’s family from Poland. Born in the United States, where her father had pursued his doctoral education, Nazario returned to Argentina with her family at age 13 after her father’s sudden death.
Their timing was poor. Argentina was in the midst of its so-called Dirty War, a military takeover that led to thousands of civilian deaths.
“I lived in fear every single day,” Nazario said, recalling how a family member was tortured, a close friend was killed and her mother burned a large pile of books in their backyard to avoid being targeted as left-wing intellectuals.