Michael A. Chihak: Taking the oath, taking charge

Going from landslide election victory to finally being seated in the U.S. House of Representatives was an exercise in strength, resilience and courage for Adelita Grijalva.

As a Latina in a white man’s world, she has had to fortify herself with an abundance of those qualities, inherited from her mother and her antepasadas and reinforced by the numerous mujeres who stand with her, who in many ways ARE her.

On the House floor Wednesday, she reveled in chants of “Adelita! Adelita! Adelita!” from her Democratic colleagues after she took her oath of office. Then, she took charge.

“I rise today the proud granddaughter of a bracero, a hard-working Mexican immigrant who came to this country for a better life. And I stand as a proud daughter of a U.S. congressman, a man who spent his entire life fighting for justice, equity and dignity for the most vulnerable,” she said, brushing away a tear for that man, the late Raúl Grijalva.

Introducing her husband, three children and mother, who all looked on from the House visitor gallery, she thanked them in Spanish for their support and love. She continued:

“Thank you to la gente of Southern Arizona for making me the first Latina, the first Chicana from Arizona to ever go to Congress. Este momento es historico para nuestro communidad.” This moment is historic for our community.

In what MSNBC called a “fiery speech,” Grijalva detailed the administration’s misdeeds in curbing basic freedoms, allowing health care costs to spiral and sending masked officers into immigrant communities where “babies are being ripped away from their parents.”

Her most scathing criticism was reserved for Republican colleagues, reminiscent of her father’s oft-expressed “truth to power.”

“What is most concerning is ... what the majority in this body has failed to do: hold (President Donald) Trump accountable as a co-equal branch of government that we are.”

As the freshest of freshmen in the minority party, Grijalva would be expected to have little clout and to struggle making headway with her issues for a good while.

Her profile rose, though, when the House speaker refused to seat her for 49 days after her victory in the 7th Congressional District’s special election. On Wednesday, Day 50, Grijalva took the oath.

Delaying became a national story. She was interviewed on nearly every major TV network, and numerous stories about her ran in national newspapers and on national news websites. When she was finally sworn in, The Associated Press and The Washington Post sent out national “breaking news” alerts.

Speaker Mike Johnson clearly miscalculated in putting off her swearing in, and Grijalva did not hold back in her speech when it came to Johnson, as he looked on from the speaker’s rostrum. “This is an abuse of power,” she said. “One individual should not be able to unilaterally obstruct the swearing-in of a duly elected member of Congress for political reasons.”

Laying out an agenda that mirrored her campaign, Grijalva said:

“We need to fight for our immigrant communities and veterans. We need to stand up for our public schools, children and educators. We need to respect tribal sovereignty and our environment. We need to stand up for LGBTQ-plus rights, because that’s what the American people expect us to do: fight for them.”

Raúl and Ramona Grijalva named their daughter after the early 20th-century “Adelitas” of the Mexican Revolution, women who fought alongside men. The Grijalvas wanted her to be strong, resilient and courageous. They wanted her to be a fighter.

That she is.