Sandra Sanchez

Sandra Sanchez is originally from Mexico where she worked for the private sector for fifteen years. She moved to Iowa in 1991 and soon after volunteered for the Des Moines School District where later she was hired as the Latino Families Liaison for several schools from 1993-1995. Her current position as the Immigrants Voice Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee started in October of 1995 where she obtained accreditation by the Board of Immigration Appeals to provide legal immigration assistance in 2000. She has been an immigrant rights advocate here and in Mexico.

In 2003, Sandra was one of three American representatives invited to the first Immigration Round Table of the European Union. In 2007 she became a graduate from the first class of Interpreters & Translators from DMACC’s program. She has served in various boards including chair and vice-chair of the Iowa Latino Affairs Commission from 2009-2012; currently she serves at the Polk County Sheriff’s Citizen Advisory Committee and the Latina Leadership Initiative of Greater Des Moines. Sandra’s work on diversity & human rights has been recognized several times including being on the Iowa Women’s Wall of Fame.

For three years she produced and hosted her own weekly radio show in Spanish; after a few years off the air, she is back since October 2011 at radio La Reina. Sandra has been quoted by the Des Moines Register, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Univision, NPR, The Dallas Morning, and other media outlets on issues of human rights and policies impacting immigrants and Latinos.