Flor Martinez / Flower in Spanish

As an undocumented immigrant with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, Flor Martinez picked grapes for wineries during her summers as a teenager, along with her family. In 2020—as wildfires swept across Northern California, putting thousands of mostly undocumented farm workers in harm’s way—she began using social media as a tool to educate others about the hardships of a workforce population that is, and has been, aggressively exploited. It’s where she comes from. Since then, she has used her rising platform to spotlight farm workers, undocumented business owners, and independent, immigrant-owned restaurants around Northern and Central California. Her goal is to change California laws and improve pathways for thousands like her.