Sonia Vasquez Luna, Bio
Sonia approached me to write a quick bio for her since she was being recognized by the Salvadoran American Chamber of Commerce, but there’s nothing “quick” about Sonia’s life and her journey to where she is today. The two of us had a great conversation, not just about her life, but where she wants to be in the future. It was an honor and a privilege to try and encapsulate as much of her story as possible for a well-deserved evening.
It’s an unlikely Christmas story for some, but for Sonia Vasquez Luna, her quest for the American Dream began when she arrived in the States on Christmas Day in 2001.
Prior to leaving for the U.S. Sonia was studying Public Accounting at the University of El Salvador where she was accepted out of several other applicants. She had no intentions of leaving her studies behind to move, and at 19 years old she was perfectly happy to stay and build upon her already established life; however, her dad wanted her and her two sisters to join him in the United States for more opportunities. Despite not knowing any English, and bringing nothing with her but a suitcase full of dreams, she left behind all she knew and embarked on her own hero’s journey into the great unknown.
Her early days in the states weren’t glamorous. She worked with a cleaning service in Tysons Corner, and eventually took on two other jobs to make ends meet. In 2003 she didn’t have housing, and was living and supporting her then-pregnant sister, but with hard work and support, she managed to get her first apartment in Culmore, Falls Church.
As time moved forward, Sonia earned her BA from the National Labor college, finished her English classes, married her then-husband who was active in the Coast Guard, had two beautiful children, and built her own small business in personal property real estate. It was a chance encounter on a bus when she linked up with the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), where she’s been working for 19 years, and where she continues to be the voice for workers’ rights, womens’ rights, and immigrants’ rights.
Climbing the ranks at LIUNA, Sonia started her career as a member, and with hard work and dedication, she paved the way for other Latinas since being elected the first Latina local business manager. With over 350 local business managers within LIUNA, Sonia is the only and first Latina to be elected as a business manager in 120 years.
Her time working at LIUNA is what led her to public service, and in 2022 Sonia became the first Latina elected to the Manassas City Council in 150 years. The motto she lives by is “hard work pays off” no matter if it’s in your personal, professional, or political life. She remains rooted in her community, and brings with her a full life of experience overcoming obstacles that many immigrants are familiar with. She’s living proof that the American Dream is still within reach, transcends borders, and remains an achievable possibility.
Si se puede!
