José I. Alvarado, District 17

Legislator José Alvarado moved from his native Honduras to Yonkers in 1982. He was first elected to represent the 17th District of Southwest Yonkers in 2001, becoming the County’s first Hispanic legislator.

When he came to the United States, Alvarado knew little English and had a background of very little formal education. To support himself and to assist in the support of his mother and his five siblings, he worked at minimum wage jobs. He eventually earned a high school equivalency degree and went on to study business at Mercy College. At Mercy, he became an English tutor in the school’s bilingual program. This experience inspired Alvarado to pursue more community volunteer positions and ultimately, a career in public service.

Enhancing other peoples’ lives is what drives Alvarado’s legislative agenda. He attributes fellow Honduran, the poet Roberto Sosa, with raising his consciousness about helping the poor and the disenfranchised. “The poor are so many, it is impossible to forget them.”

Mr. Alvarado is involved in a variety of community organizations including CLUSTER, his parish, Iglesia San Andres, the Boy Scouts of America and the Yonkers-So.Broadway B.I.D.

Mr. Alvarado holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mercy College and a master’s degree in Public Administration/Health Care. He and his wife Karla have two daughters. He is currently employed as the Special Advisor to the President of White Plains Hospital Center for Outreach to the Hispanic Community and for the promotion of the hospital and as an adjunct Political Science professor at Mercy College.

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