Rename street for immigrant advocate Luz Colon

For more than 20 years, Luz Colon worked tirelessly as an advocate for new immigrants in Queens. Three years after her sudden death, local community leaders and politicians remembered her by renaming a street nearby the spot where she had setup her &#8220Citizenship Van,” which helped thousands of illegal immigrants become naturalized.
&#8220Luz Colon devoted her life to the residents and families of this community,” said Councilmember Hiram Monserrate, who presided over the renaming. &#8220Today we join to honor her tireless devotion to ensuring the diverse communities of this neighborhood a better life. This sign is a small token of our respect and appreciation for the work and life of one of our most passionate and generous community advocates.”
Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and raised East Harlem, Colon worked for the Department of Youth and Community Development as the Queens Center site center manager for Citizenship NYC, a program aimed at helping new immigrants.
In 2003, she died of a brain aneurysm.
After her death, community members founded the Luz C. Colon Memorial Fund, which provides college grants for young Latina women who are interested in civic affairs.
&#8220Luz was an inspiration to everyone that worked with her,” said Seth Kugel, vice president of the Board of Directors of the Luz C. Colon Memorial Fund. “There is no way to describe how generous she was, how much time she devoted and how much she helped all her clients and workers at Citizenship NYC or any one of her many other community leadership roles. I’m sure she would be touched by the great young women that now have scholarships in her name, and can only imagine how much she would have inspired them if they had ever been able to meet her.”
In her honor, Baxter Avenue between Broadway and Layton Street was renamed Luz Colon Place. Monserrate said that particular location was chosen because on the corner of the street - in front of Elmhurst Hospital Center - Colon had set up her &#8220Citizenship Van” about nine years ago.