Meet Jose

Cortes is very close with his parents and extended family, most of whom also live in San Diego County. His father is a Colombian immigrant who graduated from El Cajon High School. His mother has been a teacher in the Lakeside school district for years and is Italian and Mexican. His sister also teaches in the Lakeside school district. “My mom, in particular, really inspired me to be the person I am today,” says Cortes. “As a kid I remember her waking up at 4am every day to take care of me and my siblings, teaching a full day of classes, and then volunteering her time to teach computer literacy programs after school for Spanish-speaking parents. That example of commitment to the community, sacrifice and strength is something that I admire and constantly try to live up to.“

As Cortes studied history at the University of Buffalo, he began to think critically about U.S. foreign policy. He became aware of imperialism’s destabilizing and destructive effects overseas, as well as the violent and genocidal history of settler-colonialism on this continent. As a member of the football team he became increasingly aware of misogyny, homophobia and toxic masculinity that are deeply ingrained in our culture. As a young man he also worked various blue collar jobs including as a security guard and a night janitor, where he experienced the alienation and exploitation of capitalism firsthand. These important political experiences rose to the surface after a particularly brutal incident of police terror in Jose’s neighborhood in September of 2016.

“I remember hearing that El Cajon PD had shot an unarmed Ugandan refugee named Alfred Olango. It really struck me because the murder occured in the parking lot of my dentist’s office.” At that time, Cortes was working as an aide for children with special needs at a school, and supervised the after-school care program as well. “We had just finished studying and learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights era with the kids, so I felt compelled to join the protests.”

Days before the incident, Olango’s childhood best friend had died. He was experiencing extreme mental distress. Alfred Olango’s sister called 911, because he needed immediate medical attention. The police responded and shot him five times in front of his sister within seconds of arriving on scene. Olango’s sister wailed in grief to the police: “I called you for help, and you killed my brother.”

When people in the community gathered to protest this injustice and demand accountability, they were met with extreme repression. “Many people were brutalized by law enforcement, including elderly people. Weapons of war were used against people in the community to disrupt peaceful protests. Tear gas, projectiles, tanks– this is a direct result of the federal 1033 Program. I had a grenade launcher put in my face.”

“[Party for Socialism and Liberation] organizers were present at the El Cajon uprising, and took the initiative to approach me and introduce themselves—I was just sitting in a parking lot. When peaceful demonstrators were being targeted by police, they opened their homes to us and offered us protection. At that time I didn’t know anything about socialism, but they patiently explained Marxist concepts in a way that was very approachable. I found myself aligning with their platform.” 

Jose participated in a series of protests in subsequent months following the election of Donald Trump along with PSL. “I was won over by their discipline, commitment, seriousness, and the way that a small handful of professional revolutionary organizers were able to punch above their weight.” Jose joined the PSL and continued studying political theory and organizing campaigns and events on a consistent basis.

A deadly Hepatitis A outbreak occurred in San Diego and El Cajon in November 2017. Rather than providing public restrooms and handwashing stations, the El Cajon city council voted unanimously to ban the sharing of food in public places. This was a cruel measure designed to specifically target the houseless people sheltering in the city parks. 

Organizers immediately began a series of public “food shares” to defy the ordinance, providing hot meals, clothes, hygiene products and solidarity to the most marginalized people in the community. The movement gained international media coverage and attention, forcing the city to rescind the order and #BreakTheBan. Cortes participated in this important movement and continued running the food share for the next year. He continues to fight against the criminalization of homelessness and for guaranteed housing for all.

Among other campaigns, Cortes has been a consistent presence at various Chicano Park and Autodefensa events in Barrio Logan. He also spoke at an action at Chicano Park recently which demanded freedom for Leonard Peltier and in support of Indigenous resistance.

Currently, Cortes works in a call center for health and pension benefits. In this role, he is confronted every day with the violence and cruelty of the for-profit healthcare system: “A newborn child who is denied healthcare coverage because of a missed deadline. Employees grieving the loss of a loved one or a devastating health issue who have to fight to have medical expenses covered. Workers who simply cannot pay the outstanding balance that they owe the company to maintain their health benefits after taking time off. These are the lucky people who have access to healthcare through their employer, three million Californians have no insurance at all.” For this reason, he has been a consistent advocate for a single-payer healthcare option, whether through CalCare or Medicare for All!

Cortes currently works 40 hours (often more) a week and organizes as a volunteer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. In his free time he enjoys reading and spending time with his family and friends.

He ran for congress in 2020 as well, and gained media attention for seizing a debate stage in Valley Center after being denied an opportunity to participate as well as presenting an anti-capitalist alternative to voters in a historically Republican district.

Participating in the electoral system as a revolutionary organizer, he hopes to increase awareness of the PSL’s platform, and reach other workers and progressive-minded people to build community power beyond election season. “It is truly an honor to be entrusted by my comrades again to represent the interests of working class and oppressed people in the electoral sphere. This campaign isn’t just about trying to win us a seat at the capitalists’ table, it’s about building real power in our communities that creates lasting systemic change!”
He urges anyone who is inspired by his campaign to apply to join the PSL and get involved. “Just a few years ago I felt hopeless and disillusioned with politics, but getting involved with the PSL has shown me that workers can take an active role in history.”