'5 Questions' for neighborhood activist Andy Diaz

In Peoria’s North Valley between the river and the bluff from downtown to War Memorial Drive, longtime resident and advocate Andy Diaz holds court over coffee. Born and raised in the neighborhood, he graduated from Woodruff, attended ICC, worked at Tri County Regional Planning Commission, volunteered at Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity (PCCEO), earned a degree at Bradley University, and for decades has worked at Caterpillar.

Diaz, 47, knows Spanish and French, and walked through Europe for seven months when he was 20, and has worked with clients including foreign governments, the State Department and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Living near his parents, who moved here in 1974, Diaz’ family attends St. Paul’s and St. Mark’s churches and includes four kids, and after returning to the neighborhood in 2016 he’s worked to help revitalize the area.

 

As someone with Mexican heritage, do you get asked about immigration – and get tired of the questions?

I was born here – first generation – and I’m living the American Dream. We can all live the American Dream. There’s no cause to get disruptive.

 

You say you originally studied to be a veterinarian. How do feel about animals?
We have two sheepdogs, Luna and Bruno. We love them and are training them to be service dogs, too.

 

You remember wrestling as a youngster. Sports fan?

Go Bears!

 

Any lesson you took from running for mayor in 2021 – especially campaigning for school board?

Yeah: Not every job is the one you want. But I talked to a lot of people, had good conversations and made great connections.

I’m a proud Northsider [and] I thought the City wasn’t taking care of our neighborhood – and felt ignored as “the Northside crackpot.” But everyone deserves to be listened to, in the North Valley or Detweiller Drive. I guess I was fighting the City then, but you can only fight so much.

As far as schools, I just want to see children succeed; I look at District 150 and I’m sad and scared. There’s too little transparency and accountability, whether picking the search firm for a new superintendent or getting an audit done when state law requires. When I went to Woodruff, there were students of all races from all over Peoria; that was great. Now, too many [student] boundary waivers create financial segregation.

 

What’s your favorite dessert?

All of them! It’s a weakness. I love the old saying, “Life’s short; eat dessert first.”