Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2021
Angelica Maria Arevalo was born in Reynosa Tamaulipas, a small town on the border of the United States and Mexico.
Her parents are Hortencia Rodriguez and Gilberto Arevalo. Angelica is the oldest of eight siblings. Her parents and Angelica immigrated to the city of Houston, Texas when she was six months old.
Angelica attended Houston public schools, excelled in middle school, and was accepted to the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, a magnet school.
At age 16, Angelica started dating Eduardo Contreras. They met in church. On March 18, 1996, they were married. She continued her education and graduated, and, in 1998, Angelica became a citizen of the United States.
Eduardo had a good job opportunity in Minnesota because he was good with roofing and siding. In March 1999, Angelica and Eduardo moved to Shakopee. This is where Angelica saw the opportunity to begin advocating for and representing the Latino community. With the support of the deacon at the church she attended, the Iglesia del Dios Vivo, Columna y Apoyo de la Verdad, La Luz del Mundo, Angelica became a liaison between the church and city.
She helped with many projects from acquiring permits from the city to advocating for the brethren of the church. In her spare time, Angelica helped translate documents, interpret at courts, local schools, and even hospitals. There was always someone that would come and ask for advice, resources and information, since she was fluent in the English language and knowledgeable of the resources and programs available in Shakopee.
Angelica continued to work for the community, including the CAP Agency in 2011, where she started as a Spanish speaking customer service representative and later as a Certified Lactation Counselor for Scott, Carver & Dakota County’s WIC Program; was a member of the Parent Advisory Committee at Central Family Center, where she worked on starting programs in other languages; was the vice-president of the Shakopee Diversity Alliance (SDA) from 2018-2019; and served as volunteer coordinator for Mary Hernandez’s campaign.
After all of this, Angelica was asked repeatedly to not just support candidates but join boards and political positions. To make a difference, Angelica joined the Shakopee Soccer Association where she promotes the association by recruiting players in diverse cultures and communities. She also helps with financial assistance to the players in financial difficulties.
Finally, Angelica decided to run for city council in Shakopee. She wanted to continue supporting diverse housing. Since Shakopee was so diverse and rich in cultures, family comes in many sizes. Having multi-living options and housing for all was a need.
Secondly, Angelica knew representation was still a lacking factor. She had been there for the Latino community and provided many services for so long she knew someone needed to be their voice. She wanted to become the first Mexican American female to sit on council.
And Angelica wanted to support local businesses to keep the community and downtown thriving.
Starting Jan. 1, 2019, Angelica Maria Arevalo-Contreras became the first person of color and the first Mexican American city council member. She continues to advocate for and represent all the people of Shakopee.