Crisantema Gallardo believes that all youth are the promise of transforming communities, which is why she is part of establishing 99Rootz. Daughter of immigrants from Oaxaca and Guanajuato, Crisantema was born in South Central Los Angeles and has now lived most of her life in California’s heartland, the Central Valley. Crissy loves and considers Merced her home. The youngest of three children, she was the first in her family to attend college.
Crisantema graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies with a concentration on Culture and Identity. Living in the Bay Area, she engaged in on and off campus activities that helped develop her consciousness and passion for social justice. Seeing her parents struggle as campesinos, motivated her to return to Merced and continue organizing for racial justice and immigrant rights. In her spare time Crisantema enjoys listening to the latest hip hop mixtapes, learning about birth charts, and spending time with her 7 year old nephew.