SALVADORAN LEADER VICTOR J. ALFARO HAS PASSED AWAY

The City of Omaha mourns the unexpected death of Victor Jaime Alfaro, a community leader who made all Salvadorans proud of their heritage.
He was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador, as part of a family of eight brothers. In 1994 he traveled to the United States seeking the American Dream, and by 2008 he decided to move to Omaha where he would end up leaving his mark on the community.
The first thing that made him stand out was his culinary skill which opened to him the doors to many of the restaurants in the region. Victor Alfaro always looked for ways to promote the culture of his country by presenting the series of expressions and traditions based on the traditions, practices, codes, norms and rules on which he lived his daily life. He wanted to make the Salvadoran community stand out by working closely with non-profits such as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Midlands Latino Community Development Corporation, Omaha Police Department, the Asociacion de Salvadoreños de Nebraska and Omaha Public Schools, to name a few.
His legacy, first of all on a human and cultural level, has been crucial for consolidating the massive public celebrations in South Omaha for the independence of El Salvador. He was the person who negotiated with the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to be able to share a space and make it possible for the celebrations to extol both Mexicans and Salvadorans as they celebrated their national festivities.
On top of that, there are the many beauty pageants wins that made it possible to showcase the strength and dignity of Salvadoran women in Nebraska. He worked hard for sporting events and managed to secure locations for promoting the culture and gastronomic offers of his people. He set up picnics where he brought together fellow countrymen as well as members from other countries to strengthen their bonds while he aimed at working on future Salvadoran activities. During his time in our city, he gave talks, coordinated fundraisers and supported the creation of several cultural organizations.
The somewhat lacking studies on Salvadoran historiography in Omaha were greatly improved by having a wider perspective on the art and culture of El Salvador thanks to Alfaro’s work.
And while we must not forget the contribution of his forerunners from back in 1960, according to key leaders at the aforementioned agencies, Victor Alfaro greatly showcased the Salvadoran people, allowing them to gain recognition while encouraging the emergence of new leaders eager to work hard towards promoting, in their own way, the Salvadoran identity. Every era has events of great significance for the cultural history of a community who cannot be forgotten. They establish decisive routes that, in this case, have served to help other cultures to learn more and respect the traditions of El Salvador.
Today, the death of Victor Alfaro is indeed a great loss, but his legacy shall be treasured and relayed as it continues to grow among the Salvadorans who will carry on with his work and among all of those who got to consider him as a great friend. May you rest in peace, my dear friend.