LOS ANGELES — Esteban Torres, who emerged from the Chicano civil rights movement in Southern California and went on to serve eight terms in Congress pushing for social and economic change to help empower Latinos, has died. He was 91.

Torres died Jan. 25 of natural causes, according to a family statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

A labor organizer and anti-poverty activist in East Los Angeles, Torres became a leader of the United Auto Workers union and then served in President Jimmy Carter’s administration before running for office.

“Torres was a pathbreaking public servant and a lifelong fighter for the common good,” California U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla said in a statement. “Torres’ pride in his working-class, immigrant roots and his belief in the American dream drove his dedication to labor activism and community organizing.”