Elvira was born in México City, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States in 1986, becoming a US citizen in 1992. In the 1990s, Elvira organized the Latino community in Orange County, CA to oppose Proposition 187, which prohibited undocumented immigrants from using non-emergency health care, public education, and other services in the state of California. She later founded the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens in Orange County. Elvira moved to Nevada in 2005 and continued to organize the Latino community. She has worked with the PLAN since 2010, organizing immigration advocacy, LGBT awareness and advocacy, and started the “Tu Voto Cuenta” campaign to register Latinos to vote. In 2012, Elvira was recognized by President Obama as a Champion of Change for her work with the Latino community in Nevada.