III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 297 

Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Gloria Molina, the first Latina 

elected to the California State Legislature, Los Angeles City Council, 

and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 13, 2023 

Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Gloria Molina, 

the first Latina elected to the California State Legislature, Los Angeles City Council, and Los Angeles County 

Board of Supervisors. 

Whereas Gloria Molina was born on May 31, 1948, in 

Montebello, California, to Leonard Molina and 

Concepcio ́n Molina, who immigrated from Casa Grandes, 

Chihuahua, Mexico; 

Whereas Gloria Molina was the oldest of 10 siblings and assisted her parents in raising her siblings; 

Whereas Gloria Molina graduated from El Rancho High 

School in 1966, and attended Rio Hondo Community 

College, East Los Angeles Community College, and California State University, Los Angeles; 


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Whereas Gloria Molina’s activism was sparked by the Chicano movement and passion for women’s empowerment; 

Whereas Gloria Molina began her advocacy advancing health 

care and political access for Latinas as President of 

Comisio ́n Feminil Mexicana National; 

Whereas, before being elected to public office, Gloria Molina 

volunteered for President Carter’s campaign office in 

California in 1975, and later served as a staffing specialist in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel; 

Whereas, in 1979, Gloria Molina served as the Director of 

Intergovernmental and Congressional Affairs for the region IX office of the United States Department of Health 

and Human Services; 

Whereas Gloria Molina was elected to the California State 

Assembly from the 56th Assembly District in 1982, 

where she combined passionate advocacy with formidable 

political skill to strengthen communities in the 56th Assembly District and statewide, and served until her 1987 

election to the Los Angeles City Council; 

Whereas Gloria Molina was the first ever Latina elected to, 

and only the third person of Mexican ancestry to serve 

on, the Los Angeles City Council in 1987; 

Whereas, in 1991, after decades of gerrymandering that excluded Latino representation on the Los Angeles County 

Board of Supervisors, Gloria Molina was elected as the 

first Latina to serve as a Los Angeles County Supervisor; 

Whereas Gloria Molina served honorably for 23 years, representing a district that stretched from Koreatown, PicoUnion, and East Los Angeles, all the way east to Pomona and included much of the San Gabriel Valley; 


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Whereas Gloria Molina became renowned during her service 

as a County Supervisor as a fiscal watchdog committed 

to overseeing good government reforms, maintenance of 

the county’s public health care system, and quality-of-life 

issues for the millions of county residents living in unincorporated Los Angeles County; 

Whereas, throughout her career, Gloria Molina served on various boards, including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the Southwest 

Voter Education and Registration Project, the National 

Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials 

(NALEO), and the California Community Foundation; 

Whereas Gloria Molina also served for over 10 years as 1 of 

4 Vice Chairs of the Democratic National Committee 

(DNC); 

Whereas Gloria Molina, a strong advocate for the arts and 

the celebration of Mexican American culture, traditions, 

and history, in 2011 established LA Plaza de Cultura y 

Artes in Downtown Los Angeles, and in 2014, the 

Eastside Arts Initiative to support community-based arts 

organizations, including CASA 0101 and Self-Help 

Graphics; 

Whereas Gloria Molina, a master quilter and artist, formed 

the East LA Stitchers (TELAS) to inspire Latinas to express their culture through this art form; 

Whereas Gloria Molina was a champion for social justice and 

fought tirelessly for the most vulnerable Angelenos, from 

fighting against a plan to build a prison in the Eastside 

to helping grow the public transportation system and 

ending the forced sterilizations of women at General Hospital in Los Angeles; 


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Whereas, throughout a distinguished career, Gloria Molina 

touched the lives of countless people and will have her life 

and legacy preserved in Los Angeles; 

Whereas the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted to dedicate the 

East Los Angeles Civic Center station in Gloria Molina’s 

name; 

Whereas the CASA 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights designated its main theater as the ‘‘Gloria Molina Auditorium’’ in honor of Gloria Molina’s donations to Latino 

arts in the Southland area of Los Angeles; 

Whereas the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 

adopted a resolution to rename Grand Park the ‘‘Gloria 

Molina Grand Park’’ commemorating Gloria Molina’s 

service to Los Angeles; 

Whereas the Los Angeles City Council adopted a motion to 

rename a portion of the Observation Deck in the Tom 

Bradley Tower which overlooks Grand Park, as the ‘‘Gloria Molina Observation deck’’; and 

Whereas Gloria Molina passed away on May 14, 2023, at the 

age of 74 after battling cancer for 3 years: Now, therefore be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) extends its deepest sympathies to the 

3 friends and loved ones of Gloria Molina of Mount 

4 Washington, California, in their bereavement; and 

5 (2) recognizes and celebrates Gloria Molina’s 

6 historic 32-year political career and the series of 

7 firsts that inspired generations of women and 


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1 Latinos to seek public office, being the first Latina 

2 Assembly Member in California, the first Latina on 

3 the Los Angeles City Council, and the first Latina 

4 on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. 

Æ 


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