Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Gloria Molina, the first Latina elected to the California State Legislature, the first Latina elected to Los Angeles City Council, and the first Latina elected to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Whereas Gloria Molina was born on May 31, 1948, in Montebello, California, to Leonard Molina and Concepción 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; Whereas Gloria Molina’s activism was sparked by the Chicano movement and passion for women’s empowerment; 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 Office of Presidential Personnel for the President; Whereas, in 1979, Gloria Molina served as the Director of Intergovernmental and Congressional Affairs for the Region IX office of the 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, in 1987, 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; 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 represent the first Latino district; Whereas when Gloria Molina was elected to a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the First District she became known 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 and served until 2014; Whereas Gloria Molina served honorably for 23 years, representing a district that stretched from Koreatown, Pico-Union, and East Los Angeles all the way east to Pomona and included much of the San Gabriel Valley; Whereas Gloria Molina began her advocacy advancing health care and political access for Latinas as president of Comisión Feminil Mexicana National; 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 the 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 and in 2014 the Eastside Arts Initiative to support community-based arts organizations, including CASA 0101 and Self-Help Graphics; Whereas, a master quilter and artist herself, Gloria Molina 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, such as fighting back against a plan to build a prison in the Eastside, helping grow the public transportation system, and ending the forced sterilizations of women at the General Hospital in Los Angeles; 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 Whereas the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to rename Grand Park the Gloria Molina Grand Park 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 Whereas Gloria Molina passed away on May 14, 2023, at the age of 74 after battling cancer for 3 years: Now, therefore be it That the House of Representatives— (1) extends its deepest sympathies to the friends and loved ones of Gloria Molina of Mount Washington, California, in their bereavement; and (2) recognizes and celebrates Gloria Molina’s historic 32-year political career and the series of firsts that inspired generations of women and Latinas to seek public office, being the first Latina Assembly Member in California, the first Latina on the Los Angeles City Council, and the first Latina on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.

Summary: This resolution recognizes Gloria Molina's historic political career and extends sympathies to her friends and loved ones. Molina was the first Latina Assembly Member in California, the first Latina on the Los Angeles City Council, and the first Latina on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.