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