International Philanthropist, Activist and Businesswoman RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif., July 7
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Hortensia R. Magana,
who started out in the United States as a simple factory worker to eventually
lead and own one of the largest tortilla wholesalers in the nation, passed
away Tuesday, July 1st, surrounded by family and friends.
Her life was the epitome of the American Dream.
Mrs. Magana, who arrived to Los Angeles as an immigrant from Nombre de
Dios, Durango, Mexico in the 1960's, started working as a factory worker in
Los Angeles.
Eventually, she and her husband, Samuel, opened a small grocery store in
Gardena, California in 1969 -- named Diana's, located on the corner of 166th
Street and Normandie Avenue.
Using proceeds from the small grocery store, which still operates today,
they bought their first tortilla factory in Maywood, California in 1973.
Over the past three decades, she and her husband built up Diana's Mexican
Food Products, Inc. into a leading corporation. The company produces wholesale
tortillas and other Mexican food products, and owns a chain of Mexican
restaurants and grocery stores across Southern California.
Mrs. Magana's company has evolved into one of the largest wholesalers of
tortillas in Southern California, Las Vegas and across the Pacific in
Japan -- where the popularity of authentic Mexican cuisine has, in recent
years, skyrocketed.
A recognized business leader in the Latino community, in 1984 Mrs. Magana
helped establish and was a founding member of the Mexican Chamber of Commerce,
which promotes businesses serving the Latino community in Southern California.
Because of Mrs. Magana's successful business acumen and leadership skills,
the Los Angeles Business Council named her Businesswoman of the Year in 1998.
However, she was best known internationally as a caring philanthropist and
community activist.
Last year, the Government of the State of Durango, Mexico named her "Woman
of the Year" because of her extensive and important charity work.
In 1991, she started and funded the Fundacion Liyame in Durango, Mexico,
which trains and assists parents of mentally and physically handicapped
children. The Foundation helps integrate these children into the mainstream
population by providing transportation to special education schools and
training them with basic work skills.
In addition, Mrs. Magana's international organization conducts regular
workshops for parents and provides material support on caretaking and hygiene
practices for handicapped children.
Mrs. Magana was also a respected leader in a variety of public charities
in Los Angeles.
Between 1984 until 2006, she served as both Executive and Public Relations
Director of Comite Mexicano Civico Patriotico, one of the nation's oldest
Mexican service organizations. Founded in 1931, the committee organizes events
and relief efforts around important Mexican holidays including the televised
Mexican Independence Day Parade in East Los Angeles.
In 2005, Mrs. Magana organized a special collection during the Mexican
Independence Day Parade festivities to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and
the American Red Cross.
From 1984 to 2000, Mrs. Magana had served as a board member and, for a
period of five years, as President of The Comite de Beneficencia Mexicana, a
not-for-profit social service organization which educates and assists
immigrants about healthcare, immigration, and educational issues.
During Mrs. Magana's tenure, the Casa del Mexicano provided clothing and
other provisions to hundreds of needy families in the Boyle Heights/East Los
Angeles area and helped build seven housing units after the devastating
earthquake in Mexico City in 1985.
Mrs. Magana also helped relief services after the destructive Hurricane
Paulina hit Mexico in 1997.
Since 2001, Mrs. Magana was Chairman of the Board of the Consejo de
Latinos Unidos, a national public charity which educates and defends Latino
consumers against fraud and abuse. Her leadership provoked three congressional
hearings on hospital price gouging of uninsured Latinos.
Due to her love for arts and culture, Mrs. Magana founded the Fundacion
Pro-Herencia Cultural de Mexico in 1983, which promotes Mexican cultural and
folk arts and the work of the indigenous cultures of Mexico. She also
spearheaded Hispanics for the LA Opera, which promotes support and attendance
to the Los Angeles Opera within the Latino community.
Mrs. Magana is survived by her beloved husband of 44 years, Samuel, her
mother Maria Murillo de Rodriguez, her son Samuel, Jr., her daughters
Hortensia Magana Berry and Diana Magana Haagen, seven grandchildren, and
eleven brothers and sisters.
A public viewing and rosary will be held Thursday, July 10th at 6:00 p.m.
at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 1050 West 163rd St., Gardena,
California. The funeral mass will be held at the same location on Friday, July
11th at 10:00 a.m. The Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 W.
Slauson Blvd., Culver City.
SOURCE Consejo de Latinos Unidos
