Pasadena Mexican American History Association to Hold its Annual Honoree Luncheon Sunday

The Pasadena Mexican American History Association (PMAHA) will hold its annual honoree luncheon for families and supporters on October 2, at noon at Mijares Restaurant.

The annual luncheon will be focused on the culture and history of Mexican Americans within the Pasadena community.

At the event, PMAHA will honor two individuals for their service to the community. One of them is 99-year-old Erlinda Ruiz who is the oldest supporter member of the organization.

“She’s Rosie the Riveter from World War II and we’ll be able to honor her for her service. And then we also have Shannon Robledo, who’s a detective lieutenant and in charge of the Detective Bureau in South Pasadena. So we’ll be honoring him also for his service,” said Sandi Mejia, PMAHA board chairperson.

PMAHA was founded in 1996 by a small group that was led by Manuel Contreras. It was incorporated in May of 2006.

The organization works to preserve the history of the Mexican Americans who have been living in the city for over a hundred years, and educate generations about their heritage, according to Joseph Canto Robledo, PMAHA President.

According to Robledo, the organization has probably over a hundred supporter members. The youngest of them is a 3-year-old.

Mayor Victor Gordo, a Latino, is also one of the supporter members.

“We’re constantly getting new supporters… and that goes through family, connecting with family,” according to Mejia, who described the organization as a “a very close knit community.”

Last year, PMAHA honored longtime PMAHA historian Rachel Heredia, who passed away in early 2021, as well as the Mijares family, which celebrated their restaurant’s 100th year of operation last year in the middle of the pandemic.

Mijares Restaurant, an original supporter of PMAHA, was the host of the previous event.

Mayor Victor Gordo stopped by the event, saluting not only the honorees but the members as well, saying that the success of Mexican-Americans in Pasadena only helped pave his own path to becoming mayor of the city in November of 2020.

Gordo has talked frequently about growing up in a Pasadena garage, as the son of a restaurant waiter/cook father and seamstress mother.

For more information on PMAHA and its upcoming events, visit: https://www.facebook.com/PMAHA626/