Mayor Salas was one of our earliest MANA de San Diego board presidents (1993–96) and she credits MANA for emboldening her to seek public service and elected office. Under her Mayoral leadership, the City of Chula Vista became the first city in the County to develop an inclusionary digital plan for families with children who needed internet access for online classes during the pandemic. Here is the challenge we make to our community: You just can’t hope for representation, you have to be part of the solution. We continue to pursue MANA’s goal for equal representation in positions of influence and challenge all our her MANAs to “Become and remain engaged!”
“You just can’t hope for representation, you have to be part of the solution.”
Call to Action The perspective of a woman, a first-generation college student, a mother or caregiver is needed. When Latinas are elected, they will prioritize issues important to Latinas. Our priorities won’t be last on the list. In recent years, four cities with large Latino populations in San Diego County have been led by Latina mayors:
Mary Salas Chula Vista (2014–2022) Alejandra Sotelo-Solis National City (2018–2022)
Esther Sanchez Oceanside (2020–present) Paloma Aguirre Imperial Beach (2022–present) MANA de San Diego has worked with and supported these all of these Latina mayors.
Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas delivers her final State of the City address on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 (Adriana Heldiz / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Inez González Perezchica, Executive Director of MANA de San Diego (Photo courtesy The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 8 – Facing COVID-19
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