# data[].attributes.body
I take my father everywhere I go, he is one of my 3 ancestors I wear as cloaks every single day.

My grandfather brought my family to the US in 1950 after winning the lottery on his birthday November 1950. By December 1950, my dad and his siblings with my Grandma and Grandpa landed in Dallas, Texas making their way to San Diego. They were sponsored by my Nana's husband who was in the military. (I know what that means now.)

Short story, Dad, grew up in Logan Heights, attended Bandini Elementary, Memorial Junior High and San Diego High School '62.

Raised in San Diego, everyone thinks my decedents are from Mexico, but we are the Villegas Family that is from Panama not Mexico.

My father had many jobs, shoe shine, mechanic, tire salesman, Educator... When my father retired as a Superintendent in California, I really thought I'd get to spend the rest of his life learning more new lessons, but in 2019, Dad lost his fierce battle with Alzheimer's.

I would not be the same human without my Papi. #apapaslove #aho

# data[].attributes.body
Maria Luisa Patron Muñoz is the matriarch of our family.  She was born March 21, 1924 in El Rosario, Sinaloa, a small town 40 minutes outside of Mazatlan.  At the age of 28, she decided to leave El Rosario and venture north to Tijuana, where opportunities awaited.  She spent 10 years working and saving, sending money back to El Rosario for her mother to care for her two daughters, my mother and nina.  In 1962, my Abuela immigrated to the United States and brought her children with her.  She did not stop there.  She pioneered the movement of the entire Patron familia to the United States. Her courage and determination is admirable.

# data[].attributes.body
Irma Castro is a San Diego native, who focused her career in making change to provide equity for Latinos. She served as an Executive Director of the Chicano Federation between 1979-1991. This lead her to be involved in the Chicano Federation, Las Niñas De Aztlan.

I was part of one of Las Niñas De Aztlan, and thanks to this outreach and mentorship program, the seed was planted in me, that I did not have to fit the stereotype.

I want to honor Irma Castro for leading school-based programs and providing access to students who had a hard time growing up. She was able to open up doors to first-gen young girls here in San Diego. I want to continue her journey by supporting young girls and building on where she left off.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maria Del Rosario Arias Garcia de Romano 

# data[].attributes.subject
Maria Del Rosario Arias Garcia de Romano 

# data[].attributes.body
My maternal grandmother. My middle name is hers. She came from a poor family, her mother [Maria Petra Garcia] worked in the tabaco fields of Tuxpan, Nayarit and my grandmother refused to join, she was determined to continue to go to school and she did. She was known as Enfermera (Nurse) Chayo to many neighboring towns of Tuxpan for helping many woman through pregnancy and labor. She also traveled throughout the state to help vaccinate and helped lead the school in Tuxpan and Tepic to teach others in the medical field.