Birthdays were very important to Anna Maria. Here she celebrates her 40th with husband Robert, amigas Adrienne Smith, Robin Andrade, Rosie Gutierrez, and Linda Catzoela; and amigos Tony Catzoela, Raúl Tapia, Juan Gutierrez and Rick Bela.

Her parents set the model for Anna Maria’s political activism. Jess was the first Latino elected to the San Bernardino city council. Rita regained his seat when she was elected in 1995. Her parents were her most enduring role models and Anna Maria seemed fated to go into politics. "When we ran for office, I always made sure Anna Maria was involved. We would take her campaigning with us door-to-door and in parades, she would ride with us and smile, wave, and talk to people" her mom says.

As a friend, she was intensely loyal, asserts childhood friend Robbin Andrade. It is not by accident that her best friends were all from her school days. Her five closest friends, Robbin, Rosemary Mercado, Lisa Saenz-Oshmann, Tamara Mann, and Janice Lubinski remember Anna Maria’s devotion.

Robbin and Anna Maria met at age seven when Robbin moved into her neighborhood, one house away. Robbin would eventually join Anna Maria on stage at that talent show. She and Anna Maria kept in touch through the years even though Robbin had left San Bernardino at age ten.

Rosemary attests to Anna Maria’s complete dedication to her friends. "She definitely thought of us as the sisters she never had. She always made time for her special girlfriends, no matter if she was traveling, having a magazine deadline or just feeling under the weather," she says. "We both shared a very distinct appreciation of women who were accomplished. We enjoyed watching documentaries on women who have made a difference."

After college, when Anna Maria made the move to Washington, D.C., Robbin was already living there. "I was amazed at how quickly and easily Anna Maria fit in, especially coming from Hawaii," Robbin remembers. "The city’s political and cosmopolitan vibe suited her perfectly."

She quickly made many new friends in the nation’s capital, including attorney Raul Tapia, then a board member of CHCI. Their first encounter was not promising, "We got into a very lively debate," he remembers. "Anna Maria would challenge assumptions and make you rethink your position." But always the consummate professional, Anna Maria contacted Raul the next day with a follow-up call. "We struck up a conversation that would eventually last fourteen years."

 

As an advocate, Anna Maria was formidable. "She believed very strongly in promoting the position of Latinas in this country and that the best way to do this was through economic empowerment," Raul says. People who came in contact with Anna Maria couldn’t help but be engaged by her conversations or influenced by her example. "She was in love with life and it was contagious," explains friend and mentor Rick Bela. "She swept everybody up into her causes and projects, and we loved it."

The former CEO of the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility (HACR), Bela met Anna Maria in 1988 at a conference for the National Council of La Raza. "Anna and I talked a lot about the limited opportunities available to Latinos, and especially Latinas," Rick says. "She would remind me that Latinas make up a very large market, especially for up-scale cosmetics and clothing, but they’re virtually ignored by these industries." Through her magazine and community involvement, she affected the way corporations promote women and appoint them to boards. In 1998, she launched the LATINA Style 50 program, recognizing the best corporations for Latinas to work in the U.S. The program was so successful that the ceremonies recognizing the companies were held at the vice president’s residence and the White House. "She personified the best of her generation," Rick continues. "Like other Latinos her age, she was very comfortable with her own identity. Older Latinos are often unsure about moving from one culture to another, but not Anna Maria. She could be very mainstream and still not question herself. Her confidence made us proud of her."

Another political mentor, Polly Baca, the former vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), met Anna Maria when she was hired as a researcher for the DNC. "Anna Maria was such a vibrant young woman," remembers Polly. "She was such a good writer and had so much talent. She did what so many people want to do - she lived her dream."

 

 

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