You are invited to La Gala on Friday, November 1 to celebrate and support Hacienda’s impact and our beautiful and diverse community!
La Gala, presented by LMC Construction, is our gift to you: an unforgettable evening to gather with everyone and celebrate what we’ve achieved together.
On Friday, November 1, we will gather together at the Hyatt Regency Portland with Día de los Muertos-themed activities. During our program we will enjoy a Latino-inspired 3-course meal as we hear from Hacienda leaders and welcome keynote speaker, José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American former NASA astronaut and engineer.
Mark your calendars now to enjoy una noche maravillosa with friends, family and our Hacienda community.
Save the date––more information will be shared soon!
We are excited to see you there!
¡Será un gusto verlos allí!
Our Keynote Speaker: José M. Hernandez
NASA engineer Jose Hernandez wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Latino had been chosen to travel into space: Franklin Chang-Diaz. Hernandez was a senior in high school at the time, and he knew it was a bold wish. He was one of four children in a migrant farming family from Mexico – he spent much of his childhood traveling with his family from Mexico to southern California, working northward to the Stockton area picking strawberries and cucumbers at farms along the route. Then they would return to Mexico for Christmas and start the cycle all over again come spring.
Although he learned to speak English at 12, after graduating high school Hernandez enrolled at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and was awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara, where he continued his engineering studies.
Later, during the astronaut application process, Hernandez finally came face-to-face with his original inspiration: Franklin Chang-Diaz. Hernandez has always been grateful for the gift he received from Mr. Chang Diaz, because seeing the achievement of someone with a similar upbringing and the same language issues strengthened his confidence enough to achieve his own dream of becoming an astronaut earning multiple recognitions along the way. Now his story has been told in the 2023 film, A Million Miles Away.
Jose Hernandez was able to reach outer space because another person made the greater journey of reaching his spirit and inspiring him. Now it’s his turn.
Altar Art created by New York-based Rodrigo Valles Jr.
Rodrigo Valles Jr. is a self-taught visual artist. His figurative works pay homage to his Mexican-American upbringing, portraying pop icons in everyday settings, resonating with themes of pride, belonging, uncertainty, celebration, and triumph. They are working class heroes, totems and explorations of identity. Meanwhile, his abstracts, inspired by urban decay and fractal patterns found in nature, offer a captivating exploration of color, texture, and form. Rodrigo's unique perspective is further enriched by his use of hip-hop lyrics as artwork titles, adding layers of meaning and emotion to his already compelling creations.
This December 3-8 at Context Art fair during Art Basel Miami, Rodrigo Valles will be showing a collection of Catrinas as part of the selection of artists from Barryshev Art Gallery. Please reach out to him to inquire about available works. instagram.com/rodrigovallesjr/
Menu for La Gala was curated in collaboration with Angel Medina, Founder of República & Co.
Angel Medina is a catalyst of the "Mexico-Forward" culinary movement. In under 4 years, Medina launched a family of restaurants, bars, and cafes, all elevating “Mexico-forward” cuisine, earning him some of the most coveted titles in the industry, including a James Beard nomination, Bon Appetit’s “10 Best New Restaurants in America” and The New York Times’ “50 Best Restaurants in America”. https://www.republicahospitality.com/
Thank you to our sponsors!
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Bronze SPONSORS
AAA OR/ID
NOAH
Oregon Metro
PNC Bank
Enterprise
Legacy Health
Morel Ink
Vincent Wine Company
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson
Point West Credit Union
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Scott Edwards Architecture
Raza Development Fund
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary
Access Architecture
Valar
Alaska Airlines
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