Enrique Morones is the founder and former executive director of San Diego-based human rights organization Border Angels 1986-2019. Currently he is the executive director of Gente Unida, a human rights border coalition.

He also is founder of House of Mexico, established ”to share, celebrate, educate and promote the rich art, culture, and history of Mexico to San Diego and its visitors.” ^[1]

Early life

He was born in San Diego and is the son of Luis Morones and Laura Carega, and grandson of Mexican Union leader Luis N. Morones^[2] He grew up in the area of Barrio Logan in a Catholic Mexican-American family. His father Luis Morones worked for the Mexico Fish and Game Department in San Diego before operating Aeroméxico's operations in San Diego. [Source: Morones, Enrique (2012). The Power of One: The Story of the Border Angels. San Diego State University Press. p. 7.]

Enrique graduated from Saint Augustine High School in 1974 and was awarded a four-year scholarship to the University of San Diego where he studied a wide variety of subjects including psychology, oceanography, French and karate. He later transferred to San Diego State University first to run track, and later to study marketing, graduating with a degree in International Marketing. He would later return to the University of San Diego to complete a Masters in Executive Leadership. [Source: Morones, Enrique (2012). The Power of One: The Story of the Border Angels. San Diego State University Press. p. 7.]

San Diego Padres

Enrique Morones was the Vice President of Latino Marketing for the professional baseball team, the San Diego Padres, which he joined in 1995 and worked for until 2001. ^[3] While working for the Padres, Enrique became the first person to receive dual US/Mexican nationality, and received his documents from Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo in 1998. [Source: Morones, Enrique (2012). The Power of One: The Story of the Border Angels. San Diego State University Press. p. 7.]

Border Angels

Enrique Morones founded San Diego-based human rights organisation Border Angels in 1986 after a meeting with Ethel Kennedy. Morones describes himself as a "proud American, and even prouder Mexican".^[4] On several occasions Morones has represented the Border Angels on television, including an interview by Tucker Carlson on the Fox News Network in January 2016. Morones is also credited as the first person to hold dual US-Mexico citizenship since 1998. ^[5]

Morones retired from Border Angels in 2019 and is now Executive Director of Gente Unida, a coalition that supports refugee children and migrant families.

Gente Unida

As founder of Gente Unida (a human rights border coalition) in April of 2005, he led the national effort against the vigilante minutemen, soundly shutting them down in California and sparking the massive pro-immigrant national marches in the Spring of 2006. Gente Unida (GU), is a California based non-profit 501c3, focused on providing services and arts and culture programs in response to the challenges of immigrants along the US and Mexican border. GU is called to highlight those working for social justice and to find collective means to feed, protect, clothe, comfort and engage those in our community that have limited access to resources due to their nationality, immigration status, age, gender, or political status.

In 2020 Enrique Morones launched the "Buen Hombre/Magnificent Mujer", podcast. https://www.buenhombre.org/ In April 2020 he joined veteran Chicano Park artists and activists to celebrate 50 years of Chicano Park Day with a series of video interviews. ^[6]

Books

Enrique Morones is the co-author of "The Power of One: The Story of the Border Angels" with Richard Griswold del Castillo, published by San Diego State University Press.

References